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.

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.

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.

Journey after Zawal
Question :

If I started my journey after Zuhr, do I still pray qasr? Does it make a difference whether this is during the month of Ramadan or not?

Answer :

If the conditions that necessitate the shortening of prayers are fulfilled, then the prayers must be shortened, whether one starts the journey before or after Zawal time, and whether this is in the month of the Ramadhan or not.
However, other rules may apply in respect to fasting and travelling before or after Zawal time.

Fasting when Travelling
Question :

If I travel to my brother-in-law's home which is 30 km away, can I keep fasting?

Answer :

Traveling this much makes one a traveler as defined by the Sharia, and this obligates the shortening of prayers and prevents one from fasting.