he meant that this was his entire journey, then it is explicit evidence. If, however, this was merely the distance he had covered during a journey, Anas ibn Mālik inferred from it that prayers may be shortened on a journey of that length. His reasoning was that prayers are shortened only when travelling; had covering this distance not constituted travel, the Prophet would not have shortened his prayers.

This accords with the view that one may not shorten one’s prayers until one has actually covered a distance that constitutes travel: merely intending to cover such a distance is insufficient. This is the position of Ibn Hazm, Dāwūd and his followers. Ibn Hazm sets the minimum distance for shortening prayers at one mile. However, Dāwūd and his followers maintain that prayers may be shortened only when travelling for Hajj, ‘umrah or a military expedition, whereas Ibn Hazm holds that they may be shortened on any journey.

Ibn Hazm also holds that one may not break the fast until one has covered this distance. His fellow adherents maintain that one may break the fast on any journey, unlike shortening prayers. This is because, in their view, there is no general textual ruling from the Lawgiver concerning shortening prayers, but only the Prophet’s practice of shortening them while travelling. They found no report of anyone shortening prayers over a distance of less than one mile, whereas a distance of one mile was reported from Ibn ‘Umar.

Ibn Hazm says that travel means going beyond one’s place of residence. Yet it is known that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out to al-Baqī‘ to bury the dead and went out into the open to relieve himself, with people accompanying him; they neither shortened their prayers nor broke their fasts. Such outings were therefore excluded from being considered travel. They found no distance of less than one mile described as travel, for Ibn ‘Umar said:

“If I went out a mile, I would shorten my prayers.”

Thus, once it was established that this distance