Where and When Do I Have to Shorten My Prayers?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

If I live and work in one city but regularly visit my spouse in another city every 5 to 12 days, am I considered a traveler in either location, or should one be treated as my permanent residence?

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

If you work in a city that is at a traveling distance from your hometown (the city where you and your family are living), this city is a temporary residence, and you will have to shorten your prayers as long as you stay there for less than 15 days.

You are considered a resident in your spouse’s city because you are married, and this is where you live when you are not traveling. You are thus not allowed to shorten your prayers there, even if you stay for less than a day. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

Please see: Do I Shorten My Prayers When Working Regularly at a Travel Distance?

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.