Travelling

O Muslims: By the coming of the summer with its high temperature and beginning of schools holiday, a lot of families including men, women and children, focus their attention on travelling to get some rest, amuse themselves and get rid of boredom.

Dear beloved brothers: There is no doubt that travelling has a lot of uses such as changing customs, seeing world wonders, discovering the greatness of Allah's creatures and recognizing unimaginable new cultures, civilizations, traditions and customs. All these reasons bring pleasure and happiness for old, young, men and women. Beside all these privileges, travelling includes a lot of troubles and hardship such as the following:

1- A lot of quarrels and problems in airports, hotels, restaurants, transportation and even with one's wife, children and servants;

2- Feeling with worry and depression after arriving at the place of destination;

3- Fast feeling with bore and tiredness;

4- Delaying all the important matters till returning home;

5- The traveller may be afflicted with various diseases.

The prophet (peace be upon him) said "travelling is a piece of torture, as it prevents (the traveller) from sleeping, drinking and eating, so when anyone of you fulfilled his aim of travelling, he should hasten his return to his family." [Al-Bukhari]

‹‹السفر قطعة من العذاب ، يمنع أحدكم نومه وطعامه وشرابه ، فإذا قضى أحدكم نهمته فليعجل إلى أهله››

This prophetic hadith indicates that travelling is not preferable but for a certain purpose like curing, working or calling to Allah, so when one finishes his need, he should return to his family and home.

Because of travelling hardship, Islam alleviated some jurisprudential rulings from the traveller such as:

1- Shortening and combination of prayers;

2- A permission to be excepted from the congregational and Jomah prayer;

3- Increasing the period of wiping on the socks from one day to three days;

4- A permission to break the fast in Ramadan;

5- A permission in leaving the Nawafel (voluntary prayer).......etc.

Note: the scholars said that these travelling permissions aren't given during prohibited travel (travelling for committing sins or disobedience).

Staying at homeland is a piece of bliss:

When the traveller returns to his home, we notice the following:

1- He feels with happiness and comfort after his coming back to his own home, bed and food table he used to.

2- His brothers, friends and relatives congratulate him for his safety arrival even if he was in a short holiday or journey.

Travelling precautions:

Dear brothers: In addition to the man's misery, tiredness and worry during travel, there are some shariah prohibitions committed by some travellers, among which are the following:

1- Boasting, extravagance and wasting money are committed by some travellers, even a lot of them take loans for the purpose of travelling and that drives them to a financial crises.

2- Committing some sins which he does not do in his country as when he travels to a strange country, nobody knows him, means of deviation are available and the bad companions lures him, so only few (who is kept by Allah) can survive of the clutches of such a deviation.

Note: the Islamic society is considered a safety valve for Muslim as it prevents him from committing a lot of sins.

Finally:

Dear beloved brother: after you know these facts about travel, will you leave this habit as you will not find the pleasure and comfort you are seeking for, without facing troubles and disturbances.

Let your travel only be in Allah's obedience, the prophet –peace and blessings be upon him- said " the bags aren't packed up for visiting mosques except for three mosques: the holy mosque - in Mecca -, this mosque –the prophet mosque in Almadina -, and Alaqsa mosque." [Agreed upon]

‹‹لا تشد الرحال إلا إلى ثلاثة مساجد : المسجد الحرام ، ومسجد الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ومسجد الأقصى››

The travelling in Allah's obedience (for Hajj, Umrah, learning....) is blessed by Allah, so we see the one who returns from Hajj or Umrah is happy although he faced a lot of hardships. While we see the one who returns from Europe, America or any other country although what he enjoyed of welfare and pleasure, is sad and anxious (except those upon whom Allah bestowed his mercy).

Dear brothers: Whereas a lot of sadness and worry resulted from sins, Almighty Allah removes them by Hajj and Umrah. The prophet –peace and blessing be upon him- said "from time to time, perform Hajj and Umrah as they remove poverty and sins…” [Al-Albani said sound hadith]

‹‹تابعوا بين الحج والعمرة ، فإنهما ينفيان الفقر والذنوب...››

We invoke Almighty Allah to keep all Muslims from all evils......

And peace be upon our prophet Muhammad, his family and companions.



**
A lot of disease symptoms appear on the traveller
A great number of accidents
Congratulation with safety arrival is an evidence for travelling hardship
The prophetic mosque in Madinah is one of the mosques that bags are packed up for visiting them
Safety is in faith