6/1. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 687a — Four, Two, and One Rak'ah Explained
The travelers’ prayer and shortening it
Travel Prayer Hadith: Four Rak'ahs Resident, Two Travelling, One in Fear
Sahih Muslim : 687a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 687a
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، وَسَعِيدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، وَأَبُو الرَّبِيعِ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرُونَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ بُكَيْرِ بْنِ الأَخْنَسِ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ فَرَضَ اللَّهُ الصَّلاَةَ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّكُمْ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْحَضَرِ أَرْبَعًا وَفِي السَّفَرِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَفِي الْخَوْفِ رَكْعَةً .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
Allah has prescribed the prayer through the word of your Prophet (ﷺ) as four rak'ahs when resident, two when travelling, and one when danger is present.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 687aIn-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 6USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1463
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 687a
This Hadith gives a clear summary of prayer units in three situations. Ibn 'Abbas reports that Allah prescribed prayer through the word of the Prophet as four rak'ahs when resident, two rak'ahs when travelling, and one rak'ah when danger is present. The core topic is prayer units, especially qasr prayer for the traveller. The narration is short, but it is full of meaning because it separates the resident, the traveller, and the one facing danger. It does not give every detail of how these prayers are performed. It simply states the number of rak'ahs connected to each state, making it useful for anyone searching for a hadith about travel prayer.
What we learn from this hadith
- Resident prayer is stated as four rak'ahs in this report.
- The traveller's prayer is stated as two rak'ahs.
- Prayer in danger is stated as one rak'ah.
- The Hadith shows that prayer units can differ by situation.
