What is the criterion for combining the two prayers in the case of rain, and what is the meaning of Ibn Abbas's statement: "He intended not to cause hardship for his Ummah"?
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The questioner : There are four questions, or more, all on the topic of combining. Perhaps I will read them. A questioner says: In days like these, Your Eminence, a person hesitates about combining Maghrib and Isha and does not know what the criterion is. What we heard from you last year has caused us difficulty, so a person does not know what to do. He sees five or more of the mosque congregation who are weak-sighted, elderly, and slow-walking, and they are the pillars of the mosque and the most regular attendees. He does not know whether he should combine for their sake, as they desire it, or not. Another says: In the hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combined without fear or rain in Madinah. The Companion said: Sahih Muslim 706b And is it possible that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed an act that was not a legislation for the Ummah, especially since we are in these days of rain? The disagreement has increased. You enter the mosque and find the elderly unable to free themselves to come to the mosque because of the cars and what the pedestrians do to annoy them. You find some imams hesitate from asking them to combine. What is your guidance? And this is also regarding combining: A person fears sin, especially imams fear sin in combining if they combine, because they fear that their action may not be justified for combining. And they fear sin if they leave combining, because they fear being strict with those behind them and making it difficult for them, especially since it has been reported: So what should he do? Which is more cautious, combining or not combining? And does this slight matter or slight hardship bring about facilitation?
The Shaykh : Yes, this question is very important, especially since the cause for combining today and the days before it is present, and that is hardship. Hardship occurs for many reasons, among which is the falling of rain. If rain is falling, this is a nuisance. Some people have said that there is no nuisance in the rain today because people come in cars until they stop at the mosque door. The answer to this is that not everyone comes in a car, and if one gets out of the car at the mosque door, he is annoyed by the falling rain. This is a nuisance. The nuisance may also be from the markets, from the water that comes out of them and gathers, so a person is annoyed when he comes to this mosque and there are puddles of water around it. This is a nuisance. The nuisance may be with strong, cold wind in the days of winter. This is also a difficult hardship for people, like the nuisance of rain or more. If there is hardship in leaving the combining, let the imam combine, and there is no blame on him. If some of the congregants have hardship and others have ease, let him follow the weakest of them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: If he hesitates between combining and not combining because the justifying cause is not clear, then the original ruling is not to combine, because combining requires the establishment of the cause. If it is not established, then the original ruling is not to combine, so he does not combine. But if he does not combine, and then the people leave the prayer to their homes, and then rain occurs that causes annoyance, the people may pray in their homes. The people may pray in their homes and their reward is written in full, due to the statement of the Prophet (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him): Yes.
Now, if the reality is that one may be certain of the hardship, or certain of the absence of hardship, or it may be more likely in his opinion that there is hardship, or more likely in his opinion that there is no hardship, or he may hesitate, when is combining? Combining is when one is certain of the hardship or it is more likely in his opinion that the hardship exists. As for if he knows that there is no hardship, or it is more likely in his opinion that there is no hardship, or he doubts, he does not combine. Yes.
he (the Holy Prophet) wanted that his Ummah should not be put to (unnecessary) hardship.
أراد أن لا يحرج أمتهWhoever takes charge of any matter of his Ummah (peace and blessings be upon him) and is strict with them, Allah will be strict with him
أن من ولي من أمر أمته صلى الله عليه وسلم شيئا فشدد عليهم أن يشدد الله عليهThe Shaykh : Yes, this question is very important, especially since the cause for combining today and the days before it is present, and that is hardship. Hardship occurs for many reasons, among which is the falling of rain. If rain is falling, this is a nuisance. Some people have said that there is no nuisance in the rain today because people come in cars until they stop at the mosque door. The answer to this is that not everyone comes in a car, and if one gets out of the car at the mosque door, he is annoyed by the falling rain. This is a nuisance. The nuisance may also be from the markets, from the water that comes out of them and gathers, so a person is annoyed when he comes to this mosque and there are puddles of water around it. This is a nuisance. The nuisance may be with strong, cold wind in the days of winter. This is also a difficult hardship for people, like the nuisance of rain or more. If there is hardship in leaving the combining, let the imam combine, and there is no blame on him. If some of the congregants have hardship and others have ease, let him follow the weakest of them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
If one of you leads the people, let him make it easy, for behind him are the weak, the sick, and the one in need
إذا أم أحدكم الناس فليخفف فإن من ورائه الضعيف والمريض وذا الحاجةWhoever falls ill or travels, his previous deeds are written for him as if he were healthy and resident
من مرض أو سافر كتب له ما كان يعمل صحيحا مقيماNow, if the reality is that one may be certain of the hardship, or certain of the absence of hardship, or it may be more likely in his opinion that there is hardship, or more likely in his opinion that there is no hardship, or he may hesitate, when is combining? Combining is when one is certain of the hardship or it is more likely in his opinion that the hardship exists. As for if he knows that there is no hardship, or it is more likely in his opinion that there is no hardship, or he doubts, he does not combine. Yes.