The Ruling on Combining Two Prayers in Travel and in the Rain

The questioner : I am asking you because I am convinced that if you were the one asking, I might have told you, "Are you convinced or not?" But I am saying that the difference between this situation and that situation is clear.

The Shaykh : Yes, tell me what is on your mind?

The questioner : For example, if I am about to travel to a distant area and I want to combine two prayers, is it permissible for me to combine them?

The Shaykh : What are you combining?

The questioner : Because it might be on a plane, or there might be hardship in what is available there.

The Shaykh : All right, the hadith of Ibn Abbas that...

The questioner : Well, where is the hardship here? In the rain? This imam did not intend to combine, but the reasons for combining are clear and...

The Shaykh : They are clear to you, but when the mu'adhdhin calls, "Hasten to prayer, hasten to success," what do you do?

The questioner : I mean, I have a dispensation here.

The Shaykh : A dispensation for the congregation, not a dispensation for individuals. If you were at home and the rain was very heavy, would you combine the two prayers?

The questioner : No, I would not combine, but I have a dispensation from going to the mosque.

The Shaykh : What if the mosque were not there?

The questioner : I mean, I would not pray at home.

The Shaykh : You have a dispensation from going to the mosque when the rain is heavy. But now you are anticipating the result. What will you do? You will leave the mosque having combined, and the time for the 'Asr adhan will be clear, just as we are seeing today, with a great breeze.

The questioner : If there is severe cold, for example.

The Shaykh : It will turn into... until you arrive.

The questioner : Yes, we will move from one point to another.

The Shaykh : My dear, you are mistaken, because the situation you are asking about is not the situation you are describing. If there is severe cold, those who did not combine are told, "Pray in your places, pray in your places." But your example is not like that. Your example is that you want to combine individually, combining in advance, because the rain is falling now. You do not want to leave the obligatory prayer that you are required to perform in the mosque due to the rain. You are a questioner who wants to pray. So the issue is completely distinct.