What is your opinion regarding the statement of those who make shortening the prayer obligatory for the traveler who, upon joining behind a resident imam, prays two rak'ahs and does not follow the imam?

Al-Hawini: What is your opinion regarding the statement of those who make shortening the prayer obligatory, such that if a traveler joins behind a resident imam, he prays two rak'ahs and does not follow the imam, sitting until the imam completes the four rak'ahs and says the closing salam, or even if he catches the last two rak'ahs, he says the salam with the imam?

The Shaykh : The traveler limiting himself to two rak'ahs behind a resident imam contradicts a specific and a general Sunnah. It contradicts a specific Sunnah and another general one. As for the specific Sunnah, it is the hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad and Imam Muslim in his Sahih, from the hadith of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): "A man from the countryside asked him, saying: Why do we pray the full prayer behind you, but when we return to our tents, we shorten it? He said: It is the Sunnah of your Prophet."
"It is the Sunnah of your Prophet." The people from the countryside who used to pray in Makkah behind a resident imam would complete the prayer, but when they prayed in their tents where they were staying, they would shorten it. This is evident. A man asked Abdullah ibn Abbas about it, and he gave a concise, brief answer: "It is the Sunnah of your Prophet." This is a valid text. I do not know why some contemporary scholars from the Maghreb and others, who have written a specific treatise on this issue, have turned away from it, making it obligatory for the traveler to pray two rak'ahs even if he is following a resident imam!
These people have no evidence except clinging to the original principle, which is what we mentioned earlier from the Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). She said: "The prayer was prescribed as two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs. It was left as is for travel, and increased for residence." They say, based on this hadith and other hadiths which we are not in a position to mention now, that it is not permissible to exceed the odd number. We agree with them on that, but the issue departs from this principle, which is that it is not permissible for the traveler to increase beyond two rak'ahs. This principle is set aside in some cases and falls under another category. An example is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . In another narration in the Sahih, it is also: "The imam is appointed to be followed, so do not differ with him. When he says the takbir, you say the takbir. When he bows, you bow. When he says, 'May Allah praise the one who praises Him,' you say, 'Our Lord, to You is praise.' When he prostrates, you prostrate. When he prays standing, you pray standing. And when he prays sitting, you all pray sitting." This hadith is very clear evidence that when the follower follows his imam, he is required to do what his imam does, even if his action contradicts the original principle of what is obligatory for him, meaning the follower.