Regarding the case where the follower experiences hardship due to the distance of his home, does he combine prayers?
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The questioner : Okay, Shaykh, regarding the hardship, I mean, the imam is present... this person was the imam, meaning he does not find hardship in the nearness of the place, and... inside, and so on, but the worshippers are in hardship, the followers, because of the distance of their homes and the bad... I mean.
The Shaykh : This is not what justifies it. You know the hadith of the blind man, 'Amr ibn Umm Maktum.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : About combining prayers.
Another questioner: He is asking about...
The Shaykh : My answer is a fortiori, by way of stronger evidence, because combining prayers is a dispensation and congregational prayer is obligatory. So if the obligatory act is not dropped by such excuses that you are presenting, then a fortiori, it is not permissible to combine prayers. He came with an excuse that is not an excuse in the Shari'ah, and therefore I responded with the hadith of 'Amr ibn Umm Maktum. You came with a Shari'ah excuse, which is rain or cold or something similar. In that case, even if the imam, without comparison as they say in our region in Syria, has his home next to the mosque, as was the home of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he does not go out into the open; he goes out from his room to his mosque and combines between them. This imam has a precedent in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), because the excuse was present.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for him, he came with a non-Shari'ah excuse... because not everyone is able to attend.
The questioner : I usually, if I combine... I mean, I go, I mean.
The Shaykh : A witness testified on behalf of himself.
The questioner : I mean, I sit in the house, not meaning to flee from the congregation, but I am afraid... I mean.
The Shaykh : But it is reported about you, other than this,.
The questioner : Of course, at times I am sitting.
The Shaykh : This is why you said and I am afraid of it, this is a lot .
The Shaykh : This is not what justifies it. You know the hadith of the blind man, 'Amr ibn Umm Maktum.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : About combining prayers.
Another questioner: He is asking about...
The Shaykh : My answer is a fortiori, by way of stronger evidence, because combining prayers is a dispensation and congregational prayer is obligatory. So if the obligatory act is not dropped by such excuses that you are presenting, then a fortiori, it is not permissible to combine prayers. He came with an excuse that is not an excuse in the Shari'ah, and therefore I responded with the hadith of 'Amr ibn Umm Maktum. You came with a Shari'ah excuse, which is rain or cold or something similar. In that case, even if the imam, without comparison as they say in our region in Syria, has his home next to the mosque, as was the home of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he does not go out into the open; he goes out from his room to his mosque and combines between them. This imam has a precedent in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), because the excuse was present.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for him, he came with a non-Shari'ah excuse... because not everyone is able to attend.
The questioner : I usually, if I combine... I mean, I go, I mean.
The Shaykh : A witness testified on behalf of himself.
The questioner : I mean, I sit in the house, not meaning to flee from the congregation, but I am afraid... I mean.
The Shaykh : But it is reported about you, other than this,
The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) laughed
ضحك الشيخ رحمه اللهThe questioner : Of course, at times I am sitting.
The Shaykh : This is why you said