find her in a disheveled state, her hair uncombed, or still having neglected to remove her pubic hair. For this reason the ruling is qualified by the phrase “when the journey has been long.” If the absence is brief—one or two days, for example—there is no harm in returning to one’s household whenever one wishes.

In sum: when the absence has been prolonged, a man should not arrive at his home by night unless there is a need or he has already informed them of his coming; in that case there is no blame upon him.

As for the second hadith, it teaches that when a person returns from travel he should, before anything else, enter the mosque and pray two rakʿahs there. The Prophet ﷺ legislated this for his community both by word and by deed: whenever he came back from a journey, the very first thing he would do was go into the mosque and perform two rakʿahs. When Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) once came to collect the price of the camel he had sold to the Prophet, the Messenger ﷺ asked him, “Have you entered the mosque and prayed?” Jābir replied, “No.” He said, “Enter the mosque and pray two rakʿahs.”

Many people today have overlooked this sunnah, whether out of ignorance or out of indifference, but one ought to revive it. When he reaches his town, his first act should be to go into the mosque and pray two rakʿahs; only then should he proceed to his family. Allah alone grants success.