Written by: Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amani Puri
Question:
What is the ruling on combining two prayers during rain?
Answer:
It is permissible to combine two prayers during rain, as evidenced by:
◈ Imam of the Imams, Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) states:"Scholars of Hijaz are unanimous that it is permissible to combine two prayers during rain."
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 85/2]
◈ Saeed bin Jubair (may Allah have mercy on him) relates that the Companion of the Prophet, Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) combined the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, and the Maghrib and Isha prayers in Madinah, without any fear or rain (in one narration: without fear or travel). Saeed bin Jubair asked Ibn Abbas: Why did he do that? He replied: To avoid hardship for his Ummah."
[Sahih Muslim: 54/705, 50]
Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) also said:"I prayed in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in Madinah, eight rak'ahs combining Dhuhr and Asr, and seven rak'ahs combining Maghrib and Isha."
[Sahih Bukhari: 543, 1174; Sahih Muslim: 55/705]
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 AH) states:"The combination mentioned by Ibn Abbas was neither due to fear nor rain. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) derived from this that combining prayers in fear and rain is even more permissible. The discussion indicates that combining prayers in these circumstances is more justified, and this is an alert through action. If the combination is to lift the hardship caused without fear, rain, or travel, then removing hardship for these reasons is more appropriate, and combining prayers due to fear, rain, or travel is more permissible than combining for other reasons."
[Majmu' al-Fatawa: 76/24]
◈ The Hadith scholar of the era, Allama Albani (may Allah have mercy on him), in his commentary on the words of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) “without fear or rain,” states:"This implies that combining prayers due to rain was known during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). If it were not so, there would be no benefit in negating rain as a justified reason for combining."
[Irwa al-Ghalil: 3/40]
◈ Nafi', the freed slave of Ibn Umar (may Allah have mercy on him), reports:"When it was a rainy night, our leaders would delay the Maghrib prayer and hasten the Isha prayer before the twilight disappeared. Ibn Umar would pray with them and did not see any issue in it. Ubaidullah states: I saw Qasim and Salim (may Allah have mercy on them) praying with them and combining the Maghrib and Isha in such a night."
[Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik: 331; As-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: 168/3, and its chain is authentic]
◈ Hisham bin Urwah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates:"I saw Aban bin Uthman (may Allah have mercy on him) combining Maghrib and Isha prayers on a rainy night. Urwah bin Zubair, Saeed bin al-Musayyib, Abu Bakr bin Abdur-Rahman, and Abu Salamah bin Abdur-Rahman (may Allah have mercy on them) did not object to it."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 234/2; As-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: 168/3, 169, and its chain is authentic]
◈ Abdurrahman bin Harmalah (may Allah have mercy on him) states:"I saw Imam Saeed bin al-Musayyib praying with the leaders, combining Maghrib and Isha prayers on a rainy night."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 234/2, and its chain is sound]
◈ Abu Mawdood, Abdul Aziz bin Abu Sulaiman (may Allah have mercy on him) says:"I prayed with Abu Bakr bin Muhammad, combining Maghrib and Isha prayers on a rainy night."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 234/2, and its chain is sound]
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 AH) mentions:"These traditions indicate that combining prayers due to rain is an old practice, observed in Madinah during the time of the Companions and the Tabi'un (followers of the Companions). Moreover, no one among the Companions or Tabi'un has been reported to object to this. This confirms that the permissibility of combining prayers in such conditions was conveyed by them through tawatur (multiple and successive reports)."
[Majmu' al-Fatawa: 83/24]
◈ Abdul Shakoor Lakhnavi, Farooqi, Deobandi writes:"According to Imam Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him), it is permissible to pray two prayers together during travel and rain, and the apparent Ahadith also indicate this. Therefore, if a Hanafi needs to do so, it is permissible."
[Ilm al-Fiqh, Part Two, p. 150]
↰ Note that in the case of rain, both combining prayers in advance and delaying them is permissible. Combining in advance is easier, and the apparent combination can also be chosen.
Question:
What is the ruling on combining two prayers during rain?
Answer:
It is permissible to combine two prayers during rain, as evidenced by:
◈ Imam of the Imams, Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) states:"Scholars of Hijaz are unanimous that it is permissible to combine two prayers during rain."
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 85/2]
◈ Saeed bin Jubair (may Allah have mercy on him) relates that the Companion of the Prophet, Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) combined the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, and the Maghrib and Isha prayers in Madinah, without any fear or rain (in one narration: without fear or travel). Saeed bin Jubair asked Ibn Abbas: Why did he do that? He replied: To avoid hardship for his Ummah."
[Sahih Muslim: 54/705, 50]
Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) also said:"I prayed in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in Madinah, eight rak'ahs combining Dhuhr and Asr, and seven rak'ahs combining Maghrib and Isha."
[Sahih Bukhari: 543, 1174; Sahih Muslim: 55/705]
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 AH) states:"The combination mentioned by Ibn Abbas was neither due to fear nor rain. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) derived from this that combining prayers in fear and rain is even more permissible. The discussion indicates that combining prayers in these circumstances is more justified, and this is an alert through action. If the combination is to lift the hardship caused without fear, rain, or travel, then removing hardship for these reasons is more appropriate, and combining prayers due to fear, rain, or travel is more permissible than combining for other reasons."
[Majmu' al-Fatawa: 76/24]
◈ The Hadith scholar of the era, Allama Albani (may Allah have mercy on him), in his commentary on the words of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) “without fear or rain,” states:"This implies that combining prayers due to rain was known during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). If it were not so, there would be no benefit in negating rain as a justified reason for combining."
[Irwa al-Ghalil: 3/40]
◈ Nafi', the freed slave of Ibn Umar (may Allah have mercy on him), reports:"When it was a rainy night, our leaders would delay the Maghrib prayer and hasten the Isha prayer before the twilight disappeared. Ibn Umar would pray with them and did not see any issue in it. Ubaidullah states: I saw Qasim and Salim (may Allah have mercy on them) praying with them and combining the Maghrib and Isha in such a night."
[Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik: 331; As-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: 168/3, and its chain is authentic]
◈ Hisham bin Urwah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates:"I saw Aban bin Uthman (may Allah have mercy on him) combining Maghrib and Isha prayers on a rainy night. Urwah bin Zubair, Saeed bin al-Musayyib, Abu Bakr bin Abdur-Rahman, and Abu Salamah bin Abdur-Rahman (may Allah have mercy on them) did not object to it."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 234/2; As-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: 168/3, 169, and its chain is authentic]
◈ Abdurrahman bin Harmalah (may Allah have mercy on him) states:"I saw Imam Saeed bin al-Musayyib praying with the leaders, combining Maghrib and Isha prayers on a rainy night."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 234/2, and its chain is sound]
◈ Abu Mawdood, Abdul Aziz bin Abu Sulaiman (may Allah have mercy on him) says:"I prayed with Abu Bakr bin Muhammad, combining Maghrib and Isha prayers on a rainy night."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 234/2, and its chain is sound]
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 AH) mentions:"These traditions indicate that combining prayers due to rain is an old practice, observed in Madinah during the time of the Companions and the Tabi'un (followers of the Companions). Moreover, no one among the Companions or Tabi'un has been reported to object to this. This confirms that the permissibility of combining prayers in such conditions was conveyed by them through tawatur (multiple and successive reports)."
[Majmu' al-Fatawa: 83/24]
◈ Abdul Shakoor Lakhnavi, Farooqi, Deobandi writes:"According to Imam Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him), it is permissible to pray two prayers together during travel and rain, and the apparent Ahadith also indicate this. Therefore, if a Hanafi needs to do so, it is permissible."
[Ilm al-Fiqh, Part Two, p. 150]
↰ Note that in the case of rain, both combining prayers in advance and delaying them is permissible. Combining in advance is easier, and the apparent combination can also be chosen.