The criteria and regulations to consider oneself a Musafir

Q. What are the criteria and regulations to consider oneself a Musafir (traveller)? Does a Musafir have to reduce the number of Rak'at of Salahs?

A. When a person leaves his home with the intention of travelling a distance of 48 miles or more, he is considered a Musafir according to the Shari'ah. However, it is only after he has gone beyond the limits of his locality that he must perform Qasr. Qasr means that in the Farz (obligatory) Salahs of Zuhr, Asr and Isha, two Rak'at are performed instead of four. Note that Qasr does not apply to the Salahs of Fajr and Maghrib.

The Musafir must perform Qasr for the entire duration of his journey until he returns home, unless:

i. He performs the Salahs behind an Imam who is not a Musafir;
ii. He stops somewhere with the intention of staying there for a period of fifteen days or more.

In both these cases, he should perform Itmaam, i.e. not reduce the number of Rak'at.

It should be noted that if one misses a Salah, such as Salat-uz-Zuhr, it should be made up as Qasr—i.e. two Farz Rak'at only—even if it is performed at home after the journey.

[English version of "Critères et règlements pour se considérer comme Moûçaafir" – Al Haadi – Vol. 2 No. 9,10]