Do I Shorten My Prayers When Working Regularly in Travel Distance?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

I work in London but have a family in Nottingham. I traverse London Nottingham every week, spending four nights of work days in London. Is it permissible for me to shorten prayers while working in London?

Answer

Yes, you should shorten your prayers when you go to London for work. You are a traveler when you leave Nottingham with the intention to go to London, so you’d need to shorten from that point until you return. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

Pray the sunna prayers when you are in London, but it’s permissible to omit them when traveling. Performing them is superior. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) told us that the two sunna units before fajr are better than the world and everything in it [Bukhari]. Imagine losing out on that on the Day of Judgement.

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.