Conditional residence may be restricted either by a period of time or by a task.

As for that which is restricted by a period of time, it has previously been mentioned that the well-known position of the madhhab (1) is that if he intends to stay for more than four days, he must perform the prayer in full; if it is less than that, he shortens it. The disagreement concerning this has also been explained previously (2).

As for residence restricted by a task, he continues to shorten the prayer indefinitely, even if the period is prolonged. An example is one who travels for medical treatment and does not know when it will end: he continues shortening indefinitely, even if he thinks it likely to take a long time, because he is waiting for this need to be fulfilled. This is the main basis of those who maintain that there is no fixed limit to residence. They say: as long as the reason prompting him to remain is this need, there is in reality no difference between specifying a period and not specifying one. He remains for something he is awaiting, and once it is completed, he returns to his home town.

His statement, “he shortens indefinitely,” is the well-known position of the madhhab.

Some scholars hold that once a person remains beyond the stipulated period at which the ruling of travel ceases, he must perform the prayer in full. Accordingly, if he remains for a need whose end he does not know, then once four days have passed, he must perform it in full.

The first view is the position of the majority; indeed, Ibn al-Mundhir reported a consensus on it: he is not required to perform the prayer in full so long as he is awaiting the fulfilment of that need.

Section

It is permissible to combine the two daytime prayers and the two nighttime prayers at the time of either one of them while travelling a journey in which prayer may be shortened …

His statement, “Section,” means: concerning the combining of two prayers.

Combining is: joining one of