Resolving the difficulty in the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas regarding the Prophet's combining of prayers without fear or travel
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How the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas in Sahih Muslim is reconciled: (That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combined the midday and afternoon prayers, and the sunset and night prayers, without fear or travel)?
Yes, (he combined in Madinah the midday and afternoon prayers, and the sunset and night prayers, without fear or rain),And this is a more authentic narration than the narration: (nor travel);Because His saying: (nor travel) suffices for his statement: (in Madinah), In any case, this difficulty that you raised was raised by people against Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), and they said: (What was his intention in that?He said: He intended not to burden his Ummah), meaning: not to subject them to hardship by leaving off the combining.
So whenever there is hardship in leaving off the combining, then combining is permissible; but if there is no hardship, then combining is forbidden and not permissible;By the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He): [Al-Nisa: 103], and because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set these times and defined the midday prayer from such a time to such a time, and the afternoon likewise, and the sunset and night and dawn; so whoever brings something forward of its time or delays something past its time without a valid legal excuse, he is sinful and his prayer is not accepted;By the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with our command, it is rejected).
And there is no proof in this hadith for one who permits combining without need;Because Ibn 'Abbas clarified this by saying: (He intended not to burden his Ummah),If he had said: He intended to make it easier for his Ummah; it was possible that his intention was that combining is permissible and leaving it off is better,But since he did not say: (He intended not to burden his Ummah), we know that the intention is when there is hardship and difficulty in leaving off the combining.
Yes, (he combined in Madinah the midday and afternoon prayers, and the sunset and night prayers, without fear or rain),And this is a more authentic narration than the narration: (nor travel);Because His saying: (nor travel) suffices for his statement: (in Madinah), In any case, this difficulty that you raised was raised by people against Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), and they said: (What was his intention in that?He said: He intended not to burden his Ummah), meaning: not to subject them to hardship by leaving off the combining.
So whenever there is hardship in leaving off the combining, then combining is permissible; but if there is no hardship, then combining is forbidden and not permissible;By the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):
Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.
إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَاباً مَوْقُوتاًAnd there is no proof in this hadith for one who permits combining without need;Because Ibn 'Abbas clarified this by saying: (He intended not to burden his Ummah),If he had said: He intended to make it easier for his Ummah; it was possible that his intention was that combining is permissible and leaving it off is better,But since he did not say: (He intended not to burden his Ummah), we know that the intention is when there is hardship and difficulty in leaving off the combining.