Hadith.1265 - It was narrated from Zurarah and Muhammad ibn Muslim that they said:
We asked Abu Ja'far عليه السلام about the prayer during travel: how is it and how many units?
Imam عليه السلام said: "Indeed, Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Majestic, says, 'And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer.' Thus, the shortening of the prayer during travel has become obligatory, just as completing it is obligatory when not traveling."
They said: "We said: 'Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Majestic, only says: "there is no blame upon you" and did not say "do it." How then has it become obligatory just as completing the prayer in residence is?'
Imam عليه السلام said: 'Has not Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Majestic, said in relation to Safa and Marwa: "There is no blame upon him who performs Tawaf around them"? Do you not see that Tawaf between them is obligatory because Allah سبحانه وتعالى mentioned it in His Book, and His Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم did it? Similarly, shortening the prayer during travel is something the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم did, and Allah سبحانه وتعالى mentioned it in His Book.'
They said: 'So if one prays four units in travel, should he repeat or not?'
Imam عليه السلام said: 'If the verse of shortening the prayer was recited to him and explained to him, but he prayed four, he must repeat. If it was not recited to him and he did not know, then there is no repeat upon him. All prayers during travel are two units, except for Maghrib, which remains three units, as the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم kept it three units during both travel and residence.
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم traveled to Dhu Khashab, a one-day journey from Medina, which is two Barid (approximately twenty-four miles), and he shortened the prayer and broke the fast, making it a Sunnah.
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم called those who fasted when he broke the fast "disobedient." He said: 'They are disobedient until the Day of Resurrection, and we know their children and the children of their children up to this day.'"
