The Book of Prayer - Travellers

Sahih Muslim 687 b

Hadith Text

Allah has prescribed the prayer by the tongue of your Apostle (ﷺ) as two rak'ahs for the traveller, four for the resident, and one in danger.

Commentary

This noble hadith establishes the divine legislation regarding prayer modifications under different circumstances. The Prophet (ﷺ) serves as the medium through which Allah's rulings are conveyed, emphasizing that these concessions originate from divine wisdom rather than human opinion.

For the traveler, the reduction to two rak'ahs in the four-rak'ah prayers (Zuhr, Asr, and Isha) represents Allah's mercy in easing religious obligations during hardship. This concession acknowledges the difficulties of journey while maintaining the essential connection with the Creator.

The resident performs the complete four rak'ahs, as they are in a state of stability and ease, capable of fulfilling the complete obligation without undue hardship.

The prayer of fear (Salat al-Khawf) performed as one rak'ah demonstrates the ultimate flexibility of Islamic law in extreme circumstances where safety is compromised. This ruling preserves the essence of prayer even amidst battlefield conditions or imminent danger.

These variations illustrate the comprehensive nature of Islamic jurisprudence, accommodating human conditions while maintaining worship's fundamental purposes.