Is the intention to combine required when combining prayers by advancing them?

The Shaykh : The correct view is that it is not required. It is not required to have the intention to combine at the time of the first prayer. What is required is the presence of the reason for combining, the presence of the reason for combining, and it is also required that the reason for combining be present at the time of combining, meaning adding the second prayer to the first. It is not required at the time of entering the state of ihram for the first prayer; entering the state of ihram for the first prayer has no bearing on the matter or no role in it. So the correct view is that it is not required to have the intention to combine when entering the state of ihram for the first prayer. Rather, he may intend to combine even after his taslim from the first prayer, or even when he enters the state of ihram for the second prayer, as long as the reason is present.