Once you are a traveller, the four-rak'ah fard prayers become two. Everything else about the prayer stays the same: wudu, facing the qiblah, the takbir, recitation, ruku', sujud and the final tashahhud. This guide walks through what actually changes, prayer by prayer.
Step 1: make sure you are a traveller
You start praying qasr only after you have left the last buildings of your home town on a journey long enough for your school, and you stop when you return or settle long enough to become a resident. If you are unsure, check your trip in the calculator first.
Step 2: the intention (niyyah)
The intention is in the heart. You do not have to say it aloud, and no fixed wording is required. In your heart you intend the specific prayer, for example the fard of Dhuhr.
- Shafi'i and Hanbali: you should also intend to shorten it at the opening takbir. Without that intention you must pray four.
- Hanafi: a traveller's fard is two by default, so intending the prayer itself is enough.
- Ja'fari: intend the prayer for the sake of Allah (qurbatan ila Allah). Specifying qasr is not required when qasr is your duty.
Step 3: pray two rak'ahs
For Dhuhr, Asr and Isha, pray two rak'ahs as you would pray Fajr. Recite al-Fatihah and a surah in each, sit for the tashahhud after the second rak'ah and finish with the salam. Fajr stays at two and Maghrib stays at three.
| Prayer | Fard at home | Fard while travelling |
|---|---|---|
| Fajr | 2 | 2 |
| Dhuhr | 4 | 2 |
| Asr | 4 | 2 |
| Maghrib | 3 | 3 |
| Isha | 4 | 2 |
Sunnah prayers and Witr
Only the fard is shortened; sunnah prayers are never cut in half. Schools differ on whether to pray them on a journey. Hanafis may leave them when in a hurry and pray them when settled, but keep the two before Fajr. Hanbalis and many Salafi scholars leave the regular sunnah except Fajr's and Witr. Shafi'is and Malikis keep them as recommended. In Ja'fari fiqh the nafilah of Dhuhr and Asr drops while travelling. Witr is prayed as normal in every school; for Hanafis it remains three rak'ahs.
Praying behind an imam
- Behind a resident imam: in the four Sunni schools you follow him and pray four.
- When you lead residents: pray two and say the salam; they stand up and complete their prayer. It is good to tell them beforehand that you are travelling.
- Ja'fari fiqh: a traveller behind a resident imam prays two and may say the salam while the imam continues, or stay seated until the imam finishes.
Jumu'ah on a journey
In the Sunni schools Jumu'ah is not obligatory on a traveller; you may pray Dhuhr as two rak'ahs instead. If you attend Jumu'ah, it is valid and replaces Dhuhr. In Ja'fari fiqh during the occultation, Jumu'ah is an option alongside Dhuhr according to most maraji'.
Making up missed prayers
A prayer missed while travelling is made up as two rak'ahs, even after you get home, according to the Hanafis, Malikis and Ja'fari fiqh. The Shafi'is and Hanbalis say a prayer missed on a journey and made up at home is prayed as four. A prayer missed at home is always made up as four, even on a journey.
Common mistakes
- Starting qasr at your front door or while still driving through your own city.
- Shortening Maghrib or Fajr.
- Carrying on with qasr after deciding to stay longer than your school's limit.
- For Hanafis, praying four on purpose because it "feels more complete". In this school, qasr is required.
Not sure the rules apply to your trip? Enter it in the calculator and it shows the rak'ahs for every prayer.