Q: During the weekends and holidays, some people travel to their villages, farms and lands, which are more than 80 km away from their regular residences. When they go to their villages or farms they have places to stay that are reserved for them. Your Eminence, do these people come under the ruling of travelers and is it permissible for them to apply the ruling of combining and shortening their Salahs (Prayers)? Is it permissible for them to perform Salah in their houses and farms, even though the Masjids (Mosques) are close to them and they can hear the Adhan (Call to Prayer), under the pretext that they are travelers?

A: If the matter is as you have described, Jumu‘ah (Friday) Prayer is not obligatory upon them, because they do not come under the rulings for residents who live there permanently; rather the rulings for travelers apply to them. It is, therefore, legislated for them to shorten the Salahs and permissible for them to combine them. It is also permissible for them to perform them in their houses or on their farms if they are a congregation. However, it is better for them to pray with the people if they can hear the Adhan and to offer the Salah in full and not to combine Salahs. It is also better for them to not to combine Salahs if they are performing them in their places. It is Wajib (obligatory) for anyone who is staying on his own to perform Salah in a nearby Masjid if he can hear the Adhan, (Part No. 6; Page No. 433) to earn the merits of performing Salah in congregation and because it is obligatory upon him to do so. He should also perform Salah in full and not shorten it and perform the Jumu‘ah (Friday) Prayer with the congregation. Anyone who intends to stay somewhere for more than four days should offer Salah in full and with the congregation in the Masjid.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.