Travel & sick prayers

• Travel concessions begin once you leave the built-up area of your town.
• The majority hold the minimum distance to be roughly 80 km (about 48 miles); the Hanafi school uses a comparable three-day classical journey measure.
• Concessions continue while you remain a traveller; scholars differ on how long a stay may last before you are considered resident (commonly 4 days, up to 15 in the Hanafi view).
• The reason for travel does not need to be difficult — the licence is tied to the journey, not to hardship.

• Zuhr, Asr and Isha are prayed as two rakʿahs instead of four.
• Fajr (2) and Maghrib (3) are never shortened.
• Sunnah rawatib may be left while travelling, except the two rakʿahs before Fajr and Witr, which the Prophet ﷺ kept.
• If you pray behind a resident imam, complete the full four rakʿahs with the congregation.

• Zuhr may be combined with Asr, and Maghrib with Isha. Fajr is never combined.
• Jamʿ taqdīm: pray the later prayer early, in the time of the first.
• Jamʿ ta'khīr: delay the earlier prayer and pray both in the time of the second.
• Pray them back to back, in order, with the intention to combine.
• Beyond travel, most scholars allow combining for genuine need such as illness, heavy rain or unavoidable medical work.

The Prophet ﷺ told ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn: 'Pray standing; if you cannot, then sitting; if you cannot, then on your side.' (Bukhari)

• Stand if you can, even leaning on a wall, stick or another person.
• If standing is not possible, pray seated: bow with a slight bend and prostrate lower than the bow.
• If sitting is not possible, lie on your right side facing the Qibla, or on your back with the feet towards the Qibla, indicating with the head.
• Never use an object raised to your forehead to prostrate on — simply gesture.
• If you cannot move at all, perform the prayer with the eyes and heart; the obligation is never dropped while you are conscious.

• Use tayammum with clean earth or dust when water is unavailable or harmful to a wound or illness.
• Wipe over khuffayn (leather socks) or acceptable socks: one day and night for residents, three days and nights for travellers.
• Bandages and casts may be wiped over rather than washed.
• Someone with continuous incontinence or istihadah makes wudu for each prayer time and prays regardless.

• Pray obligatory prayers standing and facing the Qibla when it is safely possible, for example in a galley area.
• If not possible, pray seated facing the direction of travel; the prayer is valid and does not need repeating in the majority view.
• Voluntary prayer may be prayed seated on a moving vehicle in any direction.
• Plan ahead: check departure and arrival prayer times, and combine where the journey makes it necessary.