Islam in Mecca, the Mother of Cities, and preparing to campaign against Hawāzin when he learned that they had assembled against him with Mālik ibn ‘Awf al-Nadrī. During the campaign of the conquest, he stayed in Mecca for nineteen nights, shortening his prayers.

They explained that, owing to the campaign against Hawāzin, he had not formed a definite intention to remain in Mecca. He was therefore a traveller there and was not free to devote himself to devotional retreat in Mecca that year. These, then, were three years in which he did not observe devotional retreat during Ramadan. He made up the retreat for the one year in which he had intended to observe it but then abandoned it. As for the other two years, Allah knows best whether he made them up, as with fasting, or did not make them up, as with the omitted half of the prayer.

It is authentically reported that he said:

“When a servant falls ill or travels, the deeds he used to perform while healthy and resident are recorded for him.”

It is also authentically reported that he said:

“Allah has relieved the traveller of fasting and half the prayer.”

That is, the traveller is exempt from fasting at its prescribed time, and from both performing half the prayer at its prescribed time and making it up later. Devotional retreat is analogous to one of these two. It has not been reported that he made up a devotional retreat missed while travelling, so the permissibility of doing so is not established. Nevertheless, in view of the general wording of ‘Ā’ishah’s hadith, the possibility remains. Allah knows best.