I have a similar question [referring to:https://qna.ilmhub.com/question/skipping-fast-if-has-to-travel-2-hours-drive-or-more-than-100km/].
What if a person’s full-time job is long distance truck driving which requires constant alertness where they are on the road 7-10 days at a time with typically only 36 hours off in between trips, because this is their job are they still considered travellers & therefore under the same rulings? If not, then what would their requirements be for Ramadan.
Bismillahi Ta’ala
Walaikum Assalam Warahmatullah
While the discussion for the traveller does have to factor the days of travel, the fundamental issue also revolves around one’s city of residence vs travel. For ease of understanding lets look at a few scenarios.
1. A person sets out to drive on a long distance (far enough that it is further than the travel-distance, i.e. 78km or more) away from one’s city of residence, while still intending to return to the city at the end of his trip the same day or another. Here the intention of travelling the distance is very important to make him a traveller. As such this traveller will start to shorten his Salah as soon as he has goes beyond the city limits.
2. Another scenario under the same situation would be a person travels out of his city of residence beyond the travel distance, but the intention is to remain at multiple destinations on a 7-10 day trip.
As long as his travel takes him beyond the 78km mark (coupled with his intent to be on the road), he will be a traveller and shorten his prayer as soon as he comes out of city dwellings. Thereafter, as long as he does not intend to stay at one location for 15 days or more; he will remain a traveller, even if his time exceeds to a year.
The only time he will become Muqeem (resident) is if
- he intends to stay at a place 15 or more days, OR
- he returns and enters into his original city boundary.
If he does, then he will complete his salahs in full.
3. A last scenario would be that a person sets out on a long drive, but without any intent for travel. But he does continue to drive, and crosses the 78km travel-distance mark. This individual, although did not have intention to travel, has now shar’an become a traveller and will shorten his prayer.
However, up until he reached the 78km mark, he was not a traveller and he would pray full Salah.
Above three points would encapsulate an answer for you. But if you wish to still learn more, please do check a couple of previous answer on the issue :
Q: As a truck/taxi driver I complete 70 miles per day. Am I a musafir?
https://fatwa.ca/trucktaxi-driver-complete-70-miles-per-day-musafir/
Q: A few questions about Qasr Salah (Traveler’s Prayer) [Some detail about what is considered Watan (Residence) and its types]
https://fatwa.ca/a-few-questions-about-qasr-salah/
Wallahu A’lam
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi