For this reason, Ibn ‘Umar said:

“The prayer during travel is two rak‘ahs. Whoever opposes the Sunnah has disbelieved.”

That is, whoever believes that praying two rak‘ahs is neither prescribed by the Sunnah nor sanctioned by Islamic law has disbelieved.

Likewise, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb said:

“The prayer during travel is two rak‘ahs, the Friday prayer is two rak‘ahs, the Eid al-Adhā prayer is two rak‘ahs, and the Eid al-Fitr prayer is two rak‘ahs—complete, not shortened, as declared by your Prophet.”

‘Ā’ishah—may Allah be pleased with her—said:

“When prayer was first prescribed, it consisted of two rak‘ahs. The prayer during travel was left unchanged, while the prayer when not travelling was increased to its full length.”

Al-Zuhrī said: “I asked ‘Urwah, ‘Why, then, does ‘Ā’ishah offer the prayer in full?’ He replied, ‘She adopted an interpretation, just as ‘Uthmān did.’” This was recorded by al-Bukhārī and Muslim in their Sahīh collections.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Allah has relieved the traveller of fasting and half the prayer.”

Furthermore, when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, performed the Farewell Pilgrimage, he shortened his prayers throughout his stay in Mecca and at the pilgrimage sites. He entered Mecca on Sunday, left it for Minā on Thursday, stood at ‘Arafāt on Friday, and remained in Minā until Tuesday evening. He spent the night preceding Wednesday at al-Muhassab and performed the farewell circumambulation that night.

Earlier, during the campaign to conquer Mecca, he had stayed in Mecca for nineteen days, shortening his prayers. He also stayed at Tabūk for twenty days, shortening his prayers.