When is combining prayers with shortening preferable?

Q: The questioner, Brother A. B. B. from Tamir in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, says in his question: A traveler intends to combine and shorten his prayers. He prayed the Dhuhr prayer with the congregation. Is he required to stand up to perform the Asr prayer shortened immediately after the imam’s taslim, or is it permissible for him to delay it? Is there a specific limit for this delay? Please issue a ruling, and may Allah reward you.

A: If the traveler prays behind a resident, he is required to complete the prayer, as it is established from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that the Sunnah for a traveler who prays behind a resident is to complete the prayer. As for combining, there is no harm in him praying Asr shortened after the imam’s taslim from Dhuhr. If he delays it until its time, there is no harm, and in fact, that is better if he is staying that day. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine the two prayers in travel in the time of one of them if he was on the move. However, if he was stationary, he would pray each prayer in its time. This was the predominant practice of his (peace and blessings be upon him), as he did so in Mina during the Farewell Pilgrimage, where he prayed each prayer in its time shortened and did not combine them. May Allah guide everyone to follow the Sunnah and remain steadfast upon it.