Q 1: I traveled from Makkah to Jeddah with two of my virtuous colleagues. Those two colleagues of mine as well as myself are not versed in rulings of travel such as shortening and combining the Salah (Prayer) etc. However, at an earlier time I had accompanied some scholars in the same travel and I saw them (Part No. 6; Page No. 427) shortening the four-Rak‘ah Salah (Prayer consisting of four units) and combining two Salahs (Prayers) at the time of the earlier or the later one. I tried to do the same during my travel with my two colleagues referred to above but they refused. I was thus obliged to oppose them and I offered alone Maghrib (Sunset) and ‘Isha’ (Night) Prayers combining them at the time of Maghrib Prayer and shortening the latter. To come to the point, my two colleagues believe that the distance between Makkah and Jeddah is not a distance over which it is permissible to shorten Salah (Prayers), for in their opinion it is less than eighty kilometers. Conversely, the distance between the Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah) and the airport according to experts is one hundred kilometers, and from Al-`Aziziyyah in Makkah from where we started our travel to the university region in Jeddah is about ninety kilometers. What is your opinion regarding this matter?

A: The minimum distance for which shortening Salah is permitted is that covered in a two-day journey by camel, which is about eighty kilometers. Such a distance is to be measured starting from the end of the populated area of the place from which a person is traveling to the start of the populated area of their destination. Consequently, going from Makkah to Jeddah and vice versa is no longer considered in our time as a travel, because the inhabited areas of the two towns are close to each other and thus cutting the distance between them is far less than the distance over which it is permissible to shorten Salah (Prayers), for it is only about sixty kilometers. Accordingly, Rukhsahs (concessions) of traveling, like shortening the Salah and others, are not applicable to traveling between Makkah and Jeddah. Q 2: Does a traveler have to stop at the time of Salah to offer it or can they continue their journey even if it is of a distance like that between Makkah and Jeddah then they shorten the Salahs and combine them at (Part No. 6; Page No. 428) the time of the later one? A: When it is time for Zhuhr (Noon) Prayer, a person who is on a travel is allowed to combine it with ‘Asr (Afternoon) Prayer at the time of the latter. The same is permissible with regard to Maghrib (Sunset) and ‘Isha’ (Night) Prayers. However, if the concerned person reaches their town before performing shortened Salah, it will be obligatory on them to offer the complete number of Rak‘ahs (units of Prayer) and it is not permissible to shorten the Salah, as they are now considered residents.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.