The Book of Prayer - Travellers

Sahih Muslim 685 c

Hadith Text

The prayer was prescribed as consisting of two rak'ahs, the prayer in travelling remained the same, but the prayer at the place of residence was completed. (Zuhri said he asked 'Urwa why 'A'isha said prayer in the complete form during journey, and he replied that she interpreted the matter herself as 'Uthman did.)

Scholarly Commentary

This narration establishes the fundamental ruling that the original prescription of prayer was two rak'ahs, both for resident and traveler. The completion of prayers for residents was a later development in Islamic legislation.

The parenthetical remark reveals an important jurisprudential principle: while the default ruling for travelers is shortening prayers, there exists legitimate difference of interpretation among the Companions. 'A'isha and 'Uthman maintained that under certain circumstances, a traveler may pray complete prayers based on their independent reasoning (ijtihad).

This demonstrates the flexibility within Islamic law where qualified scholars may exercise reasoned judgment when they perceive stronger evidence or particular circumstances warranting departure from the general rule.

Legal Implications

The majority position remains that travelers should shorten the four-rak'ah prayers, following the explicit practice of the Prophet. However, the position of 'A'isha and 'Uthman provides an alternative view respected within the scholarly tradition.

This hadith serves as a foundation for understanding the evolution of Islamic rituals and the validity of differing scholarly interpretations when based on sound reasoning and precedent from the righteous predecessors.