Fatwa ID: 08939
Answered by Alimah Inayah H Ahmed
Question:
اسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته،
If a traveller goes to another country and originally plans to stay in one place for 20 days, but then chooses to go elsewhere after 10 days past the Safar distance, would they pray Qasr when they return to the original place they travelled to?
جزاكم الله خيرا
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
When a person intends to travel to a place further than 48 miles and stay for 15 days or more, he is a muqeem and the place he is staying at is his watne iqaamat – temporary residence. A muqeem prays his salaahs in full.
If a person, after arriving at the watne iqaamat changes his mind and decides to stay for a shorter period of time, this does not invalidate the watne iqaamat: he continues as a muqeem. Watne iqaamat is invalidated by: travelling (48 miles), another watne iqaamat or by returning to the watne asli (i.e. home) [1].
Therefore, the journey to the second destination would cancel the watne iqaamat and upon return you would be a musaafir praying qasr.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Alimah Inayah H Ahmed
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
وهذا لأن الأصل أن الوطن الأصلي يبطل بمثله دون السفر ووطن الإقامة يبطل بمثله وبالسفر وبالأصلي
Al Hidaya fi Sharh Bidayat al Mubtadi, page 81, chapter on prayer of the traveller, al Maktaba al Shamila – Accessed on 25/05/26