The Interval Between Two Combined Prayers
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Is it obligatory to maintain continuity between the two combined prayers within the time of the first one, or is it permissible to separate them by a period of time?
The Shaykh:
A slight separation is excused and should not be prolonged, following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who would maintain continuity between them. As for the combination of choice, its ruling is broader.
The questioner:
And if he separates them because he did not finish.
The Shaykh:
If he stands up to attend to a need or stands up to perform ablution, there is no harm in it; it suffices.
The questioner:
If he separates them by a long period of time, he does not combine.
The Shaykh:
There is scholarly disagreement on this. If the interval is short, it is permissible; if it is long, it is disliked, if Allah wills. If the interval is long, it is better to combine the prayers to keep them close together. There is no clear evidence that combining them is invalid, but this is to avoid the disagreement. Otherwise, the two times become one time.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
Is it obligatory to maintain continuity between the two combined prayers within the time of the first one, or is it permissible to separate them by a period of time?
The Shaykh:
A slight separation is excused and should not be prolonged, following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who would maintain continuity between them. As for the combination of choice, its ruling is broader.
The questioner:
And if he separates them because he did not finish.
The Shaykh:
If he stands up to attend to a need or stands up to perform ablution, there is no harm in it; it suffices.
The questioner:
If he separates them by a long period of time, he does not combine.
The Shaykh:
There is scholarly disagreement on this. If the interval is short, it is permissible; if it is long, it is disliked, if Allah wills. If the interval is long, it is better to combine the prayers to keep them close together. There is no clear evidence that combining them is invalid, but this is to avoid the disagreement. Otherwise, the two times become one time.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
Source
لقاءات لابن باز - لقاء مع إخوة في الله - ابن باز - ٤ — archive.org (55:36)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.