What is the ruling on shortening prayers after returning from travel? My brother likes to follow legal dispensations, as he often travels to Cairo and Alexandria—a distance that permits shortening the prayer. He therefore shortens the prayers and combines Dhuhr and ʿAsr, as well as Maghrib and ʿIsha, at the time of either prayer. On one occasion, upon hearing the call to Dhuhr, he made the intention to join the Dhuhr and ‘Asr at the time of the latter while traveling, but returned to his city before the call to Maghrib without having performed Dhuhr or ‘Asr as intended. Would it be permissible for him, after returning, to shorten and join both prayers and perform them at the time of ʿAsr, or should he simply join them without shortening?

If the case is as described, the rulings regarding a traveler’s prayers are not to be applied in your brother’s situation. It is impermissible for him to shorten and join prayers, because upon returning to his city he has become a resident, and the reason for shortening the four‑unit prayers no longer exists. He must perform four rak‘ahs each for Dhuhr and ʿAsr before the call to Maghrib prayer.

And Allah Almighty knows best.