Etiquettes of traveling
Praise be to Allah the Lord of all the Worlds, and peace be upon our Prophet
Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) the Prophet (peace be upon him)
said: "Traveling is a kind of torture, as it prevents one from sleeping and
eating! So when one has finished his job, he should return quickly to his
family." [Reported by Al Bukhari Muslim].
From the etiquettes of travel:
1- Desirability of seeing off a traveler:
It is desirable for a traveler to see off his family, kinship and Muslim
brothers. Ibn `Abdul-Bar said: When someone of you go on a journey, he should
see off his Muslim brothers because Allah shall make their supplications a
blessing (for him). He said: Ash-Sha`by said: It is part of the Sunnah if
someone comes from a journey, his Muslim brothers come to greet him. If he is
going on a journey, they have to come to see him off and benefit from their
supplications. There is another abandoned Sunnah in seeing off a traveler which
only few people do which is seeing off a traveler with the supplications
reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him). Qaz`ah reported: Ibn `Umar said
to me: Come so that I can see you off as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) saw me off: "I am entrusting to God your religion and your trust and the
end of your actions." [Reported by Abu Dawud].
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: a man
wanted to travel, so he came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and
said: "O Messenger of Allah, advise me. He (the Messenger of Allah) said: I
advise you to fear Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) and say, "Allah
Akbar" [Allah is the Greatest] on each high place. When he went, he (the
Messenger of Allah) said: "O Allah, make the distance short for him, and make
his journey easy for him." [Reported by Al Baghawy].
Undesirability of traveling alone: Ibn `Umar (may Allah be
pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If the
people knew what I know about traveling alone, then nobody would travel alone at
night." [Reported by Al Bukhari].
The Hadith is full of benefits:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not inform his nation
about the harms that take place as a result of a person's traveling alone. This
is a kind of exaggeration to warn his nation against traveling alone.
Second, prohibition includes traveling during daytime or at
night but he only mentioned night in the Hadith because it contains more harms
and bigger dangers.
Third, prohibition includes the one who travels on mounts and
the one who travels on foot. Perhaps the meaning of the Prophet's saying:
"nobody would travel alone at night" that he meant the most cases, the one who
travels on foot takes the same ruling of the one who travels on a mount. And
Allah knows best!
There is another Hadith in the same context of forbidding
traveling alone which is the Hadith of `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn Al-`As (may Allah
be pleased with him) who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) said: "A single rider is a devil, and a pair of riders are a pair of
devils, but three are a company of riders." [Reported by Abu Dawud].
3- Desirability of assigning a commander during travel if the
travelers are three or more:
Shari`ah called for, urged to, and exhorted to staying in
groups and not to be alone. Abu Sa`id Al-Khudry (may Allah be pleased with him)
narrated: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When three are on a journey,
they should appoint one of them as their commander." [Reported by Abu Dawud].
When travel was one of the things that combine people, it was made desirable for
travelers -who are three or more- to assign a commander for them to lead them
and command them with things which are useful for them. They have to obey that
commander as long as he does not command them with disobeying Allah. If they do
so, their words will be united and their hearts will be combined and thereby
they will fulfill their needs without any troubles in between. The Prophet's
exhortation to assigning a commander for travelers who are three (or more) is a
reference to the Great Gathering, And Allah knows best!
4- The prohibition of taking dogs and bells during travel:
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) prohibited people
from taking dogs and bells in their journeys. Abu Hurayrah reported Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: "Angels do not accompany the
travelers who have with them a dog and a bell." [Reported by Muslim].
The reason of prohibiting bells is: they are the instruments
of Satan. This was mentioned in the Hadith which Imam Muslim and others reported
from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah who narrated: The Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) said: "The bell is the musical instrument of the Satan." [Reported
by Muslim].
5- Forbidding women to travel without Mahram (spouse or
unmarriageable relative):
The purified Shari`ah forbade a woman to travel without Mahram because of the
sedition that may cause to other men. The reported Hadiths in this regard are
authentic and there is no room for calling them weak or interpreting them. Al
Bukhari, Muslim, and others reported from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah
be pleased with him) that he said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "It is
not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel for
one day and night except with a Mahram." The wordings of Hadith Muslim are: "It
is not lawful for a Muslim woman to travel for one night journey except when
there is a Mahram with her." [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim]. Ibn `Abbas
(may Allah be pleased with them) reported that he heard the Prophet (peace be
upon him) saying: "It is not permissible for a man to be alone with a woman, and
no lady should travel except with a Muhram (i.e. her husband or a person whom
she cannot marry in any case for ever; e.g. her father, brother, etc.)." Then a
man got up and said: "O Allah's Messenger! I have enlisted in the army for
such-and-such Ghazwa and my wife is proceeding for Hajj." Allah's Messenger
(peace be upon him) said, "Go, and perform the Hajj with your wife." [Reported
by Al Bukhari and Muslim]. As you can see, the prohibition is clear in
forbidding women from traveling for a day and a night without Mahram whether
that Mahram is a husband, a father, a son, a brother, or any of her
unmarriageable relatives. Moreover, the command of the Prophet (peace be upon
him) to the person who enlisted his name in the battle to go and join his wife
in Hajj is a hard evidence to the prohibition of women's traveling without
Mahram. An-Nawawy said: The Hadith contains arrangement of important matters
because when the participation in battles was in contradictory with going to
Hajj with one's wife, the Prophet overbalanced Hajj because participating in
battles was opened for everyone but it was not the case in regard of going with
his wife for Hajj. [Commentary on Sahih Muslim].
6- Desirability of traveling on Thursday morning:
From the Prophet's Sunnah during his journeys is: he loved to
travel on Thursday morning. Ka`b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)
narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) set out on Thursday for the Battle
of Tabuk and he used to prefer to set out (i.e. travel) on Thursdays. [Reported
by Al Bukhari]. Imam Ahmad reported: "Say that the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) never set out for journeys - if he wanted to travel- except on
Thursaday." Sakhr Al Ghamidy (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "O Allah, bless my people in their early
mornings." When he sent out a detachment or an army, he sent them at the
beginning of the day." Sakhr was a merchant, and he would send off his
merchandise at the beginning of the day; and he became rich and had much wealth.
[Reported by Abu Dawud].
Question: What is the ruling on traveling on Friday?
The answer is: The view of our Madhhab [the Hanbali school of
Fiqh] is: It is not permissible for a person to travel after the decline of the
sun. If it is said: what about traveling after Adhan (call for Salah) of Friday
Salah, it will not be permissible either because Allah (Glorified and Exalted be
He) commanded people to go to Friday Salah after Adhan and abandoned trade (in
that time), so he connected forbiddance with Adhan. Allah (May He be Exalted)
says: "O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salât
(Salah) on Friday (Jumu‘ah Salah), come to the remembrance of Allâh [Jumu‘ah
religious talk (Khutbah) and Salât (Salah)] and leave off business (and every
other thing). That is better for you if you did but know!" [Surat Al Jumu`ah:
9]. However, it is said: the decline of the sun is the reason for the
establishing the Friday Salah, by declining, the time of Salah has come.
[Ash-sharh Al Mumti` by Ibn `Uthaymain].
7- Supplications and Adhkar (invocations and Remembrances
said at certain times on a regular basis) to be said during travel:
The Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is full of supplications and
Adhkar which a traveler says since he rides his mount until he gets back home,
of which:
A- Supplications for riding the mount of travel:
`Ali ibn Rabi`ah said: I saw Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) pulling a mount
to ride. When he placed his foot in the saddle, he said: "Al Hamdulilah" (praise
be to Allah). Then he said: "In order that you may mount on their backs, and
then may remember the Favor of your Lord when you mount thereon, and say: “Glory
to Him Who has subjected this to us, and we could have never had it (by our
efforts). (13) And verily, to our Lord we indeed are to return!” [Surat
Az-Zukhruf: 13-14]. Then he said: "Al Hamdulillah" (praise be to Allah) three
times. Then he said: "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is the greatest) three times. Then he
said: "Allahumma inni zalumtu nafsi faghfirli fainnahu la Yaghfiruz-Zunuba Illa
Ant" (O Allah! I have wronged myself, so forgive my sins for none can forgive
sins but You." Then he laughed. It was said to him: O commander of the
believers, what made you laugh? He said: I saw the Messenger of Allah did as I
did then he laughed. Thereupon, I asked him: O Messenger of Allah, what made you
laugh? He answered: "Your Lord (Glory be to Him) is pleased when His Servant
seeks His Forgiveness. He (the servant) has firm faith that none except Allah
Alone can forgive sins)." [Reported by Abu Dawud and Al Albany graded it as
authentic].
B- From the Prophet's supplications also upon his journey and
after his return is:
Ibn `Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported that whenever Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) mounted his camel while setting out on a journey, he
glorified Allah (uttered Allahu Akbar) thrice, and then said: “Glory to Him Who
has subjected this to us, and we could have never had it (by our efforts). (13)
And verily, to our Lord we indeed are to return!” [Surat Az-Zukhruf: 13-14]. O
Allah, we seek virtue and piety from Thee in this journey of ours and the act
which pleases Him. O Allah, lighten this journey of ours, and make its distance
easy for us. O Allah, You art (our) companion during the journey, and guardian
of (our) family. O Allah, I seek refuge with Him from hardships of the journey,
gloominess of the sights, and finding of evil changes in property and family on
return. And he (the Holy Prophet) uttered (these words), and made this addition
to them: We are returning, repentant, worshipping our Lord, and praising Him.
[Reported by Muslim].
`Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Whenever Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) returned from a battle, Hajj or
‘Umrah, he used to say Takbir thrice at every high palce of the ground and then
would say, "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah; He is One and has no
partner. All the kingdoms is for Him, and all the praises are for Him, and He is
Omnipotent. We are returning with repentance, worshipping, prostrating, and
praising our Lord. He has kept up His promise and made His slave victorious, and
He Alone defeated all the clans of (non-believers)." [Reported by Al Bukhari and
Muslim].
C- Saying Adhkar upon going up or coming down in valleys:
`Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated
at that end of his previous Hadith: The Prophet (peace be upon him) and his
armies said: "Allah is Most Great" when they went up to high ground; and when
armies said: "Allah is most Great" when they went up to high ground; and when
they descended, they said: "Glory be to Allah." So the Salah was patterned on
that. [Reported by Abu Dawud and Al Albany graded it as authentic].
D- Supplications to be said upon entering a village or
cities:
Ibn Al Qayyim said: "When the Prophet was about to enter a
village, he used to say: “O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and what they
shade, Lord of the seven earths and what they carry, Lord of the satans and
those that they misguide, Lord of the winds and what they blow away, I ask of
You for the good of this city and the good of its inhabitants and the good of
what is in it. I seek refuge in You from its evil and the evil of its
inhabitants and the evil of what is in it.” [Al Hakim graded it as authentic and
Adh-Dhahaby did too].
E- What is desirable for a traveler to say at night?
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that
when Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out on a journey in the
morning, he used to say: "A listener listened to our praising Allah (for) His
goodly trial of us. Our Lord! Accompany us, guard us and bestow upon us Thy
grace. I am seeker of refuge in Allah from the Fire." [Reported by Muslim].
A benefit: A traveler should take advantage of his journey
and supplicate for himself, his parents, his family, and to those whom he loves.
He should exert his best efforts to invoke Allah with inclusive supplications
and with persistence and submission. A traveler has an answered supplication
which he should take advantage of. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
narrated: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Three supplications are
answered, there being no doubt about them; that of a father, that of a traveler
and that of one who has been wronged." [Reported by Abu Dawud and Al Abany
graded it as good].
8- Offering voluntary Salah during the journey:
Of the abandoned Sunnah is offering voluntary Salah on
mounts. So, you should advise anyone you know to offer voluntary or Witr Salah
(Salah with odd number of Ruku`) in planes or other transportations. Our Prophet
(peace be upon him) used to do that on his mount. It is not obligatory to direct
your face to the Qiblah (direction of Salah to Makkah) while offering the
voluntary Salah on the mount because it will be difficult to the traveler.
However, it is better to direct your face to the Qiblah at the time of
commencing Salah. Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The
Prophet used to offer voluntary Salah on his mount facing its direction by
signals, but not the compulsory Salah. He also used to offer Witr on his mount.
[Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].
Therefore, it is permissible for a traveler to offer
voluntary and Witr Salah on the mount or in the transportation as the Prophet
(peace be upon him) did.
Question: Is it permissible for travelers to perform the obligatory Salah
(Salahs) in cars, trains, planes, or when riding, if they fear for their lives
or wealth? Should a traveler perform Salah in whatever direction he is traveling
or is it obligatory to face the Qiblah (direction faced for Salah towards the
Ka`bah)?
The Answer: the Permanent Committee answered a similar
question with the following: When people are traveling in a car, train, plane,
or riding and fear for their lives if they leave their means of transport to
perform the obligatory Salah and know that if they delay Salah until they reach
where they can perform it that the time will have ended, they should perform it
as far as possible, according to the general meaning of what Allah (Exalted be
He) says: "Allâh burdens not a person beyond his scope." [Surat Al Baqarah:
286]. And what He (Exalted be He) also says: "So keep your duty to Allâh and
fear Him as much as you can." [Surat Al Taghabun: 16]. "and has not laid upon
you in religion any hardship." [Surat Al Hajj: 78]. As to whether Salah can be
performed in the abovementioned means of transport regardless of the direction
of Qiblah or facing the Qiblah is continually a must, or just at the beginning,
it depends on the possibility of doing so. If it is possible to face the Qiblah
throughout the Salah, it is obligatory to do so, as it is a condition for the
validity of the obligatory Salah, both during travel and residence. However, if
it is not possible to do so, those performing the Salah should fear Allah as
much as they can due to the previously mentioned evidences. [Fatwas of the
Permanent Committee].
9- Supplications to be said when a person takes a rest:
A traveler needs to get off for sleep, eating, and relieving
himself. Wilderness is full of vermin, beasts, and devils, so from the favors of
Allah upon us that He permitted for us on the tongue of His Prophet (peace be
upon him) a supplication to be said to protect us against the evil of all
creatures. Khaula bint Hakim Sulamiyya reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) as saying: "When anyone lands at a place, and then says: "I
seek refuge in the Perfect Word of Allah from the evil of what He has created,"
nothing would harm him until he marches from that stopping place." [Reported by
Muslim].
The Hadith contains many benefits, of which are: This
supplication is to be said when arriving at a place or staying in, not only for
getting off a mount. The speech of Allah is part of Him (Glory be to Him) and
one of His Attributes. It is not created because it is impossible to seek help
of a creature; this is the view of Ahl As-Sunnah (the people who follow the
Sunnah of the Prophet) as said by Ibn `Abdulbarr. The one who says this
supplication when getting off a mount is protected by Allah, so nothing will
harm him until he leaves his place.
10. Desirability of gathering when getting off and upon
eating:
Allah placed strength, determination, protection, and
blessings in holding together, and placed weakness, feebleness, the power of
enemies over us, and taking away blessings in separation. When people travel
together, it is desirable for them to gather in one place and to spend the night
in one place, likewise, in their eating so that they can get the blessings. As
for gathering at getting off, Abu Tha`labah Al-Khushany (May Allah be pleased
with him) reported: Whenever the people encamped during the journey, they would
disperse in the mountain passes and valleys. (When) the Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) noticed this he said: "Your act of scattering in the
mountain passes and valleys is from Satan." Afterwards the Companions kept close
together whenever they encamped. [Reported by Abu Dawud, and Al Albany graded it
as authentic].
Meeting for food increases blessings. Wahshy ibn Harb (May Allah be pleased with
him) reported: Some of the Companions of Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
said: "We eat but are not satisfied.'' He (peace be upon him) said, "Perhaps you
eat separately.'' The Companions replied in affirmative. He then said: "Eat
together and mention the Name of Allah over your food. It will be blessed for
you.'' [Reported by Abu Dawud, and Al Albany graded it as good].
11. Taking a nap during travel:
A traveler in wild roads may need to have some rest because
of the hardship of travel. When the duty of the purified Shari`ah is to urge
people to their —sooner or later— benefit, it was its duty to guide a traveler
to the place where he can find some rest without being harmed by vermin and
beasts. Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him) said: "When you travel through green and lush land,
give the camels their due from the ground, and when you travel through a dry and
barren land, make them walk quickly lest their strength falters. When you encamp
at night, keep away from the roads, for beasts pass there and they are the
resort of insects at night.'' [Reported by Muslim]. An-Nawawy said: (This is one
of the etiquettes of traveling and staying to which the Prophet (peace be upon
him) guided because poisonous insects and beasts walk at night on roads because
it is easy for them. They also find there their food such as dead animals. So,
when a traveler spends the night in these wild roads, perhaps something of these
may harm him, so he must avoid sleeping in these roads). [The commentary of
Sahih Muslim].
Whenever a traveler wants to sleep, he has to take actions so
that he can catch the Fajr Salah; these means are now available —thanks to
Allah— at lowest prices. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) used to take actions
for that. Abu Hurayrah reported that when the Messenger of Allah (may peace and
blessings be upon him) returned from the expedition to Khaybar, he traveled one
night, and stopped for rest when he became sleepy. He told Bilal to remain on
guard during the night. [Reported by Muslim]. An-Nasa’y and Ahmad reported from
the narration of Jubayr ibn Mat`am (may Allah be pleased with him) that the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said in one of his journeys: “Who will
guard us tonight so that we do not miss the Fajr Salah?” Bilal said: I am.
Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “When the Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him) encamped at night during a journey, he would lie down
on his right side, and when he stayed a little before dawn he would raise his
forearm and place his head on the palm of his hand.” [Reported by Muslim].
12- Desirability of returning home after fulfilling a
traveler’s need without staying long time:
It is recommended for a traveler to return home quickly after fulfilling his
needs without staying for long time. The Prophet (peace be upon him) guided the
people to do so. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Traveling is a torment because it
deprives a traveler of his food, drink and sleep. So when one of you has
accomplished his purpose of journey, let him return home quickly.'' [Reported by
Al Bukhari and Muslim]. Ibn Hajar said: (The Hadith indicates repugnance of
being away from one’s family without need and desirability of returning quickly,
especially for the people who may be harmed by his long stay. Moreover, staying
with one’s family provides him comfort to maintain his religion, worldly
affairs, and establishing Salah in congregation as well as getting help for
maintaining the acts of worship.) [Fath Al Bary].
13- Undesirability of returning home at night (after a long
journey):
Jabir ibn `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “The Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him) forbade a traveler to return home at night.”
Imam Muslim reported: “If one of you comes (back from a journey) at night. he
should not enter his house as a night visitor (but should wait) until a woman
whose husband has been away from house has removed the hair from her private
parts and a woman with dishevelled hair has combed her hair.” Jabir narrated:
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade that traveler would return home at
night doubting their fidelity or spying into their lapses.” [Reported by Al
Bukhari and Muslim].
So, a traveler should not return home at night so that he
would not see his wife in bad shape. An-Nawawy said: (It is undesirable for the
one who has been in a long journey to return home at night suddenly. As if he
has been in short journey and his wife expects him at night, there is no harm to
return at night as he stated in one of the narrations: "if a person has been in
long journey." If a person is on journey, battlefield, or something like that,
his arrival was announced, and his wife and family knew about his arrival, there
is no harm to return home whenever he likes because the reason of prohibition
was removed. The meaning is that his family gets ready to receive him and this
was done because he did not come suddenly.) [Commentary on Sahih Muslim]. I say:
it is the same case if they knew about his arrival through communication devices
and so on.
14- Desirability of offering two (voluntary) Rak`ah in the
Masjid upon returning home:
When he came from a journey, he used to offer two Rak`ahs in
the Masjid. Ka`b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with
him) narrated: “Whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) returned from a journey
in the forenoon, he would enter the Mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs before
sitting.” [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].
This is one of the abandoned Sunnah that only few people
apply. O Allah, we ask You to support us in following the Sunnah of Your Prophet
outwardly and inwardly. May Allah grant us success!
And Allah knows best! Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet
Muhammad, his family, and his Companions. The last of our supplications is
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
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