What is the ruling on one who combines the Friday prayer and the 'Asr prayer by combining and shortening them in the time of the first prayer while traveling, and what is the action for one who did that several times?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on one who combines the Friday prayer and the 'Asr prayer by combining and shortening them in the time of the first prayer while traveling, and what is the action for one who did that several times?
The Shaykh : As for the one who prayed Friday while he was in the desert traveling, his prayer is invalid because Friday prayer is not recommended in travel and is not prescribed; it is a religious innovation. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to travel and Friday would catch up with him during his travel, yet he did not establish Friday prayer even once, not even in the largest gathering of Muslims on the Day of 'Arafah during the Farewell Pilgrimage. That day was a Friday, and yet he did not pray Friday; rather, he prayed Zuhr and 'Asr combined and shortened. As for if he was in a town he passed through during his travel and Friday prayer caught up with him, and he entered the mosque and prayed Friday prayer with the people, then this is Friday prayer and not a shortened Zuhr. If he combined 'Asr with it, the combination is not valid, because the combination that is reported is only between Zuhr and 'Asr, and not between Friday and 'Asr. Friday is an independent prayer with specific characteristics that distinguish it from Zuhr in more than twenty rulings. Therefore, it is not valid to analogize it, meaning to analogize Friday to Zuhr in the permissibility of combining 'Asr with it. If one did that, and if someone had issued a fatwa to him with this, then he is on what he was issued a fatwa with, and there is no repetition for him, but he should not return to that. And if one did it without a fatwa, then if he repeats it, that is better. In that case, he should determine the number of times he combined 'Asr with Friday and pray. If he doubts whether that was ten times or nine times, let him make it nine, meaning he takes the lesser.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.
The Shaykh : As for the one who prayed Friday while he was in the desert traveling, his prayer is invalid because Friday prayer is not recommended in travel and is not prescribed; it is a religious innovation. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to travel and Friday would catch up with him during his travel, yet he did not establish Friday prayer even once, not even in the largest gathering of Muslims on the Day of 'Arafah during the Farewell Pilgrimage. That day was a Friday, and yet he did not pray Friday; rather, he prayed Zuhr and 'Asr combined and shortened. As for if he was in a town he passed through during his travel and Friday prayer caught up with him, and he entered the mosque and prayed Friday prayer with the people, then this is Friday prayer and not a shortened Zuhr. If he combined 'Asr with it, the combination is not valid, because the combination that is reported is only between Zuhr and 'Asr, and not between Friday and 'Asr. Friday is an independent prayer with specific characteristics that distinguish it from Zuhr in more than twenty rulings. Therefore, it is not valid to analogize it, meaning to analogize Friday to Zuhr in the permissibility of combining 'Asr with it. If one did that, and if someone had issued a fatwa to him with this, then he is on what he was issued a fatwa with, and there is no repetition for him, but he should not return to that. And if one did it without a fatwa, then if he repeats it, that is better. In that case, he should determine the number of times he combined 'Asr with Friday and pray. If he doubts whether that was ten times or nine times, let him make it nine, meaning he takes the lesser.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.