Question
When traveling, can we still pray the full prayer? Is it better to shorten the prayer or offer the full prayer?
Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.
1) The Sunnah of Qasr
Allah says: “There is no blame upon you if you shorten the prayer when you travel …” (al-Nisa 4:101). The Prophet ﷺ consistently shortened Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha to two rak‘ahs while traveling.
2) Summary of the Madhhabs
- Hanafi: Qasr is wajib (binding) for the traveler; the traveler’s fard is two rak‘ahs.
- If a traveler prays four behind a resident imam: he follows the imam and prays four (this is valid and required).
- If a traveler prays alone and performs four intentionally: this is contrary to the madhhab.
- If he sat for tashahhud after the second rak‘ah, the first two count as the obligatory prayer and the extra two are treated as nafl; the act is disliked (makruh), but the fard stands.
- If he did not sit after the second rak‘ah and only sat at the end, many authoritative Hanafi texts hold the prayer of a musafir is invalid and must be repeated (because the early sitting is wajib for the traveler).
- So: it is not correct to say “Hanafis consider four always invalid.” The ruling hinges on whether he sat after two and whether he was following a resident imam.
- Maliki, Shafi‘i, Hanbali: Qasr is sunnah mu’akkadah; praying full is permissible, but shortening is better (more in line with the constant Prophetic practice).
Final Ruling
- The traveler shortens Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha to two rak‘ahs; Fajr and Maghrib remain unchanged.
- Hanafi: Shortening is binding; praying four alone is incorrect—valid only if he sat after two (with the last two counted as nafl and the act disliked). If he failed to sit after two, the prayer is invalid and must be repeated. Behind a resident imam, he prays four.
- Other madhhabs: Both shortened and full are valid, with shortening superior.
And Allah knows best.