Dropping of Zuhr and Asr nawafil in travel

✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ تَطَوُّعاً فِي السَّفَرِ قَالَ لَا تُصَلِّ قَبْلَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ وَ لَا بَعْدَهُمَا شَيْئاً نَهَاراً.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p. 14

Muhammad ibn Muslim said: I asked one of the two Imams, Baqir or Sadiq (peace be upon them), about supererogatory prayers during travel. He said: 'On the day, do not pray before the two rak'ahs (of Zuhr and Asr prayers) or after them!'

2 عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ وَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّهُمَا قَالا الصَّلَاةُ فِي السَّفَرِ رَكْعَتَانِ لَيْسَ قَبْلَهُمَا وَ لَا بَعْدَهُمَا شَيْءٌ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p. 14

Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon them) said: 'The prayer during travel is two rak'ahs. There is nothing (of supererogatory prayers) before or after it!'

3 عَنْ أَبِي يَحْيَى الْحَنَّاطِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ صَلَاةِ النَّافِلَةِ بِالنَّهَارِ فِي السَّفَرِ فَقَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ لَوْ صَلَحَتِ النَّافِلَةُ فِي السَّفَرِ تَمَّتِ الْفَرِيضَةُ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p. 16

Abu Yahya said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about supererogatory prayers during the day in travel. The Imam said: 'O my son! If the supererogatory prayer was right in travel, the obligatory prayer would also be complete!'

4 عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الرِّضَا عَنِ التَّطَوُّعِ بِالنَّهَارِ وَ أَنَا فِي سَفَرٍ فَقَالَ لَا وَ لَكِنْ تَقْضِي صَلَاةَ اللَّيْلِ بِالنَّهَارِ وَ أَنْتَ فِي سَفَرٍ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ صَلَاةُ النَّهَارِ الَّتِي أُصَلِّيهَا فِي الْحَضَرِ أَقْضِيهَا بِالنَّهَارِ فِي السَّفَرِ قَالَ أَمَّا أَنَا فَلَا أَقْضِيهَا.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p. 16

Safwan said: I asked Imam Ridha (peace be upon him) about performing supererogatory prayers during the day while I am traveling. The Imam said: 'No! But you can make up for the night prayer during the day while traveling!'

I said: 'May I be sacrificed for you! Should I make up for the supererogatory prayers of the day that I perform at home, during travel in the daytime?' He said: 'As for me, I do not make up for it (in travel in the daytime)!'

5 عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: الصَّلَاةُ فِي السَّفَرِ رَكْعَتَانِ لَيْسَ قَبْلَهُمَا وَ لَا بَعْدَهُمَا شَيْ ءٌ إِلَّا الْمَغْرِبَ فَإِنَّ بَعْدَهَا أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لَا تَدَعْهُنَّ فِي سَفَرٍ وَ لَا حَضَرٍ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ قَضَاءُ صَلَاةِ النَّهَارِ وَ صَلِّ صَلَاةَ اللَّيْلِ وَ اقْضِهِ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 439

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'The prayer during travel is two rak'ahs, and there is nothing before or after it except the Maghrib prayer, which has four rak'ahs after it that you should never abandon in travel or at home. And you are not responsible for making up for the supererogatory prayer of the day, but you should perform the night prayer and also make up for it (if you miss it)!'

6 عَنْ رَجَاءِ بْنِ أَبِي الضَّحَّاكِ عَنِ الرِّضَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ فِي السَّفَرِ يُصَلِّي فَرَائِضَهُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ إِلَّا الْمَغْرِبَ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يُصَلِّيهَا ثَلَاثاً وَ لَا يَدَعُ نَافِلَتَهَا وَ لَا يَدَعُ صَلَاةَ اللَّيْلِ وَ الشَّفْعَ وَ الْوَتْرَ وَ رَكْعَتَيِ الْفَجْرِ فِي سَفَرٍ وَ لَا حَضَرٍ وَ كَانَ لَا يُصَلِّي مِنْ نَوَافِلِ النَّهَارِ فِي السَّفَرِ شَيْئاً.

📚 Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha, Vol. 2, p. 182

Raja' narrated that Imam Ridha (peace be upon him) in travel used to perform his obligatory prayers two rak'ahs each, except for the Maghrib prayer, which he performed three rak'ahs, and he did not abandon its supererogatory prayer. He did not abandon the night prayer, the Shafa' prayer, the Witr prayer, and the Fajr supererogatory prayer, neither in travel nor at home. And he did not perform any of the supererogatory prayers of the day (i.e., the supererogatory prayers of Zuhr and Asr) in travel!

✅ It is clear from the above narrations and others that during travel, when the Zuhr, Asr, and Isha prayers are shortened, the supererogatory prayers of Zuhr and Asr, which are a total of 16 rak'ahs, are dropped and there is no make-up for them. However, the night prayer, the Shafa' and Witr prayers, the Fajr supererogatory prayer, the Maghrib supererogatory prayer, and the Isha supererogatory prayer remain in their place in travel and at home and are performed. If they are missed, they are also made up for.

The topic of the above narrations is the daily supererogatory prayers of Zuhr and Asr that are dropped in travel. The performance of other optional prayers such as the Istikhara prayer, the Ja'far prayer, the prayers for needs, and the like during the day in travel is not prohibited.

اللَّهُمَّ فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ