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On Shortening the Prayer
Scholars have differed over a traveller’s shortening of prayer during a journey when there is no danger, holding four views: first, that shortening is impermissible; second, that it is a binding obligation; third, that it is an established Sunnah; and fourth, that it is a concession affording ease. Those who regarded it as a concession affording ease differed over which course is preferable. Some preferred shortening, others preferred praying in full, and others allowed a choice between the two without preferring either.
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This disagreement stems from their differing views on how prayer was originally prescribed and on the interpretation of Allah’s words:
“When you travel through the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer if you fear that those who disbelieve may attack you.” [al-Nisā’: 101]
Each based his position on the reports he considered established concerning how prayer was originally prescribed, and on the interpretations of this verse that he considered sound. There are three views concerning how prayer was originally prescribed. One holds that it was prescribed as two rak‘ahs during travel and four when resident. Another holds that it was prescribed as two rak‘ahs both when resident and during travel; the traveller’s prayer was then left unchanged, while the resident’s prayer was increased. The third holds that it was prescribed as four rak‘ahs both during travel and when resident; the resident’s prayer was then left unchanged, while the traveller’s prayer was shortened.
There are six interpretations of the shortening for which Allah declared there was no blame in His words:
“When you travel through the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer if you fear that those who disbelieve may attack you.” [al-Nisā’: 101]
The first is that it means reducing the length of the recitation, bowing, and prostration in circumstances of fear, without reducing the number of rak‘ahs, before the prayer of fear was revealed.
The second is that it means relaxing the prescribed forms of prayer by praying with gestures, whether facing the qiblah or otherwise, when fear is intense and battle has been joined, as in Allah’s words in the verse of al-Baqarah:
“If you are in fear, then pray on foot or riding.” [al-Baqarah: 239]