Rules for Combining Prayers in the Rain
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His Eminence the Shaykh: Yesterday, the rain was falling in our town, north of Buraydah, from the 'Asr prayer until the 'Isha' prayer. I was the imam, and the mu'adhdhin asked to combine the prayers, and I was confused about the matter. However, due to the mu'adhdhin's insistence, we combined the prayers. A fatwa was issued by your eminence stating that one must verify the rain, its intensity, and the people's condition in the rain—whether it affects them. I would like clarification on the criterion for this combination from all angles. May Allah reward you with good?
You must know that the original ruling is the obligation of performing the prayer in its proper time,Allah the Exalted said: [Surah al-Nisa: 103] And the scholars have reached consensus that advancing the prayer before its time without a valid legal excuse is forbidden and renders it invalid; because this is contrary to what Allah commanded. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: (Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with our command, it is rejected) This is the original ruling, and it is a clear matter with no ambiguity.
So if a cause for combining—advancing or delaying—exists, the scholars differ on this; some hold that there is no combining except at 'Arafah and Muzdalifah only, and some hold that combining is permissible in every situation, and this is the view of the Rafidah, who believe that combining is permissible without a cause, if you wish you combine and if you wish you do not. But the correct view is that combining is permissible due to hardship. The evidence for this is the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) who said: (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combined prayers in Madinah without fear or rain) They asked: (What was his intention in doing that?He said: He intended not to burden his Ummah) .
And the meaning of (burden) is: not to subject them to hardship, for hardship is removed in our Shari'ah. So if there is hardship and difficulty for the people in not combining, either because the markets are muddy, or because the rain falls and wets the clothes and harms the walkers, then this is an excuse. But if only light drops are falling, the weather is warm, and the markets are not muddy, then do not combine, even if the mu'adhdhin or the ma'mumin insist. Do you see, if one fasted Ramadan in Sha'ban, is that permissible?! So if you advance 'Isha' with Maghrib without an excuse, it is not permissible. And the strange thing is that I remember that in the past, when there was no electricity, the markets were dark, muddy, and full of mud, and there was no asphalt, yet they did not combine except for severe hardship, such that a person would not come to the mosque without a stick to lean on, or heavy, pouring rain. They were much more hard-pressed than now. Now, praise be to Allah, most markets are paved and lit, and there is no hardship or burden. So being lax in this is a great error; for you have a clear text, which is the obligation of prayer in its time, and you have a permissible cause for combining. So if you are not certain that the cause is legally valid, do not combine. The imam is the one who has the authority in this matter; the mu'adhdhin has authority over the adhan, but the matter of prayer and combining is up to the imam.
You must know that the original ruling is the obligation of performing the prayer in its proper time,Allah the Exalted said:
Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.
إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَاباً مَوْقُوتاًSo if a cause for combining—advancing or delaying—exists, the scholars differ on this; some hold that there is no combining except at 'Arafah and Muzdalifah only, and some hold that combining is permissible in every situation, and this is the view of the Rafidah, who believe that combining is permissible without a cause, if you wish you combine and if you wish you do not. But the correct view is that combining is permissible due to hardship. The evidence for this is the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) who said: (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combined prayers in Madinah without fear or rain) They asked: (What was his intention in doing that?He said: He intended not to burden his Ummah) .
And the meaning of (burden) is: not to subject them to hardship, for hardship is removed in our Shari'ah. So if there is hardship and difficulty for the people in not combining, either because the markets are muddy, or because the rain falls and wets the clothes and harms the walkers, then this is an excuse. But if only light drops are falling, the weather is warm, and the markets are not muddy, then do not combine, even if the mu'adhdhin or the ma'mumin insist. Do you see, if one fasted Ramadan in Sha'ban, is that permissible?! So if you advance 'Isha' with Maghrib without an excuse, it is not permissible. And the strange thing is that I remember that in the past, when there was no electricity, the markets were dark, muddy, and full of mud, and there was no asphalt, yet they did not combine except for severe hardship, such that a person would not come to the mosque without a stick to lean on, or heavy, pouring rain. They were much more hard-pressed than now. Now, praise be to Allah, most markets are paved and lit, and there is no hardship or burden. So being lax in this is a great error; for you have a clear text, which is the obligation of prayer in its time, and you have a permissible cause for combining. So if you are not certain that the cause is legally valid, do not combine. The imam is the one who has the authority in this matter; the mu'adhdhin has authority over the adhan, but the matter of prayer and combining is up to the imam.