The answer is that this is evidence against them, not evidence for them. The Prophet ﷺ happened to arrive in Makkah on the fourth day, and no one doubts this. But is there any evidence that, had he arrived on the third day, he would have offered the prayers in full? Rather, we know that the Prophet ﷺ knew that people arrive for Hajj before the fourth day. Not all pilgrims arrive only on the fourth day or later; some arrive in Dhu al-Hijjah, some in Dhu al-Qi'dah, and some in Shawwal, for the months of Hajj begin in Shawwal. Yet he did not tell the Ummah, “Whoever arrives in Makkah before the fourth day must offer the prayers in full.” Had Allah’s law been that whoever arrived in Makkah before the fourth of Dhu al-Hijjah was required to offer the prayers in full, the Prophet ﷺ would have been obliged to explain it, since there was a need for conveying and clarifying it. Since he did not explain this or tell the people, “Whoever arrives before the fourth day must offer the prayers in full,” it is known that offering them in full is not required of him. Thus, this hadith proves that one who intends to stay for more than four days is not required to offer the prayers in full.

Therefore, there is no evidence for setting the limit at four days, because the Prophet’s remaining in Makkah for four days occurred by coincidence, not as legislation. This is a general principle. Thus, it is not sunnah for a pilgrim, when proceeding from Arafat to Muzdalifah, to stop along the way, urinate, and then perform a light ablution, for this occurred with the Prophet ﷺ incidentally. (1)

Moreover, how can we say that one who intends to stay for ninety-six hours may shorten the prayer, whereas one who intends to stay for ninety-six hours and ten minutes may not shorten it—on the grounds that the first is a traveller and the second a resident? Where is this precise limit