Safar

Q: I was the imam in a salaah while travelling, a few other travellers also stopped, joined us and we performed salaah.

We had departed after Fajr, and had decided we will stop for Zohr at this location. After stopping we had meals etc. made wudhu and went to perform salaah.

At the time of starting the 2 rakaat jamaat salaah, I don't remember having a definite intention of performing Zohr Salah itself, although it was for this very reason we stopped. After saying the takbir the thought came into my mind that what salah am I performing? Is it Asr? Then I immediately realised no its Zohr.

After salaah I mentioned this to an alim there who said its fine, since we stopped for that very reason so "ilm" was evident, and "amal" as well was evident. When these two are found then this is sufficient, its not necessary to make the specific intention before salah.

1. Is this correct? Is the salah valid?

2. If it is invalid, what should one do when the musallis behind one cannot be traced?

Q: If I travel from Johannesburg to Durban for 20 days, but stay at different suburbs in Durban for a few days each, e.g. Musgrave, Sherwood, Overport, Clare Estate, Westville, etc.

1. Would I be a musafir?

2. What is considered in determining whether a place is considered as one or two different places? E.g. Is it based on the city name, suburb, physical break in buildings, etc?

Q: If a couple of people are musaafirs in a city and decide to perform Zuhr Salaah in their hotel rather than go for jumuah, is it then:

(a) Best for them to pray zuhr salaah individually rather than making a jamaat OR

(b) Obligatory for them to pray zuhr salaah individually rather than making a jamaat OR

(c) Best for them to make a jamaat for zuhr salaah?

Q: A message was sent out after Esha salaah that the salaah had to be repeated. Among the muqtadis there was a person who was a musaafir. Should the musaafir muqtadi repeat his fardh of Esha as four rakaats or two rakaats?

Q: What's the ruling on shortening of prayer (qasr) for a student who went to study in another town/country for more than a year?

Q: If a person travelled from place A to B with no intention of going anywhere else and it's not safr distance. However, on the return journey, he goes another route and stops at town C. Does he read qasr or full? The distance to C is NOT qasr distance from town A but qasr distance because of the roundabout way that he went there

Q: I have read a fatwa of Darul Uloom Deoband that Makkah and Mina are separate places till the day of judgement and also opinion of yours is same. So as there is another opinion which states now Mina is part of Makkah (only for prayer to be full or Qasar).

1. Does that mean that the fatwa which says stay in Makkah before Haj is calculated is intact and will not change?

2. I also came to know that these are differences in fiqhi masaail and it has been there since the Sahaaba, so one should follow anyone and shouldn't object to others.

3. Will a person be sinful if he follows anyone?

Q: A person went to a city intending that he will stay there for 14 days and was performing qasar salaah alone until he noticed his wife and mother were performing full salaah. He told them that their stay in the city was 14 days and they should perform qasar salaah.

1. Is it correct?

2. I also heard that the intention of a man is counted if he is with his family. Is it correct?

Q: If a musaafir mistakenly leads a congregation in Zuhr Salaah for an entire week whilst performing 4 rakaats, and only realizes after that, then what is the status of the other musaafirs' Salaahs - those who performed salaah behind such an Imam?

Will their Salaah be valid/complete due to the passing of time?

Q: A person stays and works for 11 months at a place which is 172 kilometers away from his home. He comes home to visit after one or two weeks. Does he have to perform full salaah at his work place or salaah of a traveller?