[...a town, and you do not know when you will leave, then complete the prayer. If you say: "I will leave today, I will leave tomorrow," and you stay for ten [days], then complete the prayer. From him, it is reported that he said: "The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) stayed in some of his travels for nineteen [days] praying two rak'ahs." Ibn Abbas said: "So we, if we stay for nineteen [days], we pray two rak'ahs, and if we exceed that, we complete [the prayer]." Narrated by Al-Bukhari (7). Al-Hasan said: "Pray two rak'ahs by two rak'ahs until you reach a city, then complete the prayer and fast." Aisha said: "If you have set down your provisions and water skins, then complete the prayer (9)." Tawus, when he arrived in Mecca, used to pray four [rak'ahs]. As for our argument, it is what Anas narrated, saying: "We went out with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to Mecca, and he prayed two rak'ahs until he returned, and he stayed in Mecca for ten [days] shortening the prayer." Agreed upon (10). Ahmad mentioned the hadith of Jabir and Ibn Abbas (11) that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) arrived on the morning of the fourth day, and the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) stayed for the fourth day
(7) In: Chapter: What has been said regarding shortening and how long one stays until he shortens, from the Book of Shortening; and in: Chapter: The residency of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in Mecca during the time of the Conquest, from the Book of Military Expeditions. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/53, 5/191. It was also reported by Al-Tirmidhi, in: Chapter: What has been said regarding shortening the prayer, from the Chapters on Travel, Aridat al-Ahwadhi 3/21, 22. And Ibn Majah, in: Chapter: How much the traveler shortens the prayer if he resides in a town, from the Book of Establishing Prayer, Sunan Ibn Majah 1/341. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 1/223. (8) In the original: "illa". (9) Reported by Ibn Abi Shaybah, in: Chapter: Regarding him who said if one has set down his luggage and knelt, he completes [the prayer], from the Book of Prayer, Al-Musannaf 2/455. (10) Reported by Al-Bukhari, in: Chapter: What has been said regarding shortening and how long one stays until he shortens, from the Book of Shortening; and in: Chapter: The residency of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in Mecca during the time of the Conquest, from the Book of Military Expeditions. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/53, 5/190, 191. And Muslim, in: Chapter: Prayer of travelers and its shortening, from the Book of the Traveler's Prayer, Sahih Muslim 1/481. It was also reported by Abu Dawud, in: Chapter: When does the traveler complete [the prayer], from the Book of Traveler's Prayer, Sunan Abi Dawud 1/280. And Al-Tirmidhi, in: Chapter: What has been said regarding shortening the prayer, from the Chapters on Traveler's Prayer, Aridat al-Ahwadhi 3/18. And Al-Nasa'i, in: Chapter: Shortening the prayer during travel, and Chapter: The residency duration for which one shortens the prayer, from the Book of Traveler's Prayer, Al-Mujtaba 3/96, 97, 100. And Ibn Majah, in: Chapter: How much the traveler shortens the prayer if he resides in a town, from the Book of Establishing Prayer, Sunan Ibn Majah 1/342. And Al-Darimi, in: Chapter: Regarding one who intends to reside in a town... etc., from the Book of Prayer, Sunan al-Darimi 1/355. (11) We did not find it in Al-Musnad.
