Fatwa's Insights - Worship

THE 42ND MEETING OF THE PERLIS STATE FATWA COMMITTEE / 2019

14 - 15 JULAI 2019 / 11 - 12 ZULKAEDAH 1440H

FATWA ON THE DISTANCE FOR SHORTENED PRAYER (QASAR)

The distance of a person's journey to a particular destination that permits qasar is based on two evaluations, namely:

1) Based on distance, which is approximately 80KM, and this is the opinion of the majority of scholars. There is no authentic hadith that stipulates this distance. However, there are narrations from Ibn Abbas that take into account the distance between Mecca and Taif and between Mecca and Jeddah.

2) Based on customary practice ('uruf) that considers a certain journey distance as constituting travel (musafir). This 'uruf takes into account the circumstances of preparation and difficulties that occur in such travel. This opinion does not limit a specific distance. Scholars such as Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi, Ibn Taimiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Shawkani, Muhammad Saleh bin 'Uthaimin, al-Albani, al-Qaradhawi, and others support this opinion.

If a person is convinced that his customary journey constitutes travel, even if it is less than the distance of 80KM, such journey is considered as travel (musafir). However, if it is difficult to determine the eligibility of his journey to be regarded as travel, one may hold to the opinion of the majority of scholars who stipulate it as approximately 80KM only to qualify it as being considered travel.

The scholars are in consensus that if a person doubts whether his travel is eligible or not to be termed as travel, he must refer to the original obligation of prayer, which is that it must be performed in full (tamam) and may not be performed as qasar. If a person is convinced that his journey constitutes travel, he is encouraged to perform qasar because Ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet S.A.W., Abu Bakar R.A., Umar R.A., and Uthman R.A. always performed qasar during travel. If he performs prayer behind an imam who performs prayer in full (4 rak'ahs), he shall complete his prayer like that imam's prayer. This is based on narration from Ibn Abbas in Musnad Ahmad. Regarding to combined prayer (jama'), it is permissible during travel.

Resolved at the Meeting of the Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu Perlis No. 5 of 2019 convened on 5 September 2019.