In the case of heavy rain, some imams do not combine the Zuhr prayer with 'Asr or the Maghrib prayer with 'Isha' out of following their school of jurisprudence

The questioner : The second question: In the case of heavy rain, some imams in Kuwait do not combine the Zuhr prayer with 'Asr or the Maghrib prayer with 'Isha' out of following their school of jurisprudence; is it permissible for the ma'mum to pray Zuhr with his imam, for example, and then combine 'Asr with him in the mosque? And is it permissible for him to combine them alone at home?

The Shaykh : As for the first combination, he may do so; as for the other combination at home, he may not. That is, the intended meaning of combining in the mosque is combining the default ruling with the dispensation. The default ruling is performing the prayer with the congregation of Muslims in the mosque, and the dispensation is the combination. As for at home, it causes him to miss the default ruling; it causes him to miss the congregational prayer. Therefore, in my opinion, combining at home is not prescribed. If he combines in the mosque, even in the manner mentioned in the question, there is no harm in that; because it revives the Sunnah and forces those who are rigid in adhering to schools of jurisprudence.