Fatwaa ID: 879

Question:
Assalaamualykum wrwb

An unmarried girl studying in a hostel , away from her parents home, has asked the following question…

If one is living in a hostel in another city, and decides to visit her parents’ home every weekend, does she come under the ruling of resident or traveller in the hostel?

She is travelling 48 miles to her hostel after the weekend ends, and staying in the hostel for less than 15 days at a time.

Does the hostel become her place of residence? Will she pray full prayer in hostel, although she doesn’t plan on staying in hostel for 15 continuous days?

Answer:
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

At the outset, we wish to point out that it is not permissible for a Muslim girl to live or travel without a mahram. She will be sinful and so will he guardians who are permitting this. Her travels and achievements from it will be void of khayr and barakah.

Nevertheless, if a person stays in a place for less than 15 days, then she will not become a muqeem, even if she frequently goes there. In the enquired situation, based on the information provided, she will not be a musaafir in the hostel. She will make qasr of the applicable prayers. When she returns home, she will be a muqeem. It should be noted that if she stays for 15 days or more even once, then the rulings will be different moving forward. She would pray full in that case even if she stays less than 15 days.

And Allaah Ta’aala knows best.
Mufti Muajul I. Chowdhury
Darul Iftaa New York
https://askthemufti.us/

وصل اللهم وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى ءاله وصحبه أجمعين

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