How Do I Shorten Prayers When I Own Two Homes?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

My parents own a second house over 50 miles from my primary home. We visit for two days every couple of weeks. This house is more of a vacation home since our obligations (school, work) are at the primary home, and it isn’t maintained as a permanent residence. My parents may retire there eventually, but for now, we don’t actively live there. Should I shorten prayers while at this second house, or pray in full?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are well.

Scholars differ on the distance required to be considered a traveler. Some state it is closer to 48 miles, while others say around 57 miles. [al-Fatawa al-Ridawiyya] This is close to what some scholars of Damascus say as well.

Because these distances are estimates, there is some room for ease. If your family’s other house is within this range, you pray in full. If it is farther, you still pray in full. This is because a second home owned by your parents counts as a place you can call home. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Allah bless you with the best of both worlds.

And Allah knows best.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Related Answers

• What Is the Distance Needed to Be Considered a Traveller? — Detailed explanation of the scholarly distances for shortening prayers while traveling.
• When Should I Shorten My Prayers While Traveling? — Practical guidance on when the traveler’s concession applies and how to determine your status.
• What Is the Ruling on Shortening Prayers at a Place Where I Have Family Property? — Clarification on secondary homes and properties in relation to prayer rulings.
• Should I Shorten Prayers if I Plan to Stay in a Place Permanently? — Guidance on the distinction between temporary visits and permanent residence.

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began studying Arabic Grammar and Morphology whilst studying for a degree in English and History. After graduating, He traveled to Damascus and studied Arabic, Hanafi Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Theology, and Logic with Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman Arjan al-Binsawi, Shaykh Husayn Darwish, Shaykh Muhammad Darwish, the late Shaykh Rashad Shams, and others. He then moved to Amman to continue his studies in those fields, as well as in Tafsir, Quranic Sciences, Hadith Methodology and Commentary, Prophetic Biography, Prophetic Perfections and Traits, Rhetoric, Arabic Literature, and Tajwid. His teachers include Shaykh Ali Hani, Dr. Hamza al-Bakri, Dr Salah Abu al-Hajj, Dr Mansur Abu Zina, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Shaykh Ahmad Jammal, and others.