Qasr (Shortened Prayer)

Qasr is the permission to shorten the obligatory prayers from four to two rak'ah during travel. It applies to Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha. Fajr (two rak'ah) and Maghrib (three rak'ah) are not shortened. Allah says in the Quran: "And when you travel in the land, there is no sin upon you to shorten the prayer" (4:101).

The four Sunni schools of law agree on the legitimacy of qasr but disagree on the details. The Hanafi school considers qasr obligatory (wajib) for the traveler, while the other three schools regard it as a concession (rukhsah). The distance requirement varies: approximately 80 km according to the majority. The duration of qasr during a stay at the travel destination also varies between the schools.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) always shortened his prayers during travel. Aisha narrated: "The prayer was first prescribed as two rak'ah, then it was increased for the resident but retained for the traveler" (Sahih al-Bukhari). Qasr is an example of Islam's mercy and flexibility in worship requirements.