Is shortening the prayer while traveling obligatory? And is completing the prayer while traveling like shortening it while resident?

Al-Hawini: Those who say that shortening the prayer is obligatory, such as Ibn Hazm and others, say that completing the prayer while traveling is like shortening it while resident. Is this correct?

The Shaykh : We do not see it as far from the truth, especially since this statement has come as a hadith marfu' (traced to the Prophet) (peace and blessings be upon him) in Sunan al-Nasa'i. However, the stronger position is that it is a statement mawquf (stopping at a Companion) from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with them), meaning that the one who completes the prayer while traveling is like the one who shortens it while resident. There may be some exaggeration in this statement mawquf from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, but when it is compared to some of the authentic hadiths, that exaggeration does not appear. Perhaps everyone knows, if Allah wills, the hadith narrated byThe Shaykh : ...in their two Sahihs from the hadith of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: "The prayer was made obligatory as two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs. It was left as such in travel and increased in residence, except for the Maghrib prayer and except for the Fajr prayer." If the prayer was made obligatory as two rak'ahs and then remained so in travel, this means that the addition to these two rak'ahs is exactly like shortening in residence. This is because the matter is as some of the common people in some countries say: "The one who adds is the brother of the one who subtracts." This statement is sound, because the one who prays, for example, three rak'ahs for Fajr is like the one who prays two or four for Maghrib—the one who adds is the brother of the one who subtracts—because the Shari'ah of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not accept addition any more than it accepts subtraction. As for subtraction from worship, praise be to Allah, no one says it is permissible. As for addition, it has been made attractive to some of them to say it is permissible on the basis of: to the end of the hadith, which is an authentic hadith, and on the basis of: "What the Muslims see as good is good in the sight of Allah," which is a hadith mawquf from Ibn Mas'ud with a good chain. If it is agreed upon that subtraction from worship is not permissible, then addition to it in what Allah has made obligatory upon us is also not permissible by agreement. Even if some of them have opened the door to istihsan (juristic preference) and addition in acts of worship and obedience, that is an error on their part. There is another discussion on this that may come up on another occasion, if Allah wills. Yes.