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20 Rights of Travelers in Islam – Laws

Review by : Yuli SE., MM

Travelers in Islam are known as Musafir (Arabic language) or guest (another language).The traveler aims to create a platform for the message of peace, freedom, and unity. The journey of traveler is not simply a movement in peace, but also an adventure of the spirit. To sail and be guided the winds, travel and explore are more important than reaching a specific destination.

What is the distance of a traveler’s journey? There is not any fixed explanation about how far is the distance as a traveler’s journey about. From Anas, he was said: “ I prayed Dzuhur four rak’ahs with the prophet SAW in Medina, and I once prayed Ashar two rak’ah with him in Dzul Hulaifah.” (HR Akhmad Bukhari and Muslim)

From Syu’bah, Yaiya bin Yazid Al-Hanaiy, he said: “I once asked Anas about qashar prayer, then he replied, ‘ It’s the Messenger of Allah when traveling three miles or three farsakh then he prays two rak’ah.” (HR Ahmad, Muslim, and Abu Dawud)

There is no limit to how long to travel, so people traveling are considered travelers. A day trip or two days with distance eg 5.5 km or 16.5 km according to the hadith history Imam Muslim rahimahullah above is quite considered safer, or traveler for the perpetrators.

Has told us ‘Abdan, has informed us ‘Ashim from ‘Ikrimah from Ibn’ Abbas radliallahu ‘anhuma, he said, “The Prophet Sallallahu’ alaihi Wa salam stayed in Mecca for nineteen days, he praying two rak’ahs (summarizing prayers into 2 rak’ahs). “

When people travel and stay with the intention of not going to live there for example 10 days, he still regarded as the traveler. He obtained the right to religious relief such as relief to summarize prayers or abandon the obligations of fasting Ramadhan.

Traveler Rights in Islamic View

What must we do if we meet travelers? Prophet Muhammad reminded us of the high status of one who treats his guest well when he said, “… Let the believer in God and the Day of Judgement honor his guest.”
Treating guest or traveler well is the most important beliefs in Islam, belief in God and belief in the Day of Judgement. Well below this section there are 20 Rights of travelers in Islam :

Greet the guest warmly; please greet your guest kindly with the smile and full of heart.
Welcome them to your home; opened your door and welcome them to your home, and take your guest get inside.
Showed our good behavior; like being honest, kindness and politeness to our guest.
Show them into a comfortable; make your guest comfortable with simple thing don’t make such thing in luxury.
Provide them with food and drink; please to provide them well with foods and drinks you have.
Prepared food and placed it in the guest; If you have anything to cook, please prepared it and serve it well to your guest.
Show your respect to your guest by offering them the choicest food; This respect to making sure what is your gust like or unlike or there’s food there makes him allergic.
Delivering the food in a timely manner; when it’s time for lunch or dinner, please deliver it on time.
You should take interest in his or her conversation; While you have the conversation with him, you should take interest in his or her conversation.
The Muslim has every right to ask him or her to refrain from doing so; If you want to know more or there’s something that you do not understand, please ask him/her.
Identifying his or her possible needs in advance; this identifying to make sure his or her possible needs in advance. [AdSense-C]
Accommodate him for a day and night; our Prophet Muhammad SAW commands us to accommodate the traveler for a day and night.
Offering a guest something before he or she has the chance to ask for it; before our guest asks for something for food or drink, you should offer them first.
Invited them to partake in the meal; Showing manners and give an affection acts toward traveler is a must. Some traveler already did long journey and some of them can not have a meal properly.
Muslim should not invite only the rich and exclude the poor guest; these act is claimed as discriminated acts and Islam forbid it.
Forbidden to rivaling over hospitality to a guest; As a welcomer, you must make sure that your guest is in comfort condition.
When the guests or travelers sneezes we must to say: “May Allah have mercy on you.”
Muslim has every right to ask him or her for advice; If you have a conversation and you need some advice, you must ask him or her with rightly.
When the guest is ill, we must visit him; found a guest and he is ill? Please visit him like your neighbor.
Muslim must follow his funeral when he dies; While the guest dies we must follow his funeral (only Muslims).

Hadith Verses about Traveler Rights

Below these are the hadith that explain the rights of travelers in Islam

Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet (SAW) saying: “He, who believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him show the hospitality to this guests…” (Bukhari and Muslim) Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf in his commentary in Riyad-us-Saliheen states : “To honour a guest means to welcome him cheerfully, entertain him happily, and have full regard of his comfort and rest.”
Abu Shuraih Khuwailid bin Amr Al-Khuzai reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (SAW) saying: “He, who believes in Allah and the Last Day, should accommodate his guest according to his right.” He was asked: “What is his right, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied: “It is to accommodate him for a day and a night and extend hospitality for three days, and what is beyond that is considered charity.” (Bukhari and Muslim)[AdSense-A]
Allah, The Exalted, says: “Has the story reached you, of the honored guests (three angles; Jibril along with another two) of Ibrahim? When they came to him and said: ‘Salam, (peace be upon you),’ and said: ‘You are a people unknown to me.’ Then he turned to his household and brought out a roasted calf (as the property of Ibrahim (as) was mainly cows). And placed it before them, (saying): ‘Will you not eat”’
(Quran Verse 51: 24-27).
Jabir bin Abdullah said: “Abu al-Haitham bin Al-Taihan prepared food for Allah’s Apostle SAW, and he invited the Prophet SAW and the companions. When they finished eating He said: ‘If some people enter the house of a man, eat his food, drink his drink and they supplicate to Allah for him, this is his reward.”
(Abu Dawood)
This hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah, the Prophet SAW said: “A Muslim has six duties towards another Muslim: to salute him, when he meets him; when invited, to accept his invitation; when when asked for advise, to give it to him; when he sneezes, to praise Allah and say ‘May Allah have mercy on you;’ when he is ill, to visit him; and when he dies, follow his funeral.” (Muslim)
Ibn Abbas said: “The Prophet SAW forbade that the food of two rivals is eaten.”
(Abu Dawood)
This refers to those rivaling over hospitality to a guest. It’s forbidden because it involves the show and ostentation for one’s richness. Such an invitation should not be accepted.
Allah’s Messenger SAW said: “Do not be a companion except to a believer and let only the pious eat your food.” (Abu Dawood)
The Prophet Muhammad SAW said: “The worst food is that of a feast, to which the rich are invited and the poor excluded.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Prohibited Act for Traveler

Don’t do this between host and guest/traveler, hostility or hospitality? Below these are that you must not do as host or traveler.

A. Don’t as Traveler/Guest :

Do not disturb your host at odd hours; rather visit at their convenience
Do not visit with empty-handed. Give some gifts enhance love among people, even it’s only a single flower, like rose or pieces of candy.
If your stay is extended one, please help them (the hosts) as much as possible in their household chores.
Do not place unreasonable demands that burden your host.
Do not use the host’s belongings irresponsible. In other words, use them, as if they were your own.
Do not backbite or ridicule your host, after leaving.

B. Don’t as Host

Do not lie deliberately to turn away visitors.
Do not serve unwanted or stale food to your guests to make room in your refrigerator.
Do not place expensive decorative pieces in your house, especially, if you expect young kids to accompany your guest.
Do not embarrass the guest if he accidentally happens to break or misuse any of your belongings.
Do not give your mood swings expression or ignore your guests altogether and make them feel unwelcome.
Do not backbite or ridicule your guests, after they have left.

[AdSense-C]

A traveler that mean in Islam is a Musafir who is traveling on the long journey to create a platform for the message of peace, freedom, and unity in Islam. The journey of traveler is not simply movement, the journey also an adventure of the spirit. So that’s why when we meet the travelers or guests we must treat them well. That is entertaining the traveler is a thing highly recommended by Prophet Muhammad SAW. The above discussion has been explained in the hadith, that we should entertain our guest well, and Allah SWT will promise the great reward on The Day of Judgement.

The rights of traveler actually are quite same with the rights of neighbors in Islam, please read this also The Rights of Neighbour in Islam. To maintain the hospitality between host and the guest, really need for rule of things that should not be done either by the guest or traveler or host in order to avoid hostility among them. Hopefully with these explanations about the 20 Rights of Travelers in Islam can be a new insight for us and Muslims wherever you are.