Does reaching the time of prayer in a town invalidate the shortening of the prayer for a traveler?

Question:
May Allah reward you with good. This questioner says: I was traveling with a group, and when the time for the midday prayer came, we prayed it shortened. When I told them to combine the afternoon prayer with it, they refused on the grounds that we would pray the afternoon prayer in its proper time. What is the correct ruling in this matter?

Answer:
If you are staying put. If you are staying put during your journey, it is better to pray each prayer in its time, shortened, without combining. If you do combine them, that is permissible. But if you are in a town, and you are travelers, there is no harm in your stay being short in the town, but the mosques are near you and you hear the call to prayer, pray with the Muslims. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Pray with the Muslims and complete your prayer with the Muslims, and pray each prayer in its time. In the name of Allah.
As for if you are in the open and there are no mosques near you, and you are travelers, it is permissible for you to shorten the prayer; there is no harm in that. In fact, this is better than completing the prayer. As for combining, it is only permissible out of need. If you are in the midst of travel and the journey is hard for you, combine them. But if you are staying put, pray each prayer in its time, shortened, without combining.