Etiquette & Sunnahs of Travel in the Quran & Sunnah

1. Reflect on the signs of Allah during travel.

Allah says:

قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانظُرُوا كَيْفَ بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ

Say, “Travel through the land and observe how He began creation.” (Surah al-Ankabut 29:20)

Practical lesson: This teaches us to reflect, during travel, on the creation, power and signs of Allah; while seeing natural scenery and different peoples, the remembrance of Allah’s blessings and the Hereafter is refreshed.

2. Move about the earth and seek lawful provision.

Allah says:

هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِنْ رِزْقِهِ

It is He who made the earth subservient to you, so walk in its tracts and eat of His provision. (Surah al-Mulk 67:15)

Practical lesson: Travelling for lawful business, education, treatment, family ties and other valid purposes is permissible. This teaches us to take care, in travel, of lawful earning and the rights of Allah.

3. The concession to shorten prayer in travel.

Allah says:

وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَقْصُرُوا مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ

And when you travel through the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer. (Surah an-Nisa 4:101)

Practical lesson: There is a concession to shorten the prayer in a journey recognised by the Sharia. For the details of the distance, the length of stay and the juristic ruling, take guidance from scholars, especially when you wish to act according to a particular school of fiqh.

4. The concession to postpone the Ramadan fast in travel.

Allah says:

فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ

So whoever of you is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days. (Surah al-Baqarah 2:184)

The same ruling is also explained in Surah al-Baqarah 2:185.

Practical lesson: In a journey recognised by the Sharia there is a concession regarding the Ramadan fast; missed fasts are made up on other days. Act after considering the condition of the journey, the hardship and the relevant juristic rulings.

5. Permission for tayammum when water is not available.

While explaining the rulings of wudu, ghusl and purification, Allah says that if water is not found during travel, tayammum may be performed with clean earth.

(Surah al-Ma’idah 5:6)

Practical lesson: If a Sharia-valid situation arises in travel in which water is not found or cannot be used, the rulings of tayammum should be known. Not every minor difficulty automatically becomes a permission for tayammum; its conditions are separate.

1. Recite the masnoon dua when starting a journey.

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mounted his animal for travel, he would say Allahu Akbar three times, and then recite this dua:

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ، وَإِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ

Glory be to Him who has subjected this to us, and we could not have subdued it ourselves; and indeed, to our Lord we will surely return.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ فِي سَفَرِنَا هَذَا الْبِرَّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ، وَمِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تَرْضَىٰ

O Allah, we ask You in this journey of ours for righteousness, piety, and deeds with which You are pleased.

اللَّهُمَّ هَوِّنْ عَلَيْنَا سَفَرَنَا هَذَا، وَاطْوِ عَنَّا بُعْدَهُ

O Allah, make this journey of ours easy for us, and fold up its distance for us.

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الصَّاحِبُ فِي السَّفَرِ، وَالْخَلِيفَةُ فِي الْأَهْلِ

O Allah, You are the Companion on the journey and the Guardian over the family.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ وَعْثَاءِ السَّفَرِ، وَكَآبَةِ الْمَنْظَرِ، وَسُوءِ الْمُنْقَلَبِ فِي الْمَالِ وَالْأَهْلِ

O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the hardship of travel, from a distressing sight, and from an evil return in wealth and family.

Practical lesson: This is among the basic masnoon duas of travel. The original narration mentions mounting a camel; in travel today too, one can ask Allah for ease, protection and goodness in accordance with its meaning.

2. Bid farewell to the traveller with the masnoon dua.

It is reported from Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that when bidding someone farewell for a journey, he would say:

أَسْتَوْدِعُ اللَّهَ دِينَكَ وَأَمَانَتَكَ وَخَوَاتِيمَ عَمَلِكَ

I entrust to Allah your religion, your trust and the final outcome of your deeds.

Practical lesson: When bidding farewell to a loved one for a journey, you can entrust the protection of his religion, trust and final outcome to Allah through this dua.

3. Keep consultation and organisation among travelling companions.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«إِذَا خَرَجَ ثَلَاثَةٌ فِي سَفَرٍ فَلْيُؤَمِّرُوا أَحَدَهُمْ»

When three people set out on a journey, let them appoint one of them as leader.

Practical lesson: This teaches us, in a group journey, to appoint a responsible person who will help with the route, timing, needs and mutual organisation. The purpose is to organise the journey with consultation, not to give a companion authority to wrong the others.

4. Take care when travelling alone at night.

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that if people knew what dangers there are in being alone, no rider would travel alone at night.

Practical lesson: Instead of travelling alone at night, where possible choose a trustworthy companion, a safe route and suitable arrangements. This narration warns about dangers; it should not be presented as a categorical prohibition of travelling alone in every era, place and situation.

5. Seek Allah’s protection when stopping at a place.

Khawla bint Hakim (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that whoever stops at a place and says this dua, nothing will harm him until he departs from that place.

أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ

I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created.

Practical lesson: When stopping at a place, hotel, tent or camp during a journey, it is masnoon to recite this dua.

6. Make dua during travel.

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«ثَلَاثُ دَعَوَاتٍ مُسْتَجَابَاتٌ لَا شَكَّ فِيهِنَّ: دَعْوَةُ الْمَظْلُومِ، وَدَعْوَةُ الْمُسَافِرِ، وَدَعْوَةُ الْوَالِدِ عَلَى وَلَدِهِ»

Three supplications are answered, there is no doubt about them: the supplication of the oppressed, the supplication of the traveller, and the supplication of a parent against his child.

Practical lesson: During travel, make dua to Allah for protection, ease, lawful provision, health, goodness and for your family. The virtue of the acceptance of dua should be understood together with the wisdom and will of Allah.

7. Be gentle with the mount and animals.

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that when travelling through fertile land, give the animals their share of the land; and when travelling through barren land, proceed at a pace that does not weaken the animals more than necessary. He also forbade stopping on the road at night, because such a road can be the resort of harmful creatures at night.

Practical lesson: This teaches us not to tire a mount or animal beyond its strength. In modern travel, this principle can also be applied to safe driving, adequate rest, avoiding stopping in unsafe places on the road, and caring for the safety of travellers.

8. Help one another during travel.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that on a journey some of the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were fasting and some were not. Those who were not fasting served the mounts and did other work, so the Prophet ﷺ said that today those who did not fast have taken the reward.

Practical lesson: This teaches us to give importance to carrying luggage, distributing food, meeting the companions’ needs and helping one another in difficulty. This narration also shows the virtue of service and cooperation in travel.

9. Shortening four-rak’ah obligatory prayers in travel.

Ya’la ibn Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about shortening the prayer in travel, since the verse of the Quran mentions fear. Umar told him that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ described it as a charity given by Allah and taught accepting it.

Practical lesson: For a traveller recognised by the Sharia, there is a concession to pray the four-rak’ah obligatory prayers of Zuhr, Asr and Isha as two rak’ahs. The conditions of shortening, the distance, the length of stay, and the rulings on praying behind a resident or traveller imam involve juristic detail.

10. Established forms of combining prayers in travel.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ set out on a journey before the sun passed its zenith, he would delay Zuhr until the time of Asr and combine the two prayers; and when he set out after the sun had passed its zenith, he would first pray Zuhr and then continue the journey.

Practical lesson: There are hadiths about combining prayers in travel. The details of combining at the earlier time, combining at the later time, and their conditions and limits differ among the schools of fiqh; therefore it is not correct to combine every prayer unconditionally on every journey.

11. Keeping in view the concession regarding fasting in travel.

Hamzah ibn Amr al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about fasting in travel, and he ﷺ said:

«إِنْ شِئْتَ فَصُمْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَفْطِرْ»

If you wish, fast; and if you wish, break the fast.

In another narration, about a man fasting in a state of severe hardship, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that fasting in travel in that condition is not righteousness.

Practical lesson: Understand the ruling of fasting in travel according to the situation. In severe hardship, acting on the concession is important, while for one who has the strength, the permissibility of fasting in travel is also established from the hadiths. For making up missed fasts and other conditions, consult the details in the Quran and fiqh.

12. Learn the Sharia ruling on a woman’s mahram in travel.

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not travel a day’s journey without a mahram.

Scholarly note: there are several hadiths on a woman’s travel and the mahram, whose details are discussed according to the schools of fiqh and different situations. For any particular modern journey, Hajj or Umrah, obtain the relevant juristic guidance from a reliable scholar.

13. Praise and remember Allah on returning from travel.

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned from a journey, Hajj or Umrah, he would say takbir and recite this dhikr:

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner; to Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He has power over all things.

After that he would say:

آيِبُونَ تَائِبُونَ عَابِدُونَ لِرَبِّنَا حَامِدُونَ

We are returning, repenting, worshipping, and praising our Lord.

Practical lesson: This teaches us, on returning from a journey, to recite praise of Allah, takbir and this masnoon dhikr, and to regard the return as a blessing of Allah.

14. Do not arrive at night unannounced after returning from a journey.

Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade a person who has been away for a long time to come to his family suddenly at night.

Practical lesson: The purpose of this instruction is to spare the family from distress or unpreparedness caused by a sudden arrival. In acting on it today, it is appropriate to tell them the time of return, phone them, or inform the family.

15. Pray two rak’ahs in the masjid on returning from travel.

Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned from a journey in the forenoon, he would enter the masjid and pray two rak’ahs before sitting.

Practical lesson: If it is convenient and the time is suitable, this sunnah of praying two rak’ahs in the masjid on returning from a journey is established. The hadith specifically mentions returning in the forenoon; it should not be regarded as obligatory in every situation.

16. Return to your family after your work is completed.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that travel causes fatigue and disrupts the routine of sleep, eating and drinking; so when a person has completed his purpose, he should return quickly to his family.

Practical lesson: This teaches us that if the purpose of the journey has been fulfilled and there is no reasonable need for a longer stay, the return to one’s family should not be delayed unnecessarily. However, returning quickly does not mean neglecting safety, rest and suitable arrangements.