The ruling on shortening the prayer for one who has passed the town from which he traveled

Question:
What is the ruling if a person travels after the time for the midday prayer has entered, and after traveling approximately ten kilometers, he stops to pray? Does he complete the prayer or shorten it?

Answer:
The majority of scholars hold that if one prays in the desert after he has left, after the call to prayer, meaning in the open countryside, he prays two rak'ahs. The criterion is the time of the act. So if the mu'adhdhin calls for the midday or afternoon prayer, and he leaves and passes beyond the town, and stops to pray, he prays two rak'ahs. The criterion is the time of the act, because at the time of the act he is a traveler.