When does one count as a traveller and may shorten the prayers?

There is no fixed number of miles. Whoever truly sets out on a journey becomes a traveller as soon as they leave the limits of their town, and remains one at the destination as long as the stay is limited or its end uncertain.

What counts as a journey depends on time and place. In some large cities people drive well over a hundred miles in a single day just to visit friends for lunch, tea and dinner. Nobody would say they are travelling. In a small country, on the other hand, a much shorter trip can be a real journey. That is why the Holy Qur’an names no distance.

Usually one’s own conscience is the best judge. Someone on an outing knows they are not travelling. But someone who truly sets out for another town feels that they are on the road. Their journey begins as soon as they leave the limits of their town, even if they have gone only a short way. And it ends only when they reach those limits again on the way back. Because these are borderline matters, no one has the right to accuse another of having decided wrongly.

It is different when many people take part in a gathering together. Then individuals do not decide for themselves. The person leading the community decides, and everyone follows.

And how long does one remain a traveller at the destination? That depends on the circumstances. Someone who knows from the start that they will stay only a few days, up to about two weeks, shortens the Prayer during that time. But someone who does not know when they can return home, perhaps because they are waiting for a decision, remains inwardly on a journey and may keep shortening, even if it lasts for months. The teaching of the Holy Qur’an takes the human mind into account, and that does not change, however comfortable transport becomes.