Those who say that shortening the prayer is a recommended practice: by what do they refute the evidence for its obligation?

The questioner : By what do they refute the evidence for its obligation? The evidence for its obligation consists of two arguments. The first argument is that if a person or a worshiper is traveling and is behind a resident imam, and he is a traveler, then he completes the prayer. For example, if he prays the afternoon prayer, he prays four rak'ahs with the imam. They said: If shortening were obligatory, his prayer would remain valid, just as one who prays the dawn prayer behind someone praying the midday prayer does not complete it; rather, he prays two rak'ahs and concludes the prayer. So if it were obligatory, he would have prayed two rak'ahs and then concluded the prayer.

The Shaykh : So it must be so. Then there is another argument. They said that the Companions, in the time of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, when 'Uthman prayed four rak'ahs, the Companions completed the prayer behind him, even though the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), 'Umar, Abu Bakr, and 'Umar, and 'Uthman in the beginning of his caliphate, used to pray two rak'ahs, and they completed the prayer behind them. And likewise 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, and it was...

The questioner : Obligatory? No, no, why not?

The Shaykh : And during their time. Obligatory. If completing it were...

The questioner : All right. Yes.

The Shaykh : Forbidden? They did not follow him in that.

The questioner : As if it were a band.

The Shaykh : All right. Yes. Then the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "It is charity, and the excellence of charity is not obligatory. Yes, it is charity that Allah bestows upon you." All right, this is the weak evidence. They said that the Messenger said, "So accept the charity by the permission of Allah." This was refuted by saying that the command here is for permissibility, meaning "accept his charity," i.e., do not reject it.