How to pray Qasar Namaz while traveling?

Muslims must offer a shortened prayer, commonly known as Qasar Namaz/Salah, while traveling if the definition of Safar is met.

• Safar = Travel.
• Prayer = Salah = Namaz.

Is Qasr optional?

Performing Qasr Salah is a requirement, not an option. If someone offers full Salah while traveling, he must perform Sajda Sahu.

Min Safar for Qasr Namaz

A person is considered to be in Safar and is obliged to offer Qasar Salah if;

• He travels over 80 kilometers or 48 miles from the border of the city he lives in.
• He is intending to stay at that place for less than 15 days.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stayed in Makkah for 15 days, praying each Namaz with two rak’ahs. – Sunan an-Nasa’i 1453

Some Hadith allow you to offer Qasar prayer even if the stay is 18 days or 19 days, but the Hanafi school has kept it to 15 days.

While traveling from Jeddah for more than 15 days stay in Madina, you are a Musafir;

• As soon as you start your journey.
• Until you reach Madina.
• Once in Madina, you are no longer a traveler.

Number Rakat for Qasr – Individually

If a person travels per the definition of Safar given above, he must offer the following number of Rakat to offer Qasar Namaz individually.

• Fajr Qasr prayer: 2 Rakat.
• Duhr Qasr Salah: 2 Rakat.
• Asr Qasr Namaz: 2 Rakat.
• Maghrib Qasr Salah: 3 Rakat.
• Isha Qasr Namaz: 2 Rakat.
• Witr when traveling is Sunnah, not Wajib.

We have given a chart below that shows the number of rakat you need to pray in each Qasar Namaz.

Qasar Namaz rules with Jamat

The rules to offer Qasr Salah with Jamat are slightly different.

• If the Imam is a resident, a traveler must offer the complete Fard prayer, i.e., 4 for Duhr.
• A traveler must offer the Qasr prayer if the Imam is also in safar.
• If the Imam is a traveler, a resident is required to offer the complete fard prayer. Once the Imam completes his Qasar Salah, the resident will stand up and complete the rest.

Combining prayer while traveling

While traveling, Muslims are also allowed to combine the following two prayers;

• Duhr and Asr.
• Maghrib and Isha.
• Can we pray Maghrib and Isha together?

It is important to note that while offering Qasr prayer is mandatory during travel, combining prayers is optional.

How to pray Qasr Maghrib and Isha?

Praying the Qasar of Fajar, Duhr, and Asr is quite simple as you need to offer 2 Fard of Salah only in each prayer. However, the Qasr prayer of Maghrib and Isha is a bit different.

Maghrib: As shown in the namaz rakat chart above, there is no Qasr of Maghrib prayer, and therefore, you need to offer 3 fards of Salah just like a regular Maghrib prayer.

Isha: In the case of Isha prayer, you need to pray only 2 fard of Salah as Qasr. Although praying 3 Witr after Isha is a wajib act of Salah, during Qasr prayer, it becomes a Sunnah act.