Among the rulings on combining and shortening prayers for the traveler
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A man is traveling, and when he was about an hour away from the town he was traveling to, the time for the midday prayer entered. He went to one of the mosques and prayed the midday and afternoon prayers combined, advancing the afternoon prayer. Does he have to repeat the afternoon prayer when he arrives? And is it better for him to combine them, or to pray only the midday prayer, since he will arrive before the afternoon prayer?
First, it must be known that it is recommended for the traveler to shorten the four-rak'ah prayer to two rak'ahs from the time he leaves his town until he returns to it, and there is no dispute in this. As for combining prayers, it is better not to combine them except when there is a need to do so. Based on this, we say to this man who knows, or whose strong suspicion is, that he will arrive in his town before the time for the second prayer begins: it is better not to combine them, because there is no reason to combine them at that time; you are not in need of it. However, if he does combine them, he is not required to repeat the prayer when he arrives in his town, because his obligation is discharged by the prayer he combined with the one before it.
The questioner: Even if he did so in anticipation of something that might happen to him, such as a car breakdown, for example?The Shaykh: All of this is anticipated, and it is better not to combine them, because the occurrence of something that prevents arrival is neither certain nor the most likely outcome; rather, the most likely outcome is that he will be safe.
First, it must be known that it is recommended for the traveler to shorten the four-rak'ah prayer to two rak'ahs from the time he leaves his town until he returns to it, and there is no dispute in this. As for combining prayers, it is better not to combine them except when there is a need to do so. Based on this, we say to this man who knows, or whose strong suspicion is, that he will arrive in his town before the time for the second prayer begins: it is better not to combine them, because there is no reason to combine them at that time; you are not in need of it. However, if he does combine them, he is not required to repeat the prayer when he arrives in his town, because his obligation is discharged by the prayer he combined with the one before it.
The questioner: Even if he did so in anticipation of something that might happen to him, such as a car breakdown, for example?The Shaykh: All of this is anticipated, and it is better not to combine them, because the occurrence of something that prevents arrival is neither certain nor the most likely outcome; rather, the most likely outcome is that he will be safe.