Is it permissible to combine prayers for one who goes out into the desert with his companions, and do women combine prayers in their homes if the men combine, and is anything combined with the Friday prayer?
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The questioner : A questioner asks about the topic of combining prayers. He also says: If a person goes out into the desert or is in a courtyard with some of his companions, and the people of the cities combine their prayers, is it permissible for them to combine? Do women combine prayers in their homes if the men combine? And is anything combined with the Friday prayer?
The Shaykh : Yes. As for the first part of the question, if a group is in a specific place and they do not leave the mosque to pray in that place, I do not think they have any hardship in not combining, because they are confined to one location, and whenever the time enters, they pray. Unless the place has no water and they need to perform wudu, and it is difficult for them to seek water on a rainy night like this, in which case they may combine so that they are not harmed by seeking water when the time for 'Isha' enters. As for the second part, do women combine as the men combine? The answer is: Women do not combine as the men combine, unless a woman prays with the men and they combine, in which case she combines following them. But in the homes, there is no combining for women, because for a woman there is no difference between praying Maghrib in its time and 'Isha' in its time, and combining, because she remains in her home; she will not suffer any harm or hardship from going out. As for the third part, is anything combined with the Friday prayer? The answer is: No, nothing is combined with the Friday prayer. This happens often: a traveler passes through a town, then stops and prays Jumu'ah, while he intends to continue his journey. Does he pray 'Asr after Jumu'ah? We say: No, because Jumu'ah is a distinct, standalone prayer, and the Sunnah only came with combining 'Asr with Zuhr, and Zuhr is not Jumu'ah. Therefore, it is not prescribed to combine 'Asr with Jumu'ah. Rather, you pray Jumu'ah with the people and you obtain its reward. And when you continue your journey and the time for 'Asr comes, you pray 'Asr. Some people say: Should one not intend Zuhr behind the imam who is praying Jumu'ah in order to combine 'Asr with it? We say: It is possible to intend Zuhr with his Jumu'ah in order to combine 'Asr with it, but he will miss the reward of Jumu'ah. The reward of Jumu'ah that is tied to its performance is lost, because this man intended Zuhr, so he misses the great and abundant reward obtained by praying Jumu'ah. Therefore, we say: Do not intend Zuhr behind the imam who is praying Jumu'ah, but pray Jumu'ah and do not combine 'Asr with it. When the time for 'Asr comes, pray it.
The Shaykh : Yes. As for the first part of the question, if a group is in a specific place and they do not leave the mosque to pray in that place, I do not think they have any hardship in not combining, because they are confined to one location, and whenever the time enters, they pray. Unless the place has no water and they need to perform wudu, and it is difficult for them to seek water on a rainy night like this, in which case they may combine so that they are not harmed by seeking water when the time for 'Isha' enters. As for the second part, do women combine as the men combine? The answer is: Women do not combine as the men combine, unless a woman prays with the men and they combine, in which case she combines following them. But in the homes, there is no combining for women, because for a woman there is no difference between praying Maghrib in its time and 'Isha' in its time, and combining, because she remains in her home; she will not suffer any harm or hardship from going out. As for the third part, is anything combined with the Friday prayer? The answer is: No, nothing is combined with the Friday prayer. This happens often: a traveler passes through a town, then stops and prays Jumu'ah, while he intends to continue his journey. Does he pray 'Asr after Jumu'ah? We say: No, because Jumu'ah is a distinct, standalone prayer, and the Sunnah only came with combining 'Asr with Zuhr, and Zuhr is not Jumu'ah. Therefore, it is not prescribed to combine 'Asr with Jumu'ah. Rather, you pray Jumu'ah with the people and you obtain its reward. And when you continue your journey and the time for 'Asr comes, you pray 'Asr. Some people say: Should one not intend Zuhr behind the imam who is praying Jumu'ah in order to combine 'Asr with it? We say: It is possible to intend Zuhr with his Jumu'ah in order to combine 'Asr with it, but he will miss the reward of Jumu'ah. The reward of Jumu'ah that is tied to its performance is lost, because this man intended Zuhr, so he misses the great and abundant reward obtained by praying Jumu'ah. Therefore, we say: Do not intend Zuhr behind the imam who is praying Jumu'ah, but pray Jumu'ah and do not combine 'Asr with it. When the time for 'Asr comes, pray it.