Traveling

The minimum period of travel whereby certain legal rulings take effect is three days [on camel]. Thus when a person has left his place of residence, intending to travel at a medium pace to a place that he will reach in at least three days, then he does not fast [in Ramaḍān], and he shortens the four rak’ah obligatory prayers; he is not allowed to pray them as four rak’āt. If he [does pray the full four rak’āt and] sits the first sitting [between the second and third rak’āt], then the prayer is valid, although he has committed a serious error; otherwise, it is invalid. He may not shorten any prayer aside from the four rak’ah obligatory prayers.

If he is at a halt on the journey, while in a state of rest, he should pray the [emphasized] sunnah prayers [along with the obligatory and mandatory prayers]. Otherwise, he may leave them [and instead pray only the obligatory and mandatory prayers].

Once he reaches a city or village and intends on staying there for [at least] fifteen [full] days, he must complete [the four rak’ah obligatory prayers, rather than shortening them] and must fast [if in Ramaḍān]. Otherwise [if he is still on the journey; or is residing somewhere – other than his normal place of residence – for less than fifteen days], then he does not [complete the four rak’āt nor fast. Rather, he must still shorten those prayers and may still choose to not fast in Ramaḍān].

The journey [of a traveler] ends upon entering [city limits of] his normal place of residence (watan aslī).

If he [the traveler] prays behind a resident [imām] within the prayer time, his prayer is valid, and he must pray the full four rak’āt; afterwards, it is not.

In the opposite scenario, the prayer [of the resident follower] would be valid in both cases – with the condition, however, that the resident does not complete the four rak’āt with his imām, the traveler [if the imām incorrectly performs four rak’āt instead of two], for if he completes it with him, his [the resident follower’s] obligatory prayer is rendered invalid [and counts as a voluntary prayer instead].

A missed [four rak’ah] prayer on a journey is made up as two rak’āt [even if one is no longer a traveler when making it up]. Likewise, a missed [four rak’ah] prayer while residing is made up as four rak’āt [even if one is on a journey when making it up]. The end of the prayer time is what is considered [for this and other legal rulings].