The traveling imam completing the prayer to avoid disturbing the congregation

The questioner:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah preserve you. If the imam is from the people of Riyadh, and he led a congregation from al-Kharj in al-Kharj, and he prayed the midday prayer as four units, and the afternoon prayer as two units, combining and shortening, and when we asked him about completing the midday prayer, he said it was to avoid disturbing the worshippers. Is his action correct or incorrect?

The Shaykh:
Meaning he prayed and his mother. Ha?

The questioner:
This is the criterion.

The Shaykh:
If he completed it, there is no harm; he returned to the default ruling. Completing the prayer is the default ruling, and shortening is a dispensation. It is permissible to act according to the default ruling and leave the dispensation, even though acting according to the dispensation is better. This is better for the believer than him causing confusion for the people, because if he had completed the prayer, it should have been obligatory for him, before he prayed, to say to them: "Look, I am shortening the prayer, just as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said. Look, I am a traveler and I am shortening the prayer, so when I conclude the prayer, conclude it for yourselves," as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did.