The Ruling on Combining the Midday and Afternoon Prayers and the Sunset and Night Prayers in Winter

Question:
After this, a message from the listener 'Amad Hamdan Farysan from Zarqa, Jordan, or Ijan, asking and saying: What is the ruling on combining the midday and afternoon prayers, and likewise the sunset and night prayers, for the days of winter? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
It is not permissible to combine in normal circumstances. If a sick person needs to combine, he combines. Likewise, the traveler, if he needs to combine, combines. The traveler is the one who shortens the prayer; if he needs to combine, he combines. Likewise, in the case of rain in the town, if there is heavy rain that wets the clothes, and people are harmed by going out in the rain, and there is mud and clay on the way to the mosque that they slip in, then in this case they combine the Maghrib and 'Isha'. This is the well-known position among the scholars of knowledge. As for combining the Dhuhr and 'Asr, there is hesitation regarding this; one should leave the combination and wait until 'Asr in this case.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good.