Blogs for Ummah|Online community of Ummah bloggers

WHO IS A musafir?

1. The person who sets out with the intention of eventually traveling three manzils (approx. 77 km) * is regarded as a musafir in the Sharī‛ah.
2. The moment he comes out of the boundaries of his town or city he becomes a musafir. Within the boundaries of his town or city, he will not be a musafir.

If the airport is within the boundaries of the city (in the sense that the buildings of the city are linked to it without a considerable break in between) it will fall under the rule of the city and the person will not be considered a musafir when he reaches it. If it is outside the boundaries, then upon reaching it, the person will be regarded as a musafir.

PRINCIPLE: A person will not become a musafir until he firmly intends to travel 77 km from the place he is in.

Thus a person who travels from place to place, intending to travel less than 77km each time, will not become a musafir even if he travels the entire world in this way!

THE (QASR) salah OF A musafir

1. When a person qualifies as a musafir according to the Sharī‛ah he is required to offer two rak‛ahs for the Fard of Zuhr, ‛Asr and ‛Ishā salah. The other salahs remain as normal.
2. More than two rak‛ahs should not be offered for the Fard of Zuhr, ‛Asr and ‛Ishā salah. If a person mistakenly offered four raka‛āt for these salahs, and he had sat down for Tashahhud (al-Tahiyyāt) in the second rak‛ah, then the first two rak‛ahs will be regarded as Fard and the other two rak‛ahs as nafl.
3. In the above case he will have to make sajdah al-sahw. If he did not make sajdah al-sahw then he must repeat the salah if its time still remains.
4. If he did not sit in the second rak‛ah then all four raka‛āt will become nafl and he will have to repeat his Fard salah.

BECOMING A MUQIM (RESIDENT)

1. A person will remain a musafir and will continue offering two rak‛ahs for the four-raka‛āt salahs until he makes the definite intention of staying at a place for fifteen days or more.
2. The place where he makes this intention is known as his Watan al-Iqāmah. He must offer four raka‛āt salah here.
3. If he makes the intention of staying for 15 days whilst in salah then he must offer this very salah as a MUQIM i.e. 4 raka‛āt.

   PRINCIPLE: A musafir will not become a MUQIM until he firmly intends to stay at a place for a period of fifteen days from the time he makes this intention.

   Based on the above principle consider the following two cases:

   • A person stops at a place intending to stay for two or three days. Due to circumstances every day he makes the intention of leaving the following day but he still does not leave. In this way fifteen days, twenty days, a month or even more passes, but he did not, at any point, make the firm intention of staying there for fifteen days. In this case he will remain a musafir irrespective of how many days he stays at that place.
   • A person intends to stay at a place for ten days but after seven days he decides to extend his stay by an additional ten days (which will make his total stay twenty days.) In this case he will remain a musafir. This is because after he had decided to stay ten more days there were thirteen days of his total stay remaining. Hence at no point did he make the intention to stay for fifteen days. In other words, fifteen days is considered from the time he changed his intention and not from the beginning of his stay.
4. The intention of staying fifteen days has to be for staying the full fifteen days at one place. If he makes an intention of staying for 15 days at two different places, and the distance between the two places is such that the adhān of one place cannot be heard at the other, then he will be a musafir in both those places.
   • E.G. If a person intends staying for 10 days in Makkah and 5 days in Minā he will be a musafir both in Makkah and Minā. Thus a Hāji who arrives in Makkah less than fifteen full days before the morning of the 8th of Dhū al-Hijjah will be a musafir. If he arrives in Makkah fifteen days or more before the 8th then he will be a MUQIM both in Makkah and Minā.
5. If in the above case (i.e. Law 4) he intends spending all the fifteen nights at one place then he will be a MUQIM in that place.
6. If both places are so close that each other’s adhān can be heard, then both places will be regarded as one place. He will become a MUQIM in both places by intending to stay there for 15 days.
7. After becoming a MUQIM (by firmly intending to stay at a place for fifteen days) if he changes his intention and decides to leave before fifteen days then he will not become a musafir.

* When he leaves with the intention of eventually travelling to another place that is at a distance of 77 kilometers or more then only will he become a musafir. If that place is less than 77 kilometers away, he will not become a musafir.
Source: sunnipath.com

Safar is the second month of the Islamic calendar.

Literal meaning: Empty. During this month the houses used to be empty and deserted because the ban on going to war in the month of Muharram came to an end and everyone proceeded towards the battlefield.

Safar also means to be yellow. When the names of the months were being given it was the season of autumn and the leaves of the trees were yellow.

Many people have erroneous beliefs regarding this month i.e. it is a month of misfortune and calamities. The teachings of Allâh Ta’âla and His beloved Rasûl sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gives us clear guidelines on such incorrect beliefs.

Allâh Ta’âla says in the Qur’ân: “No kind of calamity can occur, except by the will of Allâh”. (Surah 64-Ayat 11).

These erroneous beliefs have also been condemned in the context of the following Ahâdîth:

1. There is no superstitious owl, bird, no star-promising rain, no bad omen in the month of Safar. (Sahih Muslim).

1. There is no bad omen in the month of Safar and no Ghouls (evil spirits) (Sahih Muslim).

1. There is no evil omen, no superstitious owl, bird and no bad omen in the month of Safar (Bukhari).

The above Ahâdîth clearly refutes all incorrect beliefs and superstitions regarding the month of Safar. These incorrect beliefs flow from the pre-Islamic period of Jâhiliyyah [Days of Ignorance].

The Month of Safar During the Days of Ignorance The Muhaddithîn have recorded many of the superstitions harboured by the Arabs during the Days of Ignorance. A few are mentioned below:

1. The pre-Islamic Arabs believed Safar to be a snake which lives in the stomach of a human being and when hungry, bites the person. This is the discomfort one experiences when gripped by the pangs of hunger.

2. Some said Safar are worms which originate in the liver and ribs due to which the colour of the person becomes yellow, a condition we know today as jaundice.

3. According to some, the month of Safar flanked by Muharram and Rablul Awwal is full of calamities and misfortune.

With the advent of Islam and the teachings of Rasûlullah sallallahu alayhl wa sallam, all evil and incorrect beliefs common in pre-Islamic times were discarded.

Incorrect Beliefs:

Today too, there are some Muslims who hold incorrect beliefs regarding the month of Safar.

1. A nikâh performed in this month would not be successful.
[But, Sayyidina Ali radhiyallahu anhu married Sayyiditina Fatima radhiyallahu anha, (the daughter of Rasûlullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in the latter days of Safar 2 A.H.]

2. This month is full of misfortune and calamities.

3. To commence any important venture, business etc. during this month will bring bad luck.

4. The first to the thirteenth of Safar is ill-fortune and evil.

5. The person who distributes food or money on the 13th of Safar wiII be saved from its ill-fortune.

6. To celebrate the last Wednesday of Safar and regard it as a holiday.

What to do:

1. To shun all types of erroneous beliefs regarding the blessed month of Safar.

2. To understand that the most unfortunate person is he who disobeys Allâh Ta’âla’s commandments e.g. does not perform the five daily salaah etc. It is narrated in a hadîth that Rasûlullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Pray, 0 Allah! Cause not anyone of us to be a wretched destitute.” He then asked: “Do you know who is a wretched destitute?” Upon the request of the Sahabah radhiyallahu anhum he replied, “A wretched destitute is he who neglects his salât. ” (Hadîth).

3. We should understand that all conditions which befalls us, good or bad, favourable, or unfavourable are from Allâh Ta’âla, (as a result of our actions). Allâh Ta’âla says: ” Whatever misfortune befalls you, it is due to the things your hands have wrought, and He forgives many a sin.” (Surah 42 - Verse 30).

This can also be confirmed by the following Hadîth:

Sayyidina Jabir radhiyallahu anhu has said that, “I have heard Rasûlullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saying, the descending of illness and evil superstition befalling in the month of Safar is untrue.” (Muslim)

Source: http://www.jamiat.co.za