Is the determining factor for shortening prayers the existence of hardship, or the existence of travel itself?

The criterion for shortening the prayer (qasr) is travel, whether hardship is present or not. Allah the Almighty and His Messenger (peace be upon him) have conditioned the ruling on travel, based on the saying of Allah the Almighty: (And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer) [An-Nisa: 101], and the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): (The prayer of the traveler is two rak'ahs), and (Indeed, Allah عز وجل has relieved the traveler of half the prayer). It is not permissible for a resident to shorten the prayer even if hardship is present, which indicates that the ruling is dependent on travel, not on hardship. Therefore, shortening the prayer and breaking the fast for a traveler is permissible, whether the journey is long or short, and whether hardship befalls him or not.