Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/363)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

What is meant by “departure” is not that he disappears from sight of his town, for it may remain visible to him until he has travelled a long distance. It is mentioned that Zarqā’ al-Yamāmah could see as far as a journey of three days. Rather, what is meant by departure is physical departure, not visual disappearance; that is, that he passes beyond the houses, even by the length of a cubit. Once he has gone beyond the line of the houses, even by a cubit, he is considered to have departed.

His statement, “the inhabited area of his town”: he did not say, “the houses of his town,” because there may be old houses on the outskirts of the town that have been abandoned, deserted, and left unoccupied. Such houses are not taken into account; rather, what counts is the inhabited part of the town. Thus, if this town had once been entirely inhabited, but its people then moved to another side and the houses on this side were abandoned, with no residents remaining in them, then what counts is the inhabited area. If the town contains inhabited houses, then ruined houses, and then inhabited houses again, what counts is passing beyond the second group of inhabited houses, even if uninhabited houses lie in between.

His statement, “when he has departed from the inhabited area of his town”: he ascribed the town to the person himself to indicate that what is meant is the town in which he resides. Thus, if there are two adjacent towns—even if no more than a cubit, or less, separates them—what counts is his departing from his own town, even if he has not departed from the second town that adjoins or borders it.

His statement, “or the tents of his people”: that is, if they live in tents, what counts is departing from the tents. Once he has departed from the tents, shortening the prayer becomes permissible for him. It is understood from his words, may Allah have mercy on him, that he is not permitted to shorten the prayer so long as he remains in his town, even if he has resolved to travel, even if he has set out, and even if he is riding and moving among the houses,

والمفارقة: ليس المراد بها أن يغيب عن قريته؛ لأنها ربما لا تغيب عن نظره إلا بعد مسافة طويلة، وقد ذكر أن زرقاء اليمامة تبصر من مسيرة ثلاثة أيام، بل المراد بالمفارقة: المفارقة البدنية، لا المفارقة البصرية، أي: أن يتجاوز البيوت، ولو بمقدار ذراع، فإذا خرج من مسامتة البيوت ولو بمقدار ذراع فإنه يعتبر مفارقاً. وقوله: «عامر قريته» لم يقل بيوت قريته؛ لأنه قد يكون هناك بيوت قديمة في أطراف البلد هجرت وتركت ولم تسكن، فهذه لا عبرة بها، بل العبرة بالعامر من القرية، فإذا قدر أن هذه القرية كانت معمورة كلها، ثم نزح أهلها إلى جانب آخر وهجرت البيوت من هذا الجانب فلم يبق فيها سكان فالعبرة بالعامر، فإن كان في القرية بيوت عامرة ثم بيوت خربة ثم بيوت عامرة، فالعبرة بمفارقة البيوت العامرة الثانية وإن كان يتخللها بيوت غير عامرة. وقوله: «إذا فارق عامر قريته» أضافها إلى نفسه ليفيد أن المراد قريته التي يسكنها، فلو فرض أن هناك قريتين متجاورتين، ولو لم يكن بينهما إلا ذراع أو أقل، فإن العبرة بمفارقة قريته هو، وإن لم يفارق القرية الثانية الملاصقة أو المجاورة. قوله: «أو خيام قومه» أي: إذا كانوا يسكنون الخيام فالعبرة بمفارقة الخيام، فإذا فارق الخيام حل له القصر، وعلم من كلامه ﵀: أنه لا يجوز أن يقصر ما دام في قريته ولو كان عازماً على السفر ولو كان مرتحلاً، ولو كان راكباً يمشي بين البيوت،