to accept it. Some followers of al-Shāfiʿī and Ahmad have said: “We may accept it if we wish, or decline it if we wish, for accepting charity is not obligatory.” They argue this to set aside the command to pray two rakʿahs. This is mistaken, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to accept Allah’s charity to us, and a command entails obligation. All His kindness towards us is charity bestowed upon us; if we do not accept it, we will perish.

It is also established that ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb said:

“The traveller’s prayer is two rakʿahs, complete and not shortened, as declared by your Prophet. Whoever fabricates lies has indeed failed.”

Likewise, he said:

“The Friday prayer is two rakʿahs, the Eid al-Adhā prayer is two rakʿahs, and the Eid al-Fitr prayer is two rakʿahs.”

This reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed two rakʿahs for Muslims when travelling in general, just as he prescribed the Friday prayer and the two Eid prayers. He did not restrict this to journeys for pilgrimage or jihad.

It is also established in the two Sahīh collections that ʿĀʾishah said:

“Prayer was prescribed as two rakʿahs. The prayer of those not travelling was then increased, while the traveller’s prayer was left unchanged.”

This makes clear that the traveller was never commanded to pray four rakʿahs. Thus, Allah has not obliged the traveller to pray four. Neither the Book of Allah nor the Sunnah of His Messenger contains any wording indicating that four rakʿahs were prescribed for the traveller. Whoever obliges a traveller to pray four has therefore imposed an obligation that Allah and His Messenger did not impose.