Combining the midday and afternoon prayers due to rain

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, is it permissible to combine the midday and afternoon prayers due to rain?

The Shaykh:
Some people hold this view, but it has no meaning, because during the day people are occupied with their work, their jobs, their markets, and their buying and selling. So there is no need to combine the prayers, because combining is only for the sunset and night prayers, as people stay indoors, they stay indoors and rest from going out. As for the midday and afternoon prayers, people are at their work, in their markets, and in their guesthouses. So what is the benefit of combining them? This practice is not followed in these lands until recently; the midday and afternoon prayers were not combined. Indeed, when Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) combined the midday and afternoon prayers with some of the mosque imams, he was severely rebuked for it. Yes.

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success.

The Shaykh:
Therefore, it is obligatory for the imam and the student of knowledge not to confuse people with disputed issues. If the people of the town are following one of the opinions that is not invalid, an opinion that is not invalid, then he should not confuse people about this. He may not act upon it himself, however he wishes, but he confuses people in the mosques. No, yes.