125. Shortening worship while travelling.
This verse (4:101) of the Quran says, worship can be shortened when a person is travelling.
There is a rider attached to this saying, if there is a fear of danger from enemies, worship duration can be shortened than in normal times.
These days we are shortening worship timings though there is no threat from enemies. Prophet Muhammad has also seemed to have shortened his worshipping during his journeys. Some may find this contradicting the Quran, because they reason out as saying the Quran asks to shorten the worships only at times of fear from enemies and not at normal times. There is nothing contradictory to the Quran found here. Shortening of the duration of worship can apply to two occasions:
1) Shortening the duration of worship at times of threat from enemies.
2) Shortening the durations at normal times during travel.
The situations are different from each other.
Shortening worship during war and at times of fear means fulfilling the obligation of all 5 times worship with one rakat, in place of 4, 3, or 2.
This could be understood from the next verse that follows (4:102).
Hence shortening of worship to one rakat applies only to times when there is a threat of fear from enemies, shortening otherwise at times when there is no threat is contradicting this verse.
Prophet Muhammad did not shorten his worshipping to one rakat, on his normal journeys, but reduced four rakats to two.
This reduction in rakats is not against the verse, but a kind of shortening not mentioned in it.
Prophet Muhammad received other forms of divine messages other than Quran and based these messages the prophet made reductions in his worshipping.
If the difference between shortening of worship during times of threat and normal times is understood there would be no confusion.
There are hadiths that say worship during war times consisted of two rakats and other hadiths talking of one rakat found to be in line with the sayings of the Quran. Hence, we need to accept the one in consonance with the Quran and reject those that contradict it. To know more about the ways to worship during wars, please refer to explanation point 126.
To know more about obeying the Almighty and guidance from Prophet Muhammad please refer explanation point nos 18, 36, 39, 50, 55, 56, 57, 60, 67, 72, 105, 127, 128, 132, 154, 164, 184, 244, 255, 256, 258, 286, 318, 350, 352, 358, 430.
