VOLUME 2 – 274 – Performing Two Prayers Together While Traveling
According to the narration of Abu’t-Tufayl Amir bin Wasile (may Allah be pleased with him):
Muaz ibn Jabal related to me this news. During the campaign of Tabuk, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) combined Dhuhr and Asr prayers, and Maghrib and Isha prayers. One day he delayed a prayer, then emerged and combined Dhuhr and Asr. Afterwards, he entered his tent, then exited again and combined Maghrib and Isha.
According to the narration of Nafi (may Allah be pleased with him):
When Ibn Umar was in Mecca and news reached him of the death of his wife, Safiya, it was as the sun set and the stars appeared. Ibn Umar said that the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) would combine these two prayers when he was on campaign and had urgent matters to attend to. He walked until the light faded, then dismounted and combined the evening and night prayers.
Muaz ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) during the campaign of Tabuk, before setting out, if the sun declined towards the west, he would combine Dhuhr and Asr prayers. If the sun declined towards the west after setting out, he would postpone Dhuhr until he dismounted to pray the Asr prayer, (and then combine them), and he would do likewise for Maghrib. If the sun set before setting out, he would combine Maghrib and Isha prayers. And if he set out before sunset, he would postpone Maghrib until he dismounted to pray the Isha prayer, then he would combine them.
Note:
Only the Dhuhr and Asr prayers on the Day of Arafah are combined in the time of Dhuhr at Arafah, and the Maghrib and Isha prayers on the night of Eid are combined in the time of Isha at Muzdalifah. This is the opinion of Imam al-A’zam. They do not combine them at other times. According to Shafi'i, combining (prayers) is permissible.
It is narrated from Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, combined the evening and night prayers only once during a journey.
Abu Dawud said: This hadith was reported suspended through the chain of narrators consisting of Ayyub, Nafi’, and Ibn ‘Umar. Nafi’ saw Ibn ‘Umar combining these two prayers only on the night that news of his wife Safiyyah's death reached him. Another hadith narrated by Makhul from Nafi’ is as follows: (Nafi’) has seen Ibn ‘Umar doing so one or two times.
Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, combined Dhuhr and Asr prayers, and Maghrib and Isha prayers, neither on a journey nor in a state of fear.
Malik said: I think this occurred on a rainy day. [206]
Abu al-Zubayr said: This happened when we set out for the campaign of Tabuk.
EXPLANATION
The jurists differed regarding combining prayers due to rain. Imam Malik and Ahmad ibn Hanbal permitted combining Dhuhr and Asr, and Maghrib and Isha, unconditionally on a rainy day. They say that if it continues to rain at the beginning of each prayer, it is permissible according to al-Shafi’i and Sauri. Abu Hanifa and Awza'i say that prayers cannot be combined due to rain; each should be performed in its proper time. (‘Awn al-Ma’bud, vol. 1, p. 469)
It is narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, combined the Dhuhr and ‘Asr prayers, and the Maghrib and ‘Isha’ prayers, while in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, when there was neither fear nor rain.
It was asked Ibn ‘Abbas, what was the intention of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in combining them? He replied: “He did not want to cause hardship for his community.” [207]
According to the narration of Nafi and Abdullah ibn Waqid, may Allah be pleased with them: The mu’adhdhin of Ibn Umar said, “The time for prayer.” Ibn Umar told him, "Go, go." And he descended when the light had not yet disappeared, and performed the evening (prayer). Then he waited until the light vanished, performed the night (prayer), and said, “When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had a pressing matter, he would act as I have acted.” Ibn Umar then traveled three days’ journey by day and night.
It is related from Ibn Jabir that the meaning of the preceding hadith was narrated. Abu Dawud said: Abdullah ibn Ala transmitted this hadith from Nafi’, who said: It descended at the time when twilight vanishes, combining the afternoon and night prayers.
It is narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would sometimes combine the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, and the Maghrib and Isha prayers, in Madinah, seven or eight times. The narrators Sulayman and Musaddad did not mention this phrase.
Abu Dawud said: Salih (bin Nebhan), the freed slave of Umayya bin Halaf’s daughter Taw’ima, narrated this hadith from Ibn ‘Abbas, saying, “During times when it was not raining.”
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: One day, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) was in Mecca when the sun set. He combined the afternoon and evening prayers at a place called Serif.
Hisham ibn Sa'd, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The distance between Mecca and Jerusalem is ten miles.
Rabi'ah (may Allah be pleased with her) wrote to me, relating that Abdullah bin Dinar informed her that he was in the company of Abdullah ibn Umar as the sun set. They continued on their way and when the darkness increased, they said, "As-salat" (referring to the prayer). (Ibn Umar) continued until the evening light disappeared and the stars appeared. Then he dismounted and combined the Maghrib and Isha prayers. And he said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah perform the prayer in this manner when travelling quickly.” He would combine these two prayers after nightfall.
Abu Dawud said: Asim bin Muhammad also narrated it from his brother, who narrated it from Salim. Ibn Abu Najih related from Ismail ibn Abdurrahman ibn Zubayr from Ibn Umar that combining the Maghrib and Isha prayer was after the evening light had disappeared.
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) relates: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) would delay the midday prayer until before the sun's decline, and then descend to combine it with the afternoon prayer. If the sun had already begun to set before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) moved, he would perform the midday prayer, then mount [his conveyance] and depart.
Abu Dawud says: Among the narrators is Mufaddal, who was a judge in Egypt; he is a person whose prayers are accepted. He is the son of Fazala.
Ukayl has narrated this hadith through the same chain of transmitters, and he said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, would postpone the evening prayer until the light of the dusk began to fade, so that he could combine it with the night prayer. [210]
Muaz ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) during the campaign of Tabuk, if he set out before the sun declined in the west, would postpone the Dhuhr prayer to combine it with the Asr prayer and perform them together. If he set out after the sun had declined in the west, he would combine the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, then proceed on his journey. If he set out before the evening prayer, he would postpone the Maghrib prayer until he could combine it with the Isha’ prayer. And if he set out after sunset, he would hasten the Isha’ prayer and perform it together with the Maghrib prayer.
Abu Dawud said: No one narrated this hadith except Kutayba.