The Maliki school, followed across North and West Africa, Sudan and parts of the Gulf, draws heavily on the practice of the people of Madinah. Its position on qasr sits between the Hanafi and Shafi'i views: shortening is a confirmed sunnah (sunnah mu'akkadah), stronger than a mere concession but not obligatory.
The travel distance
The distance is four burud, or 48 miles. Imam Malik recorded in the Muwatta that Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas shortened on journeys of this length. Modern conversions are usually given as about 80 km, with some estimates up to 89 km. Maliki scholars allow a little tolerance, so a journey slightly short of the full distance may still count.
When qasr begins
You begin shortening once you pass the buildings of your town and any gardens or orchards attached to it. For someone living in open country, it begins once they leave their own land.
Qasr as a confirmed sunnah
A traveller should shorten, following the consistent practice of the Prophet ﷺ. Someone who prays four instead is recommended to repeat the prayer as two while its time remains.
The four-day rule
You become a resident if you intend to stay four full days, which the school expresses as 20 obligatory prayers at your destination. The day of arrival is counted only if you arrived before dawn. If you have no intention of staying four days, for example because you are waiting for a need and may leave at any time, you keep shortening however long the stay becomes.
Behind an imam
It is disliked for a traveller to pray behind a resident imam, but if they do, they follow the imam and pray four.
Combining prayers
A traveller may combine Dhuhr with Asr and Maghrib with Isha. The Maliki texts connect this especially to being on the move: for example, someone who sets off after the sun passes its zenith and expects to arrive after sunset may pray Dhuhr and Asr together before leaving. The detailed conditions depend on when you set off and expect to stop.
Fasting
A traveller may skip a Ramadan fast if they set out before dawn, and make it up later. Fasting is preferred if it is easy for them.
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