Scholars have differed regarding the duration for shortening prayers during travel.
The first opinion: The considered duration for shortening prayers during travel is fifteen days. If someone intends to stay for more than fifteen days, they perform complete prayers; otherwise, they can shorten them. This is the view of the Hanafi scholars, and it is the one we prefer.
The second opinion: If someone intends to stay for four days or passes through a location of residence and prays there for twenty Salah, they perform complete prayers. Otherwise, they can shorten them without counting the day of arrival and departure.
This is the opinion of the Maliki and Shafi’i schools, as well as the Hanbali School, with a slight difference. The Hanbali school sets the threshold for someone intending to stay for more than four days, not four days. Meaning, if someone passes through a place and prays there for twenty-one Salah, they perform complete prayers; otherwise, they can shorten them.
Therefore, if someone intends to stay for two months in a location, they are not allowed to shorten their prayers unless they initiate a new journey that covers a distance longer than the distance for shortening but lasts less than its duration.
An example of this is if someone travels to Medina for a duration of two months, they are not allowed to shorten their prayers. However, if they travel from Medina to Jeddah for a visit lasting less than fifteen days, they are allowed to shorten their prayers in Jeddah according to our school of thought.
And Allah knows best.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr