The ruling on combining and shortening prayers for one who travels a long distance to the teachers, and the default ruling in case of doubt

The Shaykh : Yes, go ahead.

The questioner : The teachers, O Shaykh, travel a distance of one hundred and fifty or two hundred kilometers and return on the same day for the Fajr prayer.

The Shaykh : By Allah, we issue rulings to these people that they should not combine or shorten their prayers. We tell them not to combine or shorten, those who go to study one hundred and fifty kilometers and return with them. Even they themselves believe they are not travelers. If it were not for the fact that they hear, for example, that some scholars say travel is eighty-three kilometers, they would never have thought at all that they were travelers. Yes.

Another questioner : May Allah bless you. Is this distance or this time of travel considered a journey or not? What is the default ruling?

The Shaykh : What is the default ruling? You can dispense with this. Okay, what is the default ruling?

Another questioner : This is from the cause.

The Shaykh : Yes, there is no doubt. The default is that the cause permitting it has not been fulfilled. If we are in doubt, the matter is broad. We say you remain in the state of not being a traveler.