Should I Shorten My Prayers in a Plane That Has Landed?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum

When person travels by plane, can he still shorten his prayers when the plane lands at the runway if the Airport is within one’s home city limits?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

No, you cannot shorten your prayers within your home city.

A traveller continues to shorten his prayers until he enters his permanent place of residence (al-watan al-asli) or a temporary place of residence (watan al-iqama). Your home city is your permanent place of residence, so you must cease shortening as soon as you enter it even if you are still in the sky.

Please also see this answer.

And Allah Most High knows best.

wassalam,
[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorised the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.