Ruling on combining prayers at Muzdalifah for one who arrives before the time of 'Isha' begins

This message was received by the program from the brothers Ali Muhammad Far' al-Yamani, Ali Hasan 'Abdullah, and 'Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Ali Saleh from the Yemen Arab Republic. In their first question, they say:
We stood on the ninth day and combined the end of the day with the beginning of the night, as we left 'Arafah twenty minutes after the Maghrib adhan. Due to the ease of transportation, we arrived at Muzdalifah before the time for the 'Isha' adhan had entered, meaning we arrived at Muzdalifah forty-five minutes after the time of the Maghrib adhan. A disagreement arose among us; some said that the first thing a pilgrim does at Muzdalifah is prayer. Indeed, the prayer was established, and this group prayed Maghrib and 'Isha' shortened and combined. Others refrained until the time of 'Isha' entered. The argument of the first group is that the first thing the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did was prayer. The argument of the second group is that the prayer can only be a combination by delay. Which of the two groups was more correct and in accordance with the Sunnah? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: It is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in authentic hadiths that when he arrived at Muzdalifah, he began with prayer. He ordered Bilal to give the adhan, then the iqamah, so he prayed Maghrib. Then he gave the iqamah again and prayed 'Isha' combined and shortened, and he did not pray anything in between. Rather, he prayed Maghrib three rak'ahs and 'Isha' two rak'ahs.
He did not say to the people: "Whoever among you arrives before the time of 'Isha' enters, do not combine, but delay 'Isha' until its time." It is known that among the people, some are early and some are late, even when they are on camels. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent about this and hastened to pray combined and shortened, that indicates that the Sunnah for one who arrives at Muzdalifah is to pray the combination, even if he arrives during the time of Maghrib. Those who prayed during the time of Maghrib when they arrived are the ones who hit the Sunnah. And those who delayed have their reward for their ijtihad, but they contradicted the Sunnah. The Sunnah for one who arrives at Muzdalifah on the night of Muzdalifah is to hasten to pray Maghrib and 'Isha' with one adhan and two iqamahs, following the example of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). If the ruling depended on the entry of the time of 'Isha' and that the combination had to be a combination by delay, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it and said: "Whoever arrives before the time of 'Isha' enters, do not combine." Leaving clarification in a time of need is not permissible; rather, it is obligatory to clarify the ruling in a time of need, and it is not permissible to delay it beyond the time of need according to the scholars. Since he did not say to the people: "Whoever arrives before the time of 'Isha' enters, let him delay 'Isha'," that indicates that the ruling is that one prays as soon as he arrives, whether it is in the time of Maghrib or in the time of 'Isha'. People vary in this, but the scholars, or many of them, named the prayer of Maghrib and 'Isha' at Muzdalifah a combination by delay because the majority of pilgrims pray it in the time of 'Isha', as they were on camels at that time. But today, people are in cars and they pray it in the time of Maghrib, or many of them pray it in the time of Maghrib. Therefore, it is prescribed for them to pray whenever they arrive, absolutely. This is the Sunnah.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.