How Long Am I Considered a Traveler? (Shafi’i)

Answered by Shaykh Shuaib Ally

Question: Assalam alaykum,

I am travelling to a country to visit family for a period of 2 months.
For how long am I considered a traveller?

Answer:Assalamu ‘Alaykum,

I hope you are well.

If you are planning on staying at your destination for a duration of four days or more – and you are – then you are no longer considered a traveler once you arrive there. You may not avail yourself of the dispensation to combine and shorten prayers while there.

You are still, however, considered a traveler for the duration of your travel between your point of origin and your destination city. That is, you can combine and shorten prayers once you have left your city up until arriving at your destination city, and vice versa on the way back.

Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Shuaib Ally

Shaykh Shuaib Ally is a scholar who has recently returned to Toronto after completing his studies overseas. He started his studies by completing his MA in Islamic Studies at the University of Toronto in 2008. He went on to study in a number of Islamic disciplines privately with scholars in Saudi Arabia, including Tafsir, Qur’anic Sciences, Shafi’i law, Usul, Hadith, Hadith Methodology, Grammar and Balagha.
Shaykh Shuaib currently resides in Toronto.