Offering Shortened Prayers at Parents' Home
Question
I study and live in a different country from that of my parents. I have come to visit them for about three weeks or so. Do I have to offer Qasr1 prayers (only two rakat2) as Fard3 or should I pray as we regularly do. Please do note that we are fasting as well since it is month of Ramadhan4?
Response
The concept of Qasr prayers has been established by Quran in the following verse:
The same principle applies if one is traveling without the fear of an enemy but if one's mental state is similar, for example due to anxiety of the travel or because of the physical hardship entailed in it. This ease has been granted by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and is entailed in some of the narrations ascribed to him.
To me it seems that at your mother's home, you are not in such a condition and the stay is long enough for you to be comfortable to perform complete prayers. Therefore, I would presume that you should offer complete prayers unless you believe otherwise.
During your travel between two places, you have the liberty of shortening the prayers if you feel your travel makes you fall in the category alluded to earlier.
I would like to add one more thing, which is that sunnah rakats are not obligatory. As a result, if you wish to offer only four rakats for zuhr your prayers will still be complete as they meet the requirement of the Shariah. Anything above that is voluntary and obviously brings high reward.
Extra prayers other than the fard rakats are definitely recommended as they may help one get closer to the Almighty, but not a required part of the prayers.