When do I stop performing prayer as a traveller?
The question, as received
I went to Dubai for 1 and a ½ weeks on holiday. I live in Birmingham but landed in London Heathrow. I am not sure if I had to pray full four rakats of Zuhr at London Heathrow airport or do I still pray like a traveller and pray half?
The answer
In principle, until a person does not reach his home city, he will be a traveller and will keep performing qasr (shortening the prayers) when performing salāh. Therefore, at London Heathrow Airport you should carry on performing the prayer as a traveller and only perform two rak’ats of zuhr. Once you enter the city of Birmingham, you should complete salāh as normal.[1]
In short: qasr continues until one enters one's home city, so Zuhr at Heathrow is two rak'ats.
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Faraz Adam
References
1وَأما بَيَان مَا يبطل بِهِ حكم السّفر فَنَقُول يبطل بِمَا يضاده وينافيه وَهُوَ الْإِقَامَة
لَكِن إِنَّمَا تثبت الْإِقَامَة بأَرْبعَة أَشْيَاء بِصَرِيح نِيَّة الْإِقَامَة وبوجود الْإِقَامَة بطرِيق التّبعِيَّة وبالدخول فِي مصره
وبالعزم على الْعود إِلَى مصره (تخفة الفقهاء ج 1 ص 150 دار الكتب)
وَلَا يَزَالُ عَلَى حُكْمِ السَّفَرِ حَتَّى يَدْخُلَ مِصْرَهُ أَوْ يَنْوِيَ الْإِقَامَةَ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ (الاختيار ج 1 ص 79 دار الكتب)
وإذا دخل الْمُسَافِرُ مِصْرَهُ أَتَمَّ الصَّلَاةَ وَإِنْ لم يَنْوِ الْإِقَامَةَ فيه سَوَاءٌ دَخَلَهُ بِنِيَّةِ الِاخْتِيَارِ أو دَخَلَهُ لِقَضَاءِ الْحَاجَةِ كَذَا في الْجَوْهَرَةِ النَّيِّرَةِ (الفتاوى الهندية ج 1 ص 142 مكتبة الرشيدية)
وكذا في فتاوى دار العلوم زكريا ج 2 ص 501 زمزم
Based on the Hanafi school and on the question as it was asked. Another mufti may reach a different conclusion. Read the disclaimer.