They stay in their place of work for 28 days; can they shorten their prayers?

Question

Praise be to Allah.

It is only permissible for travellers to shorten their
prayers. If a traveller intends to stay for more than four days he is no
longer allowed the concession granted for travellers.

Based on this, you are not allowed to shorten or join your
prayers, rather you have to offer the prayers in full, each prayer at its
proper time, because you know that you are going to stay in your place of
work for 28 days.

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (8/95):

The traveller who intends to stay in a place for more than
four days cannot shorten his prayers. If he is going to stay for less than
that, he may shorten his prayers.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
What is your opinion about shortening the prayers when travelling a distance
that makes shortening the prayers allowable – is that defined by a certain
distance? What do you think about one who intends to stay someone for more
than four days during his journey – is he allowed the concession of
shortening his prayers?

He replied:

The majority of scholars are of the view that it is defined
by the distance of a day and a night’s travel by camel or on foot at a
regular pace, which is approximately 80 kilometers, because this distance is
customarily regarded as travelling, unlike shorter distances.

The majority also narrated that whoever resolves to stay for
more than four days has to offer the prayers in full, and fast if it is
Ramadaan. If the period of stay is less than that, he may shorten and join
his prayers, and break his fast, because the basic principle is that one who
is settled (not travelling) has to offer the prayers in full, and shortening
them is only allowed when he starts travelling.

Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 12/270.

The Standing Committee was asked about a man who was far from
his family because of his work, as a distance at which shortening the
prayers becomes permissible – is it permissible for him to shorten the
prayers only whilst travelling between his family and his place of work,
noting that the first time he had intended to stay there for a month, for
example. They replied:

He may shorten and join his prayers whilst on the road, so
long as the distance between his workplace and his home is a distance at
which shortening the prayers becomes permissible. If he intended to stay in
his place of work for a month, then he is not allowed the concessions of
travel in his workplace, rather he should offer every prayer at its proper
time, in full.”

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah
wa’l-Ifta’, 8/94, 95

The Standing Committee was also asked (8/109) about a person
who traveled to another country for two years: could he shorten his
prayers?

They replied: The basic principle is that the traveller is
the one who may shorten the four-rak’ah prayers, because Allaah says
(Interpretation of the meaning):

“And when you (Muslims) travel in the land, there is no
sin on you if you shorten As‑Salaah (the prayer)”

[al-Nisa’ 4:101]

And Ya’la ibn Umayyah said: I said to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab
(may Allaah be pleased with him): “ ‘there is no sin on you if you
shorten As‑Salaah (the prayer) if you fear that the disbelievers may put you
in trial (attack you)’ [al-Nisa’ 4:101]; but now the people are safe.”
He said: “I wondered the same thing, and I asked the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about it. He said: ‘This is
a favour (lit. charity) that Allaah has granted you, so accept His favour.’”
Narrated by Muslim.

The one who is regarded as coming under the ruling on
travellers is one who stays for four days and nights or less, because it was
proven in the hadeeth of Jaabir and Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with
them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
came to Makkah in the morning of the fourth of Dhu’l-Hijjah for the Farewell
Pilgrimage, and he stayed for the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, and he
prayed Fajr in al-Abtah on the morning of the eighth. He shortened his
prayers during these days and he formed the intention to stay there as is
well known. So everyone who is travelling and intends to spend the same
length of time as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) did or less may shorten the prayers. Whoever intends to stay longer
than that should offer the prayers in full, because he does not come under
the ruling on travellers.