The Categories of People Regarding Combining Prayers in the Rain
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There is a group that falls short, a group that goes to excess, and a group that is moderate.
As for the one who falls short, he is the one who does not consider this a matter that permits combining; you will find that he does not combine even if attending the mosque is very difficult for him. He does not combine.Even if the people of the mosque say to him: He does not combine with us, he does not combine, and this is an error. One fears that this person falls under the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): (O Allah, whoever takes charge of any of the affairs of my Ummah and makes things difficult for them, make things difficult for him) But the opinion of one or two men from the mosque congregation is not considered.For example: If the difficulty is only for one or two men or the like, and not for the rest of the congregation, their opinion is not considered. The consideration is given to the majority. If it is difficult for these few to attend the mosque for the second prayer, they have the dispensation to pray in their homes.As came in the hadith: (Praying in their places).
And among people, there is one who is the opposite of this: You will find that he combines without difficulty, even if only a few drops of rain fall, he combines. Some of them, when they see the sky covered with clouds, combine. This is also forbidden and not permissible. Whoever combines without an excuse has committed a major sin. He will bear the sins of those who prayed before their time; because combining the second prayer with the first means praying it before its time, and this is forbidden. There must be difficulty, either from falling rain that wets the clothes so that the clothes absorb the rain until they can be wrung out, or from the difficulty of the road. Without difficulty, it is not permissible.Because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: [Al-Nisa: 103] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) explained the times of these prayers, so it is not permissible for us to transgress the limits of Allah by combining without a legal excuse.
Among people, there is one who is moderate and upright: if he sees difficulty, he combines, and if there is no difficulty, he does not combine. This is the one who is on the straight path, and he is the one who gives sincere advice to himself and to the congregation behind him.
Therefore, it is obligatory for students of knowledge to explain this issue to the imams clearly, so that no one presumes to combine without an excuse, and so that no one delays combining when an excuse is present.
Know that it is not valid to combine the 'Asr prayer with the Friday prayer.
For example, if it is Friday and there is heavy rain and the people are praying Friday in the mosque, it is not permissible for them to combine 'Asr with it; because this has not been reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It is well known that rains occurred in the time of the Messenger on Fridays and on days other than Fridays. When he sought rain from the pulpit, he did not descend from the pulpit until the rain fell and it began to drip onto his beard, and he did not combine 'Asr with it. It is not valid to analogize the Friday prayer to other prayers; because the Friday prayer is a unique prayer that differs greatly from the Zuhr prayer, and because there is no analogy in acts of worship. Acts of worship are followed according to what the Shari'ah has brought, and no one can use analogy in acts of worship to establish a worship that was not known by analogy to another worship.
As for the one who falls short, he is the one who does not consider this a matter that permits combining; you will find that he does not combine even if attending the mosque is very difficult for him. He does not combine.Even if the people of the mosque say to him: He does not combine with us, he does not combine, and this is an error. One fears that this person falls under the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): (O Allah, whoever takes charge of any of the affairs of my Ummah and makes things difficult for them, make things difficult for him) But the opinion of one or two men from the mosque congregation is not considered.For example: If the difficulty is only for one or two men or the like, and not for the rest of the congregation, their opinion is not considered. The consideration is given to the majority. If it is difficult for these few to attend the mosque for the second prayer, they have the dispensation to pray in their homes.As came in the hadith: (Praying in their places).
And among people, there is one who is the opposite of this: You will find that he combines without difficulty, even if only a few drops of rain fall, he combines. Some of them, when they see the sky covered with clouds, combine. This is also forbidden and not permissible. Whoever combines without an excuse has committed a major sin. He will bear the sins of those who prayed before their time; because combining the second prayer with the first means praying it before its time, and this is forbidden. There must be difficulty, either from falling rain that wets the clothes so that the clothes absorb the rain until they can be wrung out, or from the difficulty of the road. Without difficulty, it is not permissible.Because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said:
Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.
إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَاباً مَوْقُوتاًAmong people, there is one who is moderate and upright: if he sees difficulty, he combines, and if there is no difficulty, he does not combine. This is the one who is on the straight path, and he is the one who gives sincere advice to himself and to the congregation behind him.
Therefore, it is obligatory for students of knowledge to explain this issue to the imams clearly, so that no one presumes to combine without an excuse, and so that no one delays combining when an excuse is present.
Know that it is not valid to combine the 'Asr prayer with the Friday prayer.
For example, if it is Friday and there is heavy rain and the people are praying Friday in the mosque, it is not permissible for them to combine 'Asr with it; because this has not been reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It is well known that rains occurred in the time of the Messenger on Fridays and on days other than Fridays. When he sought rain from the pulpit, he did not descend from the pulpit until the rain fell and it began to drip onto his beard, and he did not combine 'Asr with it. It is not valid to analogize the Friday prayer to other prayers; because the Friday prayer is a unique prayer that differs greatly from the Zuhr prayer, and because there is no analogy in acts of worship. Acts of worship are followed according to what the Shari'ah has brought, and no one can use analogy in acts of worship to establish a worship that was not known by analogy to another worship.