What is the distance at which it is permissible to shorten the prayer?

Question:
What is the distance for shortening the prayer?

Answer:
The majority of scholars hold that it is a day and a night, approximately eighty kilometers or a similar distance. It is an approximate distance. Some scholars have held that there is no fixed limit, as the distance depends on the need for provisions and varies according to the conditions of the lands and the circumstances of the travelers. However, following the opinion of the majority is more cautious, safer, and further from danger and error. If one travels seventy or eighty kilometers or a similar distance, he shortens the prayer. If it is close to the outskirts of the town, he does not shorten it, especially since the distance mentioned was reported from Ibn 'Umar and Ibn 'Abbas, who were among the scholars of the Companions. They defined the distance between Makkah and al-Ta'if, and between Makkah and Jeddah. Therefore, the scholars said what they said: that it is a day and a night.