Continuation of the discussion on the permissibility of combining prayers, shortening prayers, and breaking the fast in Ramadan while traveling.

The Shaykh : ... But this verse gives us the principle for understanding the issue, even though it is related to fasting. Fasting is linked to prayer in both the negative and positive sense: if you shorten the prayer, you break the fast; if you complete the prayer, you fast. Here, Allah says: Notice now the word "or" in "on a journey." The person who came to the town and is hesitating whether to travel today, tomorrow, or the day after, because he does not know when his needs will be finished, is exactly described as being on a journey. As for the one who came and settled down, who has his interests there and intends to return, but intends to stay until his interests are finished, and who is not like the first one who hesitates between traveling today or tomorrow or so on, linguistically we cannot say that he is on a journey, unlike the first one who is on a journey. So, the one who is described as being on a journey is the one who shortens, combines, and breaks the fast in Ramadan if he wishes. I say "if he wishes" regarding breaking the fast, because breaking the fast in Ramadan for the traveler is different from shortening and is similar to combining. Combining for the traveler is a dispensation, and breaking the fast in Ramadan for the traveler is a dispensation. As for shortening, it is the default ruling; it is necessary. Therefore, we combined the two dispensations for the one who is on a journey. As for the one who is not on a journey and does not have any of the two dispensations, a fortiori he does not have the right to shorten, because shortening is the default ruling in travel, and completing the prayer is obligatory in travel. This is the answer to what you asked.