2 – “When you travel across the land, you are not at fault if you shorten the prayer, should you fear that the disbelievers may subject you to persecution; indeed, the disbelievers have always been your manifest enemy” (4:101) ⦗al-Nisāʾ 101⦘.

Meaning: whenever you set out on a journey—whether for trade, worship, or any other purpose—Allah has lightened your burden, lifted any blame from you, and allowed, in fact preferred, that you shorten the four-rakʿah prayers to two. If fear is also present, there is no sin in abbreviating the manner of all the prayers as well.

This, and Allah knows best, is the wisdom behind linking the concession to fear: it is widely and consecutively reported from the Prophet ﷺ that shortening the prayer while traveling is permissible even when no fear exists. When travel and fear combine, the concession extends to reducing the number of rakʿahs in the four-rakʿah prayers and abbreviating the form of the others. If fear alone is present, the form of the prayer is shortened according to the pattern established by the Prophet ﷺ; if travel alone is present, only the number of rakʿahs is reduced. Hence, when the Prophet ﷺ was asked about this qualification, he replied, “It is a charity that Allah has bestowed upon you, so accept His charity.” ⦗1⦘

Alternatively, one may say that the shortening mentioned in the noble verse is unqualified, and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ restricts it and clarifies what is intended.