If I regularly travel 44 km from Mississauga to attend JCC in Vaughan, both cities within the GTA, do I still need to perform Qasr, or is it exempt due to the routine nature of travel within a single metropolitan region?
I reside in Mississauga and regularly attend Jaffari Community Centre (JCC) in Vaughan, which is approximately 44 km from my home. The round-trip exceeds 88 km, which surpasses the minimum distance that typically requires one to pray Qasr. However, the JCC is near my parents residence, and I often attend from there as well.
It is common in the GTA to travel 50+ km each way for work or other daily responsibilities. Personally, I often drive even greater distances for business purposes, such as commuting to downtown Toronto, which is also over 60 km round-trip from Mississauga. The nature of my travel is not recreational; it is part of my regular weekly or daily activity.
I would like clarification on whether, given the routine nature and metropolitan context of such travel, I am still required to perform Qasr.
Having lived for a few months in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), I can confirm that Mississuaga and Vaughan are commonly considered to be part of the same city unit for the purposes of praying and fasting. That is, you do not say qasr prayers or break fast if you go from one to the other.
Here is an interesting website addressing the question of qasr prayers in the GTA: https://al-m.ca/travel/#gta
The local ulama should also be able to help with any specific questions about travelling questions in the area, since many people have questions about travel prayers!