What is the ruling on shortening the prayer during Hajj?

Question : Honorable Shaykh, a questioner asks: What is the ruling on shortening the prayer during Hajj when staying for more than four days? We ask the Honorable Shaykh for an answer. May Allah reward you with good.

Answer : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. It is a recommended practice (sunnah) for the pilgrim to shorten the prayer from the time he leaves his town until he returns to it, as it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to pray two rak'ahs from the time of his departure from al-Madinah until his return to it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Makkah on the morning of Sunday, the fourth of Dhul-Hijjah, and stayed for four days before going out to Mina, and he continued to pray two rak'ahs in the four-rak'ah prayer. Likewise, all the pilgrims who were with him were praying as he (peace and blessings be upon him) was praying.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not tell the people, "Whoever comes before the fourth day, let him pray four units." Rather, he left the people and their arrival as it was; some arrived before the fourth day and some after. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not specify a clear limit at which the ruling of shortening ends. However, it is known that most pilgrims are in Makkah and are close to the mosques. If they are close to the mosques, it is obligatory for them to pray in them with the congregation, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made it obligatory for whoever hears the call to prayer to respond, and he did not distinguish between a resident and a traveler. Accordingly, it is obligatory for pilgrims, if they are close to the mosques, to respond to the call and pray with the Muslims. But if they miss the prayer or are in a place far from the mosques, they pray two units in the four-unit prayer until they return to their countries. However, they shorten the prayer without combining it, except at 'Arafah and Muzdalifah. At 'Arafah, they combine by bringing forward, praying 'Asr with Zuhr. And at Muzdalifah, if they arrive late, they combine by delaying, praying Maghrib and 'Isha' together, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did, for he combined,