What is the ruling on combining prayers in their times?

The questioner:
What is the ruling on combining prayers in their times?

The Shaykh:
It is not permissible to combine the prayers except for a valid religious excuse, because Allah the Exalted says: and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pray the prayer at its appointed time." It is not permissible to delay it beyond its time. Combining is only permissible in three cases: the case of illness, where the patient would suffer hardship if he did not combine; he may combine by bringing the prayer forward or by delaying it. Likewise, the traveler who is pressed by the journey on the road; he combines the two prayers with each other in the time of one of them, either by bringing them forward or by delaying them.
The second is rain, which restricts combining to the two night prayers (Isha and Maghrib); because going out to pray Isha in the presence of rain, mud, and severe cold is a burden. Therefore, a dispensation is granted to Muslims to combine the two night prayers in the case of rain. In cases other than these three, it is not permissible to combine the two prayers; rather, each prayer is to be prayed in its own time.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good, Shaykh Salih,

The questioner:
Combining the two night prayers by advancing, is it combining by advancing?

The Shaykh:
Combining by advancing means praying Maghrib and then praying Isha afterwards, combining by advancing to be gentle with oneself. If the situation requires that they combine by advancing, there is no harm in that.