a traveller’s prayer (صَلَاةُ الْمُسَافِرِ)
الفقه أصول الفقه
التعريف :
To offer an obligatory prayer taking advantage of a traveller’s concession, subject to certain conditions.
المعنى الاصطلاحي :
The prayer that is performed in a specific manner during travel.
الشرح المختصر :
"Salāt al-musāfir" (prayer of the traveler): The traveler is one of those people who have an excuse. Thus, it is allowed for him to offer the prayer in a specific manner, by shortening the four-"rak‘ah" (unit of prayer) prayers, such as the Zhuhr and ‘Asr, to two "rak‘ahs" only. He is to join between the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers, as well as the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers; one after the other in either prayer's timing. Traveling is to leave one's homeland heading towards a destination that takes a certain distance. It officially starts when one leaves behind the inhabited area of his town.