Question Summary:
What is awla and prefereble for a shafiee in safar?to perform qasar or full salaah? And is it permissible for a shafiee to make imamat of full salaah if he is in safar?

Question Detail:

What is awla and prefereble for a shafiee in safar?to perform qasar or full salaah? And is it permissible for a shafiee to make imamat of full salaah if he is in safar?

Answer :

Assalāmu `alaikum Warahmatullāhi Wabrakatuh,
It is permissible (jaiz) for a traveller to shorten one’s salah of four rakaats to two rakaats. There are two types of journeys, long and short.

A Long journey is two marhalah. It is preferable (awla) for a traveler to perform full salah 4 rakaats if a journey is less than 3 marhalah. However, if the journey is 3 marhalahs or more, it is awla to shorten it.
It is permissible for a Shafi’i to be an imam of full salah even though he is musafir (traveler).
 
يجوز للمسافر سفرا طويلا مباحا قصر الظهر والعصر والعشاء ركعتين ركعتين (المنهج القويم: 286)
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Abdullah Muhammad al-Marbuqi al-Shafi‘i
Malaysia
Checked and Approved by,
Al-Ustādh Fauzi ibn Abd Rahman

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