Allah has said...

Allah has said: “And when you journey in the earth, there is no blame on you if you shorten the prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve will cause you distress” (Qur’an 4:101) . Ya’la bin Umayya narrated that he had asked Umar: “Why do we shorten prayers though we have felt safe?” Umar said: “I have wondered at what you have wondered at and once I asked the Messenger of Allah about it. He said: “It is a charity that Allah has endowed you with.

Accept His charity!” [^7] Ibn Umar said: [^8] “I often accompanied the Messenger of Allah (S) in travel. He did not offer more than two rak’as (in travel) until he left to the better world. I accompanied Umar (in travel). He did not offer more than two rak’as until he died. I accompanied Othman. He did not offer more than two rak’as .” [^9] Allah has said: “Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar” (Qur’an 33:21).

Ibn Shayba narrated that the Prophet (S) had said: “The best believers of my umma are they who witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and who when doing good they become pleased, when doing wrong they ask Allah to forgive them and when traveling they shorten their prayers.” Anas bin Malik said: “Once we traveled with the Prophet (S) from Medina to Mecca.

He offered two rak’as two rak’as until we returned.” [^10] Ibn Abbas said: “The Prophet (S) stayed at Mecca for nineteen days shortening the prayers…” [^11] The Prophet (S) shortened the prayers during the nineteen days because he had had no intention of residence. It has been proved that the Prophet (S), when leading the people of Mecca in offering the prayers after the hijra, had recited tasleem [^12] after two rak’as in the four rak’as prayers.

He had told the people (of Mecca) before beginning the prayers to complete their four rak’as prayers apologizing to them that he and his companions were travelers. Anas said: “Once I offered Dhuhr prayer with the Prophet (S) in Medina in four rak’as and offered Asr prayer with him in Thil Hulayfa in two rak’as . [^13] The Qur’anic verse has confirmed the legality of shortening prayers by a traveler in the state of fear.

The true traditions after that have confirmed the legality of shortening the prayers by a traveler at all and on this has been the consensus of the umma with no disagreement except from Aa’isha and Othman. It has been mentioned that both of them offered full prayers during travel.