What is the ruling on a traveler continuing to shorten and combine prayers after reaching his destination, on the pretext of the Prophet’s — peace and blessings be upon him — actions in Tabuk and Hudaybiyyah, and that there is no benefit in shortening without combining, and what are the consequences for one who does that?

The Lawgiver permitted the traveler, on a permissible journey of a distance allowing qasr (shortening prayers) - estimated at 83 km - to combine Dhuhr and Asr, and Maghrib and Isha (either by advancing or delaying), and to shorten the four-rak'ah prayer to two rak'ahs, whether he is on his way or after his arrival, as long as he does not intend to reside for four days or more, or if the town is his homeland, or the place of residence of his wife with whom he has consummated the marriage; otherwise, his journey ceases.

The preponderant opinion is that combining and shortening prayers are permissible for both the traveling resident and the traveler, based on the hadith (definition) of Mu'adh ibn Jabal during the Battle of Tabuk, where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combined prayers while he was settled.

Adopting the Sunnah (definition) of shortening prayers is more preferable, due to the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "It is a charity bestowed by Allah upon you, so accept His charity."