Did the Messenger combine two prayers when there was hardship?

Question : Not combining is the default, but combining is permissible whether one is resident or traveling. Yes. However, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as reported by Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combined prayers in Makkah without travel or fear. Yes. That means there was no hardship on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So is it permissible, for example, to combine for any kind of hardship?

Answer : But Ibn 'Abbas explained this when he was asked, saying: He intended not to burden his Ummah. The understanding of a Companion is more accurate than our understanding. The apparent meaning of the hadith is travel without anything [else], but his saying is a pointer to the 'illah (operative cause). If he had said "combined without anything," one might say it indicates that combining is permissible without hardship. But when he pointed to something that usually causes hardship, namely fear of rain, it became known that he combined for another matter involving hardship, where leaving the combination would also involve hardship.