Where to Apply Rules about Salah (Prayer) on a Journey

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الرَّجُلُ يُرِيدُ السَّفَرَ مَتَى يُقَصِّرُ قَالَ إِذَا تَوَارَى مِنَ الْبُيُوتِ قَالَ قُلْتُ الرَّجُلُ يُرِيدُ السَّفَرَ فَيَخْرُجُ حِينَ تَزُولُ الشَّمْسُ قَالَ إِذَا خَرَجْتَ فَصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ. - وَ رَوَى الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ وَ فَضَالَةَ عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ مِثْلَهُ.

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who wants to travel. Where is he required to apply the rules about journey? He (the Imam) said, ‘He must apply them where houses become invisible to him? I then asked, ‘A man begins his journey on Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime). What is he requi

سَمِعْتُ الرِّضَا ع يَقُولُ‌ إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَ أَنْتَ فِي الْمِصْرِ وَ أَنْتَ تُرِيدُ السَّفَرَ فَأَتِمَّ فَإِذَا خَرَجْتَ بَعْدَ الزَّوَالِ قَصِّرِ الْعَصْرَ.

“I once heard al-Rida’ (a.s.), say, ‘At Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime) if you are in a city and want to travel, if you go out after Zawal perform al-‘Asr Salah in the reduced form.’”

خَرَجْتُ مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع حَتَّى أَتَيْنَا الشَّجَرَةَ فَقَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَا نَبَّالُ قُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ قَالَ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَجِبْ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ هَذَا الْعَسْكَرِ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ أَرْبَعاً غَيْرِي وَ غَيْرُكَ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ دَخَلَ وَقْتُ الصَّلَاةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ نَخْرُجَ.

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and I traveled until we were at al-Shajarah. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to me, ‘O Nabbal.’ I replied, ‘Yes Imam, I am here.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘In this group no one other than you and I, are required to perform our Salah (prayer) in four Rak‘at because it became the time for Salah (praye

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ يَدْخُلُ مِنْ سَفَرِهِ وَ قَدْ دَخَلَ وَقْتُ الصَّلَاةِ قَالَ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَإِذَا خَرَجَ إِلَى سَفَرٍ وَ قَدْ دَخَلَ وَقْتُ الصَّلَاةِ فَلْيُصَلِّ أَرْبَعاً[1].

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who returns from his journey when it has become the time for a Salah (prayer). He (the Imam) said, ‘He is required to perform his Salah (prayer) as two Rak‘at and if he goes out on a journey when it has become the time for Salah (prayer) he is required to perform his Sal

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ مُسَافِراً ثُمَّ يَقْدَمُ فَيَدْخُلُ بُيُوتَ الْكُوفَةِ أَ يُتِمُّ الصَّلَاةَ أَمْ يَكُونُ مُقَصِّراً حَتَّى يَدْخُلَ أَهْلَهُ قَالَ بَلْ‌ يَكُونُ مُقَصِّراً حَتَّى يَدْخُلَ أَهْلَهُ.

I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about a man who is on a journey, returns and arrives among the houses of al-Kufah. Is he required to perform his Salah (prayer) complete or as reduced until he comes to his family? He (the Imam) said, ‘He is required to perform his Salah (prayer) as reduced until he comes to his family.

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ صَلَّى وَ هُوَ مُسَافِرٌ فَأَتَمَّ الصَّلَاةَ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي وَقْتٍ فَلْيُعِدْ وَ إِنْ كَانَ الْوَقْتُ قَدْ مَضَى فَلَا.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who on a journey performs Salah (prayer) in complete form. He (the Imam) said, ‘If there is time for it he is required to perform his Salah (prayer) again, otherwise, it is passed.’”

قُلْتُ لَهُ‌[1] رَجُلٌ فَاتَتْهُ صَلَاةٌ مِنْ صَلَاةِ السَّفَرِ فَذَكَرَهَا فِي الْحَضَرِ قَالَ يَقْضِي مَا فَاتَهُ كَمَا فَاتَهُ إِنْ كَانَتْ صَلَاةَ السَّفَرِ أَدَّاهَا فِي الْحَضَرِ مِثْلَهَا وَ إِنْ كَانَتْ صَلَاةَ الْحَضَرِ فَلْيَقْضِ فِي السَّفَرِ صَلَاةَ الْحَضَرِ كَمَا فَاتَتْهُ.

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about a man who misses a Salah (prayer) while on a journey and remembers it when he is at home. He (the Imam) said, ‘He performs Qada’ (compensatory prayer) for it just as it was missed, if missed on a journey the compensatory prayer for it at home is as reduced and if it is missed

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ خَرَجَ فِي سَفَرٍ ثُمَّ تَبْدُو لَهُ الْإِقَامَةُ وَ هُوَ فِي صَلَاتِهِ قَالَ يُتِمُّ إِذَا بَدَتْ لَهُ الْإِقَامَةُ.

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about a man who is on a journey and during performing a Salah (prayer) he decides to stay there for ten days. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he decides to stay for ten days, he is required to perform his Salah (prayer) complete.’” (The following chapter is best explained in the form of fatw