Resolving the contradiction in Fatawa Dar al-Ulum Deoband concerning the shortened prayer

Question

In “Fatawa Dar al-Ulum”, in the answer to question no. 584/309 concerning the shortened prayer (qasr), the ruling is to pray the four-rak‘a fard in full, and qasr is forbidden. And in the answer to question no. 313/614 the ruling is given to pray the four-rak‘a fard prayer shortened. Outwardly both questions appear to be the same. Why, then, this contradiction?

Answer

There is a contradiction between these two fatwas. The way to resolve it is this. In question no. 584 what is initially intended is a journey from one village to another village; on reaching the second village [the person] formed the intention [to go] to a third village, and in the same way the intention [to go] to a fourth village arose.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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