Should a traveler perform the supererogatory (nafl) prayers, especially during Ramadan?
Ramadan is a great opportunity to accumulate good deeds, and prayer is among the best acts of worship during it. Muslims should increase their prayers, whether residents or travelers. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to perform supererogatory prayers during travel, such as performing eight rak'ahs on the Day of the Conquest of Mecca, and performing the Tasbih prayer while on the back of his mount. As for the regular Sunnah prayers (rawātib), scholars differed concerning them. The majority of scholars held that they are permissible during travel, while some of the early generations (Salaf) denied their performance during travel, citing the actions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his successors as evidence. Some scholars made an exception for the two rak'ahs before Fajr (raghībat al-Fajr) due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) strong adherence to them. In summary: it is permissible for the traveler to perform absolute voluntary prayers (nafl mutlaq), while the rawātib are a matter of scholarly disagreement, and the majority of scholars recommend performing them.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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