Women performing prayers while traveling Fatwa No: 86199
- Fatwa Date:11-9-2003
How can a woman perform Salat while traveling? Also, how can I offer prayer if I am visiting my relative or my parents house after marriage for a stay of 8-10 days? My relatives or parents house is 400 km far from my husband's home city.
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
The ruling of a woman's prayer in a journey is similar to the ruling of that of a man. In short, a person who travels for a distance of 83 km or more in a lawful journey may accept the legal concession. For instance, he may shorten and combine the prayer, he may perform voluntary prayers on his mount, and he may also wipe over his socks for a period of three complete days and nights. The ruling is the same for any journey whether it is to visit relatives, to perform any form of worship, or to go for a business, tour or any other lawful purpose. However, a person who is in an unlawful journey cannot take advantage of this legal concession.
If a person decides to stay in a place for four days or more he becomes like a resident. So, he is not allowed to use the legal concessions that are granted to a traveler.
Combining between two prayers means combining between Thuhr and 'Asr or Maghrib and 'Isha during the time of the first or the second prayer.
Shortening the prayer means performing only two Rak'ahs for a prayer of four Rak'ahs. However, the prayer of Fajr and Maghrib are performed fully as they are.
For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 82426 and 83666.
Allaah Knows best.