Is it permissible for a traveler, if he intends to leave the place where he is residing, to shorten and combine prayers, such as combining 'Asr with Zuhur until the end?
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The questioner : He asks: Is it permissible for a traveler, if he intends to leave the place where he is residing, to shorten and combine prayers, such as combining 'Asr with Zuhur until the end?
The Shaykh : First: The traveler has known dispensations, which are shortening the four-rak'ah prayer to two rak'ahs. Therefore, it is not permissible for the traveler to shorten unless he has left his town. As long as he is in his town, even if he intends to travel, and even if he has packed his belongings and luggage, it is not permissible for him to shorten until he leaves the town.
As for combining, it is not a specific feature of travel; rather, combining is made permissible by the need for it, whether the person is traveling or residing in a town.
Accordingly, if a person knows that he will not be able to pray during his travel because, for example, he is on an airplane,
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : and it is not possible for him to pray on the airplane, he says, "I will combine 'Asr with Zuhur so that no prayer remains upon me except Maghrib with 'Isha." Let us suppose, for example, that the airplane journey will be six hours, and he is currently at the time of Zuhur in his town. He would like to combine 'Asr with Zuhur, and then combine Maghrib with 'Isha by delaying the prayer. He would combine Zuhur and 'Asr by advancing the prayer, even if he is in his town, and there is no blame on him for this, because he cannot pray 'Asr in its time while on the airplane, and it would be a hardship for him.
It is established in the authentic hadith of Ibn 'Abbas or the hadith of Jabir and Ibn 'Abbas was asked about that? He said: "He intended not to burden his Ummah" So based on this, we say: This man who is burdened by hardship if he does not combine, he is allowed to combine, but he does not shorten the prayer because he has not left his town.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The Shaykh : First: The traveler has known dispensations, which are shortening the four-rak'ah prayer to two rak'ahs. Therefore, it is not permissible for the traveler to shorten unless he has left his town. As long as he is in his town, even if he intends to travel, and even if he has packed his belongings and luggage, it is not permissible for him to shorten until he leaves the town.
As for combining, it is not a specific feature of travel; rather, combining is made permissible by the need for it, whether the person is traveling or residing in a town.
Accordingly, if a person knows that he will not be able to pray during his travel because, for example, he is on an airplane,
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : and it is not possible for him to pray on the airplane, he says, "I will combine 'Asr with Zuhur so that no prayer remains upon me except Maghrib with 'Isha." Let us suppose, for example, that the airplane journey will be six hours, and he is currently at the time of Zuhur in his town. He would like to combine 'Asr with Zuhur, and then combine Maghrib with 'Isha by delaying the prayer. He would combine Zuhur and 'Asr by advancing the prayer, even if he is in his town, and there is no blame on him for this, because he cannot pray 'Asr in its time while on the airplane, and it would be a hardship for him.
It is established in the authentic hadith of Ibn 'Abbas or the hadith of Jabir
That the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) combined prayers in Madinah without fear or rain
أن الرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام جمع في المدينة من غير خوف ولا مطرThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Very well.