He was also asked:

Is combining two prayers while travelling preferable, or shortening them? What are the scholars’ views on this? What evidence does each hold, and which view is strongest?

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. Rather, offering each prayer at its appointed time is preferable when there is no need to combine them. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed while travelling, he usually offered the prayers at their appointed times. He combined them only on a few occasions.

Many people have distinguished between combining and shortening prayers, regarding shortening as an established Sunnah and combining as a concession for particular circumstances. This is because, on all his journeys, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered the four-unit prayers as two units. No one has reported that he offered a four-unit prayer as four units while travelling; his Companions likewise prayed two units with him. The hadith reporting from ʿĀ’ishah that “she offered the prayers in full while with him and did not fast” is weak.

Rather, it is authentically reported from her in the Sahīh:

“When prayer was first prescribed, each prayer consisted of two units. Then the prayer for those not travelling was increased, while there was no change to