Please give details of Qasr Salaah?

Q: Please give details of Qasr Salaah.

A: Qasr Salaah is a gift from Allah Ta'aala to this Ummat. The criterion for Qasr Salaah is the distance being travelled and the duration of stay at the temporary venue. One who travels 77.7 km or more and will stay at a place for 14 days or less, qualifies as a Musaafir. If a person is travelling this distance or more, Qasr Salaah will commence as soon as the person leaves the border of his hometown.

When making Qasr, the four Rakaats Fardh of Zohar, Asr and Eshaa will be reduced to two. This will apply when performing Salaah alone or behind an Imam who is also a Musaafir. The Fardh of Fajr and Maghrib will remain the same. If when reaching another place en-route, a resident of the area is the Imam, then the Musaafir follower will perform the full Salaah behind this resident Imam.

The Sunnah Mu'akkadah Salaahs attached to each Salaah also become optional when on journey, but if time and circumstances allow, they should be performed.

The Witr of Eshaa is Waajib, so it must also be performed.

If a Salaah became Qadhaa while travelling, it will later be performed as Qasr, even if one is back home when fulfilling that Qadhaa.

Prepared by: Moulana Yusuf Laher

Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai

To shorten a prayer was made legitimate in the 4th year of the Migration. Its legitimacy is definite by the Quran, the Sunnah and the consensus of the ummah.

The evidence from the Quran about the legitimacy of shortening prayers is verse 101 of the chapter of an-Nisa.

The evidence from the Sunnah is the following narration:

Ibn Abbas said:

"Allah made prayer fard as 4 rak'ahs when you are resident and 2 rak'ahs when you travel with the statement of your Prophet."

Hz. Aisha stated the following:

"Prayer was made fard as two rak'ahs bot for travelers and residents at first. Then, it remained as two rak'ahs for travelers; the prayers of residents were increased."

 

Why are Prayers Shortened?

The reason for shortening prayers is traveling. The wisdom behind it is difficulties.

Therefore, even if the wisdom does not exist but the reason exists, the prayer is shortened. That is, a traveler shortens his prayer even if he does not face any difficulties and troubles during his traveling and stay in the places where he goes. For, traveling, which is the reason for and wisdom behind shortening, exists. A person cannot shorten prayers when he is a resident even if he faces many difficulties and troubles. For, traveling, which is the reason for and wisdom behind shortening, does not exist.