It is not that His mention is exalted, that He specified their number in the Book with a similar revelation inscribed between the two covers, but this is of the kind whose obligation Allah has summarized in the Book and entrusted its explanation to His Prophet from Allah by word and deed. Allah said: (And We sent down to you the Reminder that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them).__QUR_N__

Ummayah bin Abdullah bin Khalid reports that I said to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them): "We do not find mention of the prayer of residence and fear in the Noble Qur'an." So Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O nephew, indeed Allah Almighty sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) to us, and we did not know anything, therefore we (now) do as we saw Muhammad (peace be upon him) doing."

Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that I traveled with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and with Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them all). All of them used to perform the Zuhr and Asr prayers as two rak‘ahs each (while traveling), and they would not perform any (nafl or sunnah) prayers before or after them. And Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that if I had to perform (nafl or sunnah) prayers before or after these prayers (while traveling), then I would have performed the full prayers (and not shortened them).

Imam Abu Bakr, may Allah have mercy on him, says that this hadith of Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, performed four rak'ahs of Zuhr prayer in Madinah Munawwarah and performed two rak'ahs of Asr prayer at the place of Dhul-Hulaifah. This is evidence that even in a state of peace and security, without fear of the mischief of the disbelievers, a person performing prayer (while traveling) can shorten the prayer.

And similarly, the hadith of Haritha bin Wahb is also evidence for this issue that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) led us in two rak'ahs (during travel) even though we were in large numbers and in complete safety and security. And in the narration of Abu Hanzalah from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), it is mentioned that I said, "Indeed, we are in a state of safety and security." So he replied, "The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us this way." This is evidence that even without any fear during travel, a person may shorten the prayer.