Prayer while travelling: qasr, joining prayers and praying on the plane

Shortening the prayer (qasr)

Allah says there is no blame on travellers who shorten the prayer (4:101). So on a journey, Zuhr, Asr and Isha are prayed as two rak’ahs each. Fajr stays two and Maghrib stays three.

Qasr is a gift from Allah to make travel easier. In the Hanafi school it is required for a traveller, while other schools say it is a strong sunnah and praying in full is still valid.

When you count as a traveller

• Distance: the Hanafi school counts a journey of about 77 to 78 km (48 miles) or more; the other schools set a similar distance of about 80 to 89 km
• From when: once you have left your town or city, not while still at home
• Length of stay (Hanafi): if you plan to stay 15 days or more in one place, you pray in full there; under 15 days, you keep shortening
• Length of stay (other schools): most say more than four days in one place means praying in full
• Some scholars take the Prophet’s ﷺ 19-day stay with shortened prayers as the limit (Bukhari 1080). Follow the view of the scholars you trust

For a typical Umrah from India: you are a traveller on the flight and on the way. Whether you shorten in Makkah depends on how many days you stay there and which school you follow. Ask your group’s scholar.

Praying behind the imam in the Haram

The imams of Masjid al-Haram and Masjid an-Nabawi live in the city, so they are not travelling. When a traveller prays behind a resident imam, he prays the full four rak’ahs with the imam, by agreement of the schools.

Since most pilgrims pray their fard prayers in congregation in the Haram, they pray the full prayer most of the time anyway. Shortening is mainly for the prayers you pray alone or with your group, such as at the hotel or on the road.

Joining two prayers

The Prophet ﷺ sometimes joined Maghrib and Isha when he was in a hurry on a journey (Bukhari 1091). The Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali schools allow a traveller to join Zuhr with Asr, and Maghrib with Isha, at the time of either one.

The Hanafi school allows true joining only at Arafat and Muzdalifah during Hajj. On a journey, Hanafis can pray one prayer at the very end of its time and the next at the very start of its time, which looks like joining but keeps each in its own time.

Praying on the plane

• Make wudu before boarding if you can. The plane washroom works too, with care
• Check the prayer times for where the plane is. Prayer apps and the flight map help
• Stand and face the qiblah if there is space, for example near the galley. If not, pray in your seat, facing the qiblah as best you can and bowing a little lower for sujud than for ruku’
• Do not let the prayer time pass. Allah allows praying in whatever way you can when you cannot do otherwise (2:239). Some scholars say a fard prayer prayed seated on the plane should be repeated later; ask your scholar

At the airport

• Most large airports, including Mumbai and Delhi, have prayer rooms. Ask at an information desk or look for the signs
• Jeddah and Madinah airports have prayer areas in the arrivals and departure halls
• Keep a light prayer mat and a compass app in your cabin bag
• Plan around the gate time: pray early rather than run for the gate with the prayer still to pray