What is the authenticity of the hadith: (That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to, during the expedition of Tabuk, if he set out before the sun declined, delay the midday prayer until he combined it with the afternoon prayer and prayed them together, and if he set out after the sun had declined, he would pray the midday and afternoon prayers together)

The Shaykh : The second question: Regarding the report from Mu'adh that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to, during the expedition of Tabuk, if he set out before the sun declined, delay the midday prayer until he combined it with the afternoon prayer and prayed them together, and if he set out after the sun had declined, he would pray the midday and afternoon prayers together. It was narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, and others. Is this hadith authentic? Answer: There is much disagreement among the scholars of hadith regarding it. Some of them authenticate it, some weaken it, and some rule it to be fabricated. The ruling that it is fabricated is the furthest from the truth, and the most correct of the views is the first one, meaning that the hadith is authentic. It explicitly states the prescription of combining prayers by advancing them. There are other hadiths as well that confirm this meaning, namely that the Messenger (peace be upon him) used to combine the midday and afternoon prayers by advancing them. As for the hadiths regarding combining by delaying, they are more numerous. Therefore, the Muslim traveler is given the choice between combining by advancing or combining by delaying, because both forms of combining are established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in authentic hadiths. Combining is a dispensation, not the default ruling, unlike shortening. Shortening is the default ruling, meaning it is not permissible for the traveler to pray the full prayer; rather, he must pray the shortened prayer. Thus, the four-rak'ah prayer becomes a two-rak'ah prayer, and this is necessary regarding shortening. As for combining, it is a dispensation; if he wishes, he combines, and if he wishes, he does not combine, and prays each prayer in its time. If the traveler's need requires him to combine by advancing, he advances, and if his need requires him to combine by delaying, he delays. It is up to him, his comfort, and his need .

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : No, here the "dwelling" does not mean the house. The intended meaning is the tent that he would set up during travel, which would serve as his temporary dwelling. So it is not the house; the intended meaning here is the tent.

The questioner: ...

The Shaykh : No, he said in the previous hadith regarding the expedition of Tabuk, it was not in the city and not in the house, but rather in the tent.

The questioner: ...

The Shaykh : Ah, an interjected question. Well, the answer to the interjected question is: The traveler follows the rulings of travel after he passes the buildings of his town or village, except in the case of fasting. Specifically regarding fasting, if he intends to travel while he is in his town, it is permissible for him to break his fast. For example, if I intend to travel tomorrow and the time is Ramadan, it is permissible for me not to eat the pre-dawn meal while I am still in my house, and it is permissible for me to eat after the pre-dawn meal and break my fast, because I am intending to travel. This ruling is specific only to fasting. As for prayer, one does not begin shortening and combining until after exiting the buildings of the town or village.