Did it come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he combined the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers, and the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers, without fear, rain, or travel?

The questioner : Is there a hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he combined the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers, and the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers, specifically by advancing them (jam' taqdim), particularly during winter and cold, given that it is reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he did so without fear, rain, or travel?

The Shaykh : The answer is as follows... Knowing that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combined [prayers] in this hadith is the answer to your question. Imam Muslim narrated in his Sahih from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combined the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers, and the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers, in Madinah, without travel or rain. They asked: What did he intend by that, O Abu al-'Abbas? He said: He intended not to burden his Ummah." This is the wording of the hadith or close to it, and the meaning is certainly this. However, as you heard, the hadith does not state that the combining the Messenger (peace be upon him) did in Madinah without travel or rain was combining by advancing (jam' taqdim) or combining by delaying (jam' ta'khir). But if we look at Ibn 'Abbas's answer to the questioner who asked him, "What did the Messenger of Allah intend by this combining?" and he said, "He intended not to burden his Ummah," we understand from this answer that combining is permissible whether by advancing or by delaying, because the goal and the operative cause is removing hardship. This is undoubtedly part of the ease of Islam, which is one of its principles, as He (Mighty and Majestic) said in His Book: We know by experience that many Muslims find hardship in some occasions in maintaining the performance of the prayers in their five times as commanded in the Sunnah, and indeed in the Book. So this dispensation came to allow those who find hardship in maintaining these prayers in their times to combine two times with two times: combining Zuhr and 'Asr together, and combining Maghrib and 'Isha' together. In some circumstances, a person finds himself compelled to advance 'Asr to Zuhr and combine them by advancing. Sometimes he finds he is compelled to delay Zuhr to 'Asr and combine them by delaying. This hadith does not specify the type of combining the Messenger (peace be upon him) did. But Ibn 'Abbas's answer, "He intended by that not to burden his Ummah," gives us leeway to choose the combining that removes hardship from us, whether it is combining by advancing or combining by delaying. Knowing that both types of combining, whether combining by advancing or combining by delaying, are established in the authentic Sunnah for the traveler. The Messenger (peace be upon him) usually combined by delaying when traveling, and sometimes it is established from him (peace be upon him) that he combined by advancing. So if a resident finds himself in a state where he finds hardship in performing, for example, the Zuhr prayer in its time, then let him intend to combine Zuhr with 'Asr by delaying. Or if he finds that in the time of 'Asr he will not be able to perform the 'Asr prayer in its time, and the time of Maghrib will enter upon him, then he prays Zuhr in its time and advances the 'Asr prayer to it, combining them by advancing. This is what can be answered regarding that question.

The questioner : It relates to the topic of combining [prayers].

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : A question relating to the topic of combining [prayers].

The Shaykh: Go ahead.