Sunnah Prayer of Wudoo

[Shehzad Sattar]

Bukhari 2.250; Bilal’s footsteps heard in paradise before the Prophet

Abu Harariah (radillahu anhu) reported the Prophet (salallahu alaihi wasalaam) said, “At the time of the Fajr prayer the Prophet asked Bilal, “Tell me of the best deed you did after embracing Islam, for I heard your footsteps in front of me in Paradise.” Bilal replied, “I did not do anything worth mentioning except that whenever I performed ablution during the day or night, I prayed after that ablution as much as was written for me.”

Question: What is permissible during travels?

Answer:

There are four things permissible during travels:

i. The prayers consisting of 4 Rakaýhs are shortened to 2 Rakahs.

ii. Breaking the fast during Ramadhaan, making the same number of days up during other days.

iii. Wiping over the Khuffs 3 days and nights, beginning from the first time the person wipes over them.

iv. The recommendation for the Sunnah prayers of Dhuhr, Maghrib, and Ishaa is lifted. As for the Sunnah prayer of Fajr and the rest of the optional prayers, performing those remains legislated and preferred.

So the traveler prays the night prayer, the Sunnah prayer of Fajr, the two Rakahs of Dhuhaa, the Sunnah prayer after making Wudhoo, the two Rakahs of entering the masjid, and the two Rakýahs of arriving from a journey – for surely, from the Sunnah is that when a person arrives from a journey, before he enters his house, he first begins with the masjid, entering it and praying two Rakahs in it. [1]

Likewise, the rest of the optional prayers remain legislated with regards to the traveler except for what I have previously said, and they are: the Sunnah prayers of Dhuhr, Maghrib, and Ishaa because the Prophet (SallAllaahu alaihi wa sallam) used not to pray these three optional prayers (while traveling).

NOTES
[1] This has been reported in the long Hadeeth of Kaab ibn Maalik regarding his repentance with the wording, He used to, when he arrived from a journey, begin with the masjid, praying two Rakýahs in it. Reported by al-Bukhaaree, no. 4418 and Muslim, no. 2769.

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen
Fataawaa Arkaan al-Islaam, Number 315

Source: http://salaf-us-saalih.com/2009/10/13/s ... -of-wudoo/