As for shortening the prayer, all the Companions did so—including those from Mecca and elsewhere—at Minā, ‘Arafah, and other places. Scholars have differed over offering four rak‘ahs: is it forbidden, disliked, merely less preferable, recommended, or equal to shortening the prayer? There are five views:

First: offering the prayer in full is preferable. This is one view held by al-Shāfi‘ī.

Second: the two are equally acceptable. This is the view of some scholars of Mālik’s school.

Third: shortening the prayer is preferable. This is al-Shāfi‘ī’s correct view and one of the two positions reported from Ahmad.

Fourth: offering the prayer in full is disliked. This is one of the two positions reported from Mālik and the other position reported from Ahmad.

Fifth: shortening the prayer is obligatory. This is the view of Abū Hanīfah and one position reported from Mālik.

The strongest view is that shortening the prayer is Sunnah and offering it in full is disliked. Accordingly, most scholars do not require a specific intention to shorten the prayer. These include Abū Hanīfah, Mālik, and Ahmad, according to one of the two positions transmitted from him within his school.