This article is excerpted from the book Salat al-Mustafa ﷺ by Abu Hamzah Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi.
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed the Dhuhr and ‘Asr prayers together in Madinah without any fear or travel.”
Abu az-Zubair said: I asked Sa‘id why he did that, and he said:
“I asked Ibn Abbas the same question, and he replied:
The Prophet ﷺ intended that no hardship or difficulty should fall upon his Ummah.”
Saheeh Muslim, Book of Travelers’ Prayer, Hadith: 705
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ combined the Dhuhr and ‘Asr, and the Maghrib and ‘Isha prayers in Madinah without fear or rain.”
(According to the narration of Abu Kurayb):
I asked Ibn Abbas why the Prophet ﷺ did that, and he replied:
“So that his Ummah would not face hardship.”
Saheeh Muslim, Book of Travelers’ Prayer, Hadith: 706
➊ Dhuhr and ‘Asr: Delay the Dhuhr prayer and offer it close to the time of ‘Asr, or advance the ‘Asr prayer and perform it closer to Dhuhr.
➋ Maghrib and ‘Isha: Delay the Maghrib prayer and offer it near ‘Isha time, or advance the ‘Isha prayer closer to Maghrib.
Sayyiduna ‘Amr ibn Dinar said:
“I said to Abu al-Sha‘tha’ Jābir ibn Zayd:
O Abu al-Sha‘tha’, I think the Prophet ﷺ delayed the Dhuhr and advanced the ‘Asr, and delayed the Maghrib and advanced the ‘Isha.”
He replied:
“That is also what I believe.”
This demonstrates the practical leniency allowed in the Shari‘ah, showing the Prophet’s mercy and concern to prevent hardship upon his Ummah.
❖ Combining Two Prayers Due to Rain or Another Valid Reason
Islam provides ease and flexibility in times of hardship. When a person is faced with legitimate difficulty, such as rain, illness, or other constraints, it is permissible to combine two prayers.Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed the Dhuhr and ‘Asr prayers together in Madinah without any fear or travel.”
Abu az-Zubair said: I asked Sa‘id why he did that, and he said:
“I asked Ibn Abbas the same question, and he replied:
The Prophet ﷺ intended that no hardship or difficulty should fall upon his Ummah.”
Saheeh Muslim, Book of Travelers’ Prayer, Hadith: 705
❖ Clarification in Another Narration
Another narration of the same incident states:“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ combined the Dhuhr and ‘Asr, and the Maghrib and ‘Isha prayers in Madinah without fear or rain.”
(According to the narration of Abu Kurayb):
I asked Ibn Abbas why the Prophet ﷺ did that, and he replied:
“So that his Ummah would not face hardship.”
Saheeh Muslim, Book of Travelers’ Prayer, Hadith: 706
◈ Method of Combining Two Prayers
If a person needs to combine two prayers due to a valid reason, the following methods apply:➊ Dhuhr and ‘Asr: Delay the Dhuhr prayer and offer it close to the time of ‘Asr, or advance the ‘Asr prayer and perform it closer to Dhuhr.
➋ Maghrib and ‘Isha: Delay the Maghrib prayer and offer it near ‘Isha time, or advance the ‘Isha prayer closer to Maghrib.
Sayyiduna ‘Amr ibn Dinar said:
“I said to Abu al-Sha‘tha’ Jābir ibn Zayd:
O Abu al-Sha‘tha’, I think the Prophet ﷺ delayed the Dhuhr and advanced the ‘Asr, and delayed the Maghrib and advanced the ‘Isha.”
He replied:
“That is also what I believe.”
This demonstrates the practical leniency allowed in the Shari‘ah, showing the Prophet’s mercy and concern to prevent hardship upon his Ummah.
