Prayer while travelling: qasr and combining
Allah has made prayer easier for travellers: the four-rak'ah prayers are shortened to two, and according to most scholars two prayers may be combined.
وَإِذَا ضَرَبۡتُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَلَيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَقۡصُرُواْ مِنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ إِنۡ خِفۡتُمۡ أَن يَفۡتِنَكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ كَانُواْ لَكُمۡ عَدُوّٗا مُّبِينٗا ﴿١٠١﴾
Waitha darabtum fee alardi falaysa ʿalaykum junahun an taqsuroo mina alssalati in khiftum an yaftinakumu allatheena kafaroo inna alkafireena kanoo lakum ʿaduwwan mubeenan
And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer, [especially] if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt [or attack] you. Indeed, the disbelievers are ever to you a clear enemy
Quran 4:101 · Surah An-Nisa · Translation: Saheeh International · Transliteration: Tanzil.net
It is a charity that Allah has given you, so accept His charity.
Sahih Muslim, about shortening the prayer when travelling
Shortening (qasr)
- Dhuhr, Asr and Isha are prayed with two rak'ahs instead of four.
- Fajr and Maghrib stay the same.
- Shortening is a confirmed sunnah according to most scholars and obligatory in the Hanafi school.
Combining (jam')
According to the Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools, a traveller may combine Dhuhr with Asr and Maghrib with Isha, either in the time of the first (jam' taqdim) or of the second (jam' ta'khir). The Prophet ﷺ did so on his journeys (al-Bukhari, Muslim). In the Hanafi school real combining is only at Arafah and Muzdalifah during Hajj; elsewhere one prays the first prayer at the end of its time and the second at the start of its time.
When does it apply?
- Distance: according to most scholars a journey of about 80–90 km (in the Hanafi school about 77–90 km depending on the calculation). The rules apply once you have left your town.
- Duration: if you intend to stay somewhere four days or more, you pray normally from arrival according to the Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools; in the Hanafi school the limit is 15 days. Whoever does not know how long they will stay may shorten until they decide.
- Behind a local imam you pray the full four rak'ahs with him.
The prayer times and the Hadaff app calculate the times for wherever you are.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I pray the sunnah prayers when travelling?
The Prophet ﷺ usually left the regular sunnah prayers when travelling, except the two rak'ahs before Fajr and witr, which he never left (al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Can I pray on a plane?
Yes. Pray standing if possible, facing the qibla as well as you can; if not, pray sitting and indicate ruku' and sujud with your head. Use the local times of where the plane is.
This article was written with the help of AI. Quran verses are inserted directly from the Quran text (translation: Saheeh International); it is general information, not a religious ruling (fatwa). For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar. Found a mistake? Write to support@hadaff.de.