Prayers in Kufa and Karbala
Question :

What are the rulings of the prayer of the traveler in Kufa and Karbala? Do they have the choice of offering full prayers? Is Najaf considered to be within Kufa?

Answer :

The traveler is permitted to choose between offering a full or shortened prayer in the “haair” of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), and based on an obligatory precaution it is the place under the dome above the holy grave of the Imam and not beyond this area. This ruling does not include the city of Karbala at large.
As for Najaf, it is not within the city of Kufa, so this law does not apply and shortened prayers is obligatory on the travelers in Najaf.

Two Homes
Question :

I have two homes, one in a city and another at my native village, and the distance between them is about 200 km. I mainly work and live in the city and visit my village every month or so for a few days. What is the ruling of fasting and praying there?

Answer :

As long as the native village was your hometown where you used to live and you did not abandon it – i.e. you still consider it as your home town – then your prayer must be offered in full and you can fast as well while you are staying there.

Working for a Tour Company
Question :

I am an employee of a tour company. Customers of the company can order a trip to the various sites that are from my town at a distance of more than 23 kilometers, and a representative of the company accompanies them. The number of such trips are dependent on demand, but in practice occur once a week, twice a week or every two weeks. Moreover, one employee will not be required to go on every tour. In such a situation, will the person be deemed as a traveler and required to offer shortened prayers?

Answer :

If the duration of travel is less than the duration of not travelling, he is considered as a traveler, and is required to shorten his prayers while he is travelling.

Visiting the Hometown
Question :

I was born in a particular place where my grandparents still own properties as well as my uncles and other relatives, who are all living there. I often visit the place during the summer vacation for a short period. During my stay there, do I offer full or shortened prayers?

Answer :

If you migrated from this place and resided somewhere else then you offer shortened prayers when you visit it, unless you have not abandoned the place as your hometown.

Hometown
Question :

My parents live in another city where I was brought up and I visit them in summer vacations for short periods of less than 10 days. Should I offer full or shortened prayers in that city?

Answer :

If the said place is where you lived and then you abandoned it then you are a traveler when you visit it. If you did not abandon it and you still consider it as your hometown, then you should offer full prayers when you are there.

A Place of Residence
Question :

I have been working for a number of years in a city, which I will be passing by on my way from Umrah to another destination. While I am passing by this city, should I offer full or shortened prayers?

Answer :

If it is another place of residence, then you should offer full prayers.

Place of Residence
Question :

If I am an engineering student and live a distance of 276 miles from my home city, if I go home during holidays and I went to college for some important work for 2-3 days, would my prayers be shortened and can I fast?

Answer :

Apparently, the mentioned place is a place of residence as long as you live in it during the years of study. If this is the case, then when you pass by it during the holidays then you pray full and fast.

Hometown
Question :

My father was born and lived a fair portion of his life in a Middle-Eastern village. He then moved to another close-by village (which is less than 22 km from the first village), where he lived, worked, got married and built a house. He then moved to Canada where he has been living for many years. I was born in Canada and sometimes come to Lebanon to visit for a few months every few years. My father still considers both villages as his hometown, and he told me that I should consider both villages my hometown too. When I go to Lebanon to visit, which of the villages do I consider my hometown if any? And what do I do in terms of prayers and fasting?

Answer :

If you live with your father as a dependent, similar to the wife living with her husband or the child with his mother, then you consider the area that your father considers as hometown as your hometown too. However, if you are independent from your father in terms of residence, then your hometown is where you live with stability in such a way you consider it as your hometown.

Intention to Stay for Ten Days
Question :

I will be travelling to another country for a few months. Should I pray full prayers or shortened? A: You should perform shortened prayers since you are a traveler, but if you intend to stay in one city for ten days or more, then you should perform full prayers.

Answer :

You should perform shortened prayers since you are a traveler, but if you intend to stay in one city for ten days or more, then you should perform full prayers.

Hometown
Question :

My parents have separated, and I live with my father and work in my fathers city. I usually visit my mother - who lives in another city - once or twice a month, sometimes for a few days, but I do not have a wardrobe there and I keep my clothes in a suitcase. Will I consider her city to be my hometown as well, and thus perform full prayers?

Answer :

Based on the question, your mothers house is not your hometown; your prayers there are shortened.

Hometown
Question :

My father's home town is in Lebanon, and I was born in Canada and I currently live there. Do I consider the hometown of my father as my own? Also if my father has died do I also still regard it as my hometown?

Answer :

It is not considered as your hometown unless you live in it and intend to consider it as your hometown.

Traveling for more than the Sharia-defined distance
Question :

If one travels about 20 kilometers, and then decides to travel another 30 kilometers, and both of these distances add up to 50 kilometers which is more than the sharia-defined distance for the traveler (i.e. 46 kilometers), should he offer shortened prayers or full prayers?

Answer :

One should offer shortened prayer in the said case.

HomeTown
Question :

I am traveling due to my Hawza studies eight times a month and staying in a dormitory that the Hawza provides for students. Can I consider this place as a home?

Answer :

Such a place is not considered as a home for you in this scenario. You are required to shorten your prayers there.

Qasar Prayer
Question :

If someone travelled and he does not notice that he already reached the distance of 22.5 km or more, and mistakenly performed his prayers in full without shortening them. Is he required to repeat his prayers?

Answer :

Based on compulsory precaution, it is obligatory to repeat the prayer.

Timing of the Prayer
Question :

If a person travels from one time zone to another and in the process he gains extra time when he reaches his destination, does he need to repeat the prayers if he is still within the time of that prayer?

Answer :

It is not obligatory to repeat the prayers in the said case.

Prayer on the Work Site
Question :

I work at site that is 500 kilometers from my home for 7 days and I stay at a camp there for that duration. I then return home for 7 days. This will continue for another year. When I am at the work site, should I offer complete prayers or shortened (qasr) prayers?

Answer :

You should offer full prayers at the work site. During your journey between your home and your work place, you should offer shortened (qasr) prayers.

Intention
Question :

I have heard that one should intent to travel before he can offer shortened prayer. How is that?

Answer :

It is condition in offering a shortened prayer that one intends to cross the sharia determined distance for a traveler. If he intended to cross a lesser distance then he intended to go further until he reached the said distance, he should offer full prayer even if the total distance crossed was the sharia defined distance of traveler.

Distance of shortened prayer
Question :

What is the distance that when it is crossed by a traveler he must perform shortened prayers?

Answer :

It is obligatory on a traveler who intends to travel the sharia-determined distance to offer shortened prayers. The mentioned distance is 46 kilometers. It is sufficient to consider this distance in a two-way journey; if one travels 23 kilometers and intended to return, then he should offer shortened prayers.

Measuring the Distance of Travel
Question :

Where would one start measuring the distance that he should cross to be considered as a traveler?

Answer :

To be considered as a traveler as per the sharia, a certain distance must be considered. It starts from the edge of the city where the individual resides. This is true in small cities. As for large cities, in which the individual stays in a particular area for his residence, livelihood and day-to-day matters, and does not travel to other areas, the distance is measured from the edge of that area.
If he lives in an area, and works in another, if he starts to travel onwards from his work place, he should consider the end of the municipality as the starting point for measuring the distance.

Travelling and Prayers
Question :

For my work I sometimes have to travel to various far cities. Sometimes it's less than 10 days a month, and other times it's more than 10 days, and I don't know at the start of the month how many days a month I'll be working outside the city I live in. I always go back to my home after work to sleep. My question is how should I read my Prayers, full or shortened?

Answer :

Your obligation is to offer shortened prayers, but if the number of days you are travelling become greater than the days of stay in your home town, then you should offer full prayers while travelling.
If you stayed in your town, or any other town for more than ten days, and then started to be a frequent traveller – as explained – then you should offer shortened prayers for the first travel and then continue afterwards offering full prayers.