Question 83 : Assalaamu alaikum SheikhAslam Abuismaeel and SheikhArshad Abujafar ,
Am I right to say that the only sunnah prayers that we should do while travelling is the qablah fajr? Should I stop a friend who is travelling with me from performing the naafil prayers even when we know we are travellers and we shorten our prayers.
Hope my question is clear. Jazaakumullahu khairan.
Answer : Assalamualaikum Brother,
When traveling, the Prophet ﷺ did not pray the sunnah prayers, except the two rakahs before fajr and the witr Prayer.
However, due to other authentic evidences, the scholars deduced that it is permissible to pray other voluntary prayers, such as the prayer for greeting the masjid, duhaa prayer, tahajjud prayer, and even nafil prayers.
Some people incorrectly believe that it is sunnah to leave all the sunnah prayers while traveling. However, what we should do is pray the two rakahs before fajr and also the witr Prayer. Then do not pray (while traveling) the sunnah prayers before and after dhuhr, the two rakahs after Maghreb and the two rakahs after Isha. Finally, it is permissible to pray other voluntary prayers such as duhaa prayer, Prayer for greeting the masjid, tahajjud Prayer, and other nafil prayers (while traveling).