Etiquette and Rulings of Travel

Etiquette and Rulings of Travel

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.

To proceed:

This is a concise treatise on the etiquettes and rulings of travel, in which we have endeavored to clarify most of what a traveler needs.

The Academic Committee at the Islamic Content Service Association in Languages

First: The etiquette of travel

The one who travels for Hajj or other acts of worship should attend to the following:

In a Qudsi Hadīth, it is stated:

He must have witnesses for it, settle his debts, and return the trusts to their owners or seek their permission to keep them.

And the Prophet (ﷺ) would say to those travelers who asked him for advice: A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) intending to go on a journey and said: “O Messenger of Allah, advise me.” He (ﷺ) said:

[Narrated by Muslim]

Afterward, they would keep so close together to one another that if a cloth were spread over them, it would cover them all.

If he says that, nothing will harm him until he departs that place.

They should not raise their voices with the Takbīr, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

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Second: Tahārah (ritual purity) during travel

A traveler must attend to his ritual purity by performing ablution for minor ritual impurity and performing Ghusl for Janābah (major ritual impurity).

If water is unavailable, or if he has a small amount of water needed for his food and drink, he should perform Tayammum (dry ablution).

The manner of performing Tayammum is to strike the ground with his hands, then wipe his face and palms with them.

Tayammum is a temporary purification, and it becomes invalid once water is available, necessitating its use. If one performs Tayammum due to Janābah and then finds water, he must perform Ghusl. Similarly, if one performs Tayammum after relieving himself and then finds water, he must perform wudū’ (ablution). It is stated in a Hadīth:

Wiping over the leather socks is permissible according to the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of Ahl-us-Sunnah.

Conditions for wiping over leather socks and their equivalents:

Wiping over them gets invalidated by one of the three matters:

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Third: Rulings on shortening the prayer during travel

Shortening the prayer during travel is better than completing it; however, if the traveler completes the four-Rak‘ah prayer as four, his prayer is valid, though he has not acted upon the preferable option.

A traveler may shorten the prayer once he has crossed all of the houses of his village or city, and this is the view of the majority of the scholars.

If he travels after the time of the prayer has commenced, he is permitted to shorten it, for he has traveled before its time expires.

As for combining the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers, and the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers, it is a Sunnah for the traveler when needed, if he is continuing with his journey. He should do what is more convenient for him, whether it be an advanced combination or a delayed one.

As for the voluntary prayer, the traveler can perform as the resident does, such as the Duha prayer, night prayer, Witr prayer, and other voluntary prayers except for the regular supererogatory prayers of Zhuhr, Maghrib, and ‘Ishā’, as the Sunnah is not to perform them.

It is permissible to perform voluntary prayers while on a means of transport during travel, such as an airplane, a car, a ship, or other means of transportation. However, for obligatory prayers, one must disembark unless unable to do so.

The prayer of a traveler behind a resident is valid, and the traveler should complete the prayer like his Imam, whether he joins the entire prayer, one Rak‘ah, or less. Even if he joins during the last Tashahhud before the Taslīm, he should complete it. This is the correct view among the two reported opinions of the scholars.

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He should hasten in returning and not prolong his stay in travel without necessity, as the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

It is recommended for the one returning from a journey to begin by visiting the nearby mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs therein, following the practice of the Prophet (ﷺ).

It is recommended for a traveler, upon returning from a journey, to show kindness to the children of his household and neighbors and be kind to them when they come to welcome him. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with them) reported: “When the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived in Makkah, the young boys of Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib came to greet him, and he carried one in front of him and another behind him. ‘Abdullah ibn Ja‘far (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

Offering gifts is recommended, as it soothes hearts and removes ill feelings. It is recommended to accept gifts and to give a reward in return, while it is disliked to reject it without a legal reason. That is why the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Gifts are a means of fostering affection among Muslims.

When the traveler returns to his homeland, embracing is recommended, as it is authentically reported from the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) as Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: