Malfuzat – Volume X — Page 119
Undated 119 Undated Shortening the Prayers During a Journey A question was presented: ‘Should one shorten the Prayers even if one travels only three kos [a kos is approximately 2 miles] on a journey?’ The Promised Messiah as answered: Yes. One should carefully examine his intent. In all these issues, one should carefully observe taqwa [righteousness]. Everyday travel in relation to your work is not a journey. A journey is when one undertakes a specific travel and leaves his home only for that purpose, and it is commonly considered a journey. I go for a walk every day for a couple of miles, but this is not a journey. On such an occasion, one should take into account his conscience and if it gives the verdict without any unease that it is a journey, then he should shorten [the Prayer]. One should follow the dictum 1 َ إِسْتَفْت ِ قَلْبَك َ إِسْتَفْت ِ قَلْبَك (Take the verdict of your conscience). Even in the presence of a thousand fatwas, still the satisfaction of the heart of a believer with all its pure intention is a wonderful thing. It was submitted that people have different circumstances—some do not consider nine or ten kos to be a journey, for others even three to four kos is a journey. 1. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Hadith 8985 [Publisher]