What are the concessions granted to the traveler? A- The concessions granted to the traveler are four: 1- That the four Rak'ah prayers may be reduced to two Rak'as. 2- That he may break his fast during Ramadan and make up for it at a later date. 3- That he may wipe over the socks for three days and three nights starting from the first time he wipes over them (when performing ablution for prayer). 4- That he is not required to offer regular Sunnah prayers of Zuhr (Noon Prayer), Maghrib (Sunset Prayer) and ‘Isha'(Evening Prayer). As for the regular Sunnah of Fajr and other voluntary prayers, he may offer them and in fact are recommended. And Allah knows best. Q- If a person performing Umrah or Haj only knows a few words of supplication, should he recite from the books of supplications during his Tawaf, Sa'ee and other rites? A- It is sufficient for the one performing Haj or Umrah to restrict himself to the supplications which he knows, because when he recites the supplications which he knows, he understands their meaning and he asks Allah for what he needs while saying them. But if he takes a book or Haj guide that dictates to him things which he does not know about, then that will not benefit him. Many people follow the Haj guide in what they say and they do not know the meaning of what they are saying; and many people take these booklets and recite from them without understanding the meaning of what they are saying. This being so, it is incumbent upon the believer to avoid these booklets and ask Allah to grant him the things, which he needs, and mention Allah according to his ability and his knowledge. That is better for him than using these booklets whose meaning he may not understand. Indeed, he may not be able to even pronounce them, let alone understand them. And Allah knows best.Q- When should one perform the prostration of thanks to Allah (Salat ash-Shukr)? And what is the manner of it? And is it a condition that one performs ablution for it? A- The prostration of thankfulness is made when some catastrophe is averted or some blessing is given to a person. Like the prostration of recitation, it is outside prayer. Some scholars consider that it requires ablution and Takbir, while others hold that it requires the first Takbir only, then he should fall down in prostration and supplicate after he says: Subhana Rabbi Al-A'la (Glorified is my Lord, the Most High). Q- What is the ruling concerning combining the Asr Prayer and the Friday Prayer? And is it permissible for one who is outside his hometown to combine the prayers? A- The ‘Asr (Afternoon) prayer and the Friday prayer may not be combined, due to the fact that this has not been reported in the Sunnah, nor is it correct to make an analogy between the Friday prayer and the Zuhr (Noon) prayer, as there are many differences between the Friday prayer and the Zuhr prayer. The basic principle is that it is obligatory to offer every prayer at its stated time, unless there is some reason which makes it permissible to combine one prayer with another. It is permissible for those who are outside their hometown to combine the prayers, if they stay for two or three days, because they are travelers. But if they are in the vicinity of a nearby town, therefore they are not considered travelers, in that event, it is not permissible for them to combine their prayers. This is with regard to combining the Zuhr and Asr prayers and the Maghrib and ‘Isha prayers, not the Friday prayer and the ‘Asr prayer, which is not permissible under any circumstances. – Excerpted from Islamic Verdicts on the Pillars of Islam by Sheikh Muhammad Bin Salih Al-‘Uthaimeen, complied and arranged by Fahd Bin Nasir Ibrahim As
