Orders for Prayer while in Journey
Niyyat | Offering Prayer while on Vehicle
Allah Says:—
(S4-A101) When you travel through the earth there is no sin you shorten (Khasar) your
prayer
if for fear that the infidels will put you in troubles, infact they are your open enemies.
Important: During journey of 3 Manzils (stages & halts) or more, the traveller has to offer two rak'ats instead of four rak'ats of Farz prayer (Namaz). This concession extended for the fear of harassment by the disbelievers has become a boon forever. The traveller need not offer full prayer as it will be equal to negligence of Allah’s commandments. This concession is not applicable for sunnat. (Mauzaul Quran)
Important: A person who leaves his house and his native place and takes up the journey for three halts (Manzils) with a moderate speed, has to offer two rakats instead of four rakats in Zuhr, 'Asr, and Isha Farz prayer (Namaz). The concession has been given by Allah, for convenience of the worshipper. If any body offers all the four rakats it is neglect towards the gift of Allah, and he will be a sinner. The traveller’s offering full prayer is grieviously undesirable act (Makrooh-e-Tahreemy) although the Farz is considered as performed and the two extra rakats will be counted as Nafil. If the traveller does not sit in Qa’ida-e- Oola (First sitting) the prayer (Namaz) will become void, because Qa’ida-e-Oola is obligatory in prayer of two rakats or three rak'at, Farz and Wajib. In four rakat of sunnat Qasr (Shortening) is not permissible. (Ghayatul Autar, Noorul Hadaya)
Any traveller, during his journey in his own city or any other city or town and intends to stay there for 15 days or more, will be considered as resident (Muqeem) and will have to offer full prayer i.e. four rakats. If he intends to stay for less then 15, days or intends to leave with in a few days or does not have any determind number of days for halt, he should go on offering the Qasar prayer two rakats only, no matter if the period of one year or more passes away in this manner. (Noorul Hadaya)
Anyone travels by walk or on camel with an average speed for three days equal to the shortest days in a year, then such a traveller would be called, as per Shariat Law, a person in Qasr. (Alamgiri)
A certain city has two routes, one takes three days to reach and another only two days, one who reaches the place in three days will offer prayer in Khasar and the other reaching in two days will not offer Khasar prayer. (Alamgiri)
A city or place located at a distance of three days journey with an average speed, if the same distance is covered earlier by a faster means like train, the traveller will be eligible for offering Khasar prayer as per Shariat Law. (Alamgiri)The person who goes on journey, leaving his city population behind, will be considered a traveller until he enters among the population of his native place. (Durre Mukhtar and Alamgiri)
A real native place is defined as a place where he lives with his family and a place where he intends to stay temporarily for fifteen days or more would be a temporary resident. (Durre Mukhtar)
If officials make tour in their jurisdiction and its distance comes under Shariat laws, they should offer Khasar prayers, otherwise they should offer complete prayers. (Durre Mukhtar)
If a traveller offers all the Four rakats by mistake, he should perform Sajdah-e-Sahu to rectify this defect. In such case two rakats will be considered as Farz and two rakats Nafil. If one offers Four rakats intentionally he will be a sinner. (Ghayatul Autar)
The Four rakats sunnat should not be offered as Khasar, under any circumstances. If it is difficult to perform, then it is better to leave it. (Alamgiri)
Home | Top | Niyyat | Offering Prayer while on Vehicle
Intention (Niyyat) Khasar Prayer
I intend to offer Four rakats Farz at the time of Zuhr formed as two rakats Khasar
for the sake of Allah behind this Imam turning my face towards the Kabah. Allaho Akber.
(Zaoq Shaoq Namaz)
In other prayers the same method should be followed with change of the name of the prayer. (Namaz)
If a resident offers prayer behind a traveller, he should offer the remaining two rakats by himself after the Imam says the salam, and if the traveller offers prayer behind a resident he should perform all the Four rakats and need not mention rakats but only make Niyyat of Farz Zuhr, Asr or Isha. (Mala budh)
One who travels even if round the world with out intention he should not offer Khasar prayer, e.g. intended to travel for two Manzils and when reached there wished to travel further distance of two halts or less and in this way if he travels even throughout the world, should not offer Khasar prayer. (Ghayatul Autar)
A person who proceeds from his house with an intention of going on journey for a distance of four Manzil but after going a distance of two Manzil, decided to return home, from that time onwards, he should offer complete prayer. If he returns after reaching three Manzils distance, then he should offer prayer in Khasar until he reaches home town. (Ghayatul Autar, Alamgiri)
The missed prayer (Qaza Namaz) during residence time should be performed in full rak'ats even during journey and the missed prayer while in journey should be performed Khasar even at the residence. (Noorul Hadaya, Ghayatul Autar, Mala budh, Alamgiri)
During journey if it is not possible to find out the correct direction of the Kabah, then it is necessary to think over and decide the direction and offer Namaz. Without such consideration under this situation prayer is not permissible.
Home | Top | Niyyat | Offering Prayer while on Vehicle
Offering Prayer while on Vehicle
Farz and Wajib prayer in moving vehicles is not permissible without any reason. Carts, camel’s Saddle on Camel’s Back (Mahmel), Trains etc, come under the definition of the vehicles. The excuses are the fear of thieves, wild animals, rain or mud etc. or fear of the companion going away or a woman is afraid of some bad element. If one has the authority to stop the vehicle, then the prayer in the moving vehicles is not correct. But if he has no power to stop it, then prayer can be performed in the vehicle. Repetition of prayer is not necessary, just as a sick person need not revise his prayer (Namaz). (Ghayatul Autar)
Important: If the train is in a halting position then the Farz, the sunnat and the Nafil prayer performance is perrmissible unanimously. If the train is moving then only the sunnat and the Nafil prayers are permissible unanimously. The mode of performance is that the prayer shall be performed in the direction in which the train is moving. There is difference of opinion among the scholars in performing of Farz and wajib prayer in moving train. Some of them say that it is right and some treat it as wrong.
Those who say it is not correct, they reason that on every station the train stops for enough time to perform prayer like travellers (Khasar) reciting small soora’s. And in every prayer there is sufficient time during which the train stopes at one place or other and the traveller will have no excuse. Those who say that it is correct, give the reason that the performance of prayer is linked with the intention and the time. Hence before the beginning of time there may be no excuse for it. But while in journey getting down form the moving train is not possible, thus it is a proper excuse. There is no reason for not performing the prayer. If the Namazi offers prayer at the beginning of the time with dry ablution and at the time of journey gets water, his prayer is accomplished. Nobody can make any objection, for water was not available to him at the time when he performed the prayer.
But the translator of Ghayatul Autar referring to books on Islamic law (Fiqah) has stated that people who take it as permissible are right. Thus Shami has quoted an example that a travelling caravan of pilgrims going to Makkah which is unable to get down due to some reason and expects that by the laps of excuse the time of prayer exhausts, then it is proper for them. for example to say ‘Isha prayer on the camels back or litter (Mahmal) at the earliest hours although it is expected to get water before the time is over or wait till the caravan gets down for ‘Isha prayer. It is clear that offering prayer at the early hours is correct although there is a hope to get water before the time is over. (Antahi)
It is clear that there is no doubt about its permissibility but we will have to wait till there is time for it and offer prayer as soon as the train stops. This is precautionary measure. (Ghayatul Autar)