Should I Have Reduced My Prayer Because I Was Traveling From My Temporary Residence?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum,

While I was in Thailand I was based in one area in the south. I stayed there for more than 15 days before travelling to surrounding countries every so often, but I would return to my house in thailand in between. Each time I returned it was not for more than 15 days, but I still prayed the full prayer. Should I have reduced my prayer even though that was my base during my travels?

Are my prayers invalid because I didn’t perform them properly?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.

No, your prayers were not invalid and you do not need to repeat them.

The basis is that you should have shortened your prayers because you were considered to be a traveller when you returned to Thailand for less than fifteen days.

Though your house in Thailand was initially considered to be your temporary residence (watn al-iqama), this status was vitiated by your subsequent travel.

In general, praying the complete prayer instead of shortening during a journey is not invalidating as long as you sit for the extent of the tashahhud after the second cycle (rak`at) as this is actually the final obligatory action of the traveller’s prayer.

[ShaykhiZada, Majma` al-Anhur]

And Allah alone knows best.

في مجمع الأنهر: ( وَ ) يَبْطُلُ ( وَطَنُ الْإِقَامَةِ ) وَهُوَ الْبَلْدَةُ أَوْ الْقَرْيَةُ الَّتِي لَيْسَ لِلْمُسَافِرِ فِيهَا أَهْلٌ وَنَوَى أَنْ يُقِيمَ فِيهَا خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا ( بِمِثْلِهِ ) لِأَنَّ الشَّيْءَ يُرْتَفَضُ بِمِثْلِهِ حَتَّى لَوْ نَوَى الْإِقَامَةَ فِي بَلَدٍ ثُمَّ رَاحَ مِنْهُ وَأَقَامَ فِي بَلَدٍ آخَرَ وَأَتَى الْبَلَدَ الْأَوَّلَ قَصَرَ مَا لَمْ يَنْوِ الْإِقَامَةَ ثَانِيًا ( وَالسَّفَر ) أَيْ يَبْطُلُ وَطَنُ الْإِقَامَةِ بِهِ لِأَنَّهُ ضِدُّ الْإِقَامَةِ فَلَا يَبْقَى مَعَهُ حَتَّى لَوْ نَوَى الْإِقَامَةَ فِي بَلَدٍ ثُمَّ سَافَرَ ثُمَّ أَتَى ذَلِكَ الْبَلَدَ قَصَرَ مَا لَمْ يَنْوِهَا . اهـ.

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani