In it is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combined prayers in Madinah without fear or travel, and in the other wording, without fear or rain; the second is more appropriate.

The Shaykh : In it is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combined prayers in Madinah without fear or travel, and in the other wording, without fear or rain. The second is more appropriate, because the phrase "without travel" is derived from the statement "combined in Madinah," so there is no need to mention it except for the sake of emphasis. Then, Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) was asked why he did this? He said, "He intended not to burden his Ummah," meaning not to put them in difficulty or hardship. This is an indication that combining prayers is not permissible except when there is hardship and difficulty in leaving it, and it does not contain evidence for permissibility in an absolute sense. This is supported by the timing of the prayers, where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The time for the midday prayer is from such-and-such to such-and-such, the time for the afternoon prayer is from such-and-such to such-and-such, the time for the sunset prayer is from such-and-such to such-and-such, and the time for the night prayer is from such-and-such to such-and-such." This is a specific determination, so it is not permissible to deviate from it except for a reason, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: Therefore, the correct view is that combining prayers is not permissible except for a reason. The reason is the slightest cause that brings hardship upon a person; in that case, it is permissible for him to combine, because the matter, praise be to Allah, is broad.