If two roads lead to a place...

If two roads lead to a place, and one of them is less than 8 farsakh long, and the length of the other is 8 farsakh or more, the traveller should offer shortened prayers if he travels.by the road which is 8 farsakh long and should offer complete prayers if he travels by the road which is less than 8 farsakh long. 1289. If the city has a wall, the traveller should reckon 8 farsakh from the wall of the city, and if it does not have a wall, he should reckon the same from the last houses of the city.

(ii) The second condition is that the traveller should intend, at the time of the commencement of the journey, to cover a distance of 8 farsakh. In case, therefore, he travels up to a point which is at a less distance than 8 farsakh and after reaching there determines to go to another place and the two distances, when combined, come to 8 farsakh he should offer full prayers. This is so because he did not intend travelling 8 farsakh when he commenced his journey.

In case, however, he intends travelling 8 farsakh further or to go up to a distance of 4 farsakh and then to cover another 4 farsakh to return home, or to go to a place, where he intends staying for 10 days, he should shorten his prayers. 1290. A person, who does not know how many farsakh his journey is (for example, if he travels to rind out something which has been lost and does not know how much he should travel to find it out) should offer complete prayers.

However, if the return journey up to his home or up to a place, where he intends staying for 10 days, is 8 farsakh or more, he should offer shortened prayer. Moreover, if he makes an intention, while travelling, that he will perform outward journey coveting 4 farsakh and also return journey covering 4 farsakh, he should shorten his prayers. 1291. A traveller should offer shortened prayers only when he has determined to travel 8 farsakh.

Hence, if a person goes outside the city and, for example, he intends performing a journey of 8 farsakh if he finds a companion, he should offer shortened prayers, if he is sure that he will find a companion, but should offer complete prayers, if he is not sure about it. 1292. Though a person, who intends to travel 8 farsakh, may cover only a short distance every day.