acts of obedience, while piety means refraining from acts of disobedience and sins. This distinction applies when the two are mentioned together, as they are in this text. When either is mentioned on its own, however, it encompasses the meaning of the other as well.

His words, “O Allah, make this journey easy for us and shorten its distance,” mean: facilitate it for us and reduce the distance we must travel.

His words, “O Allah, You are the Companion during travel,” refer to the special companionship that entails protection, assistance, and support. Whom could a person fear when Allah is with him?

His words, “and the Guardian of the family”: a guardian is one who takes the place of the person who appointed him in the matter entrusted to him. The meaning is: O Allah, I rely upon You alone to safeguard my family.

His words, “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the hardships of travel,” mean: from its difficulty and fatigue.

His words, “a distressing sight,” mean: a wretched condition and dejection caused by sorrow and pain.

His words, “and an evil turn of affairs,” mean: returning from the journey with something distressing or grievous, whether affecting oneself, one’s wealth, or one’s family.

His words, “When he returned, he would say these same words and add: ‘We return, repent, worship, and praise our Lord,’” indicate that it is sunnah to say this when returning. It should likewise be said when one comes within sight of one’s town and draws near it, for al-Bukhārī and Muslim related from Anas—may Allah be pleased with him: “When the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—came within sight of Medina, he said, ‘We return, repent, worship, and praise our Lord.’ He continued saying this until he entered Medina.”1.

His words, “We return,” mean: we are returning. It comes from a verb meaning “to return,” and the intended meaning is that we return in safety and goodness.

His words, “We repent,” mean: we repent to Allah—Majestic is His Glory—for our sins and shortcomings.