The ruling on combining the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, as well as the Maghrib and Isha prayers, is that it is permissible to combine Dhuhr and Asr, as well as Maghrib and Isha, on the condition that there is a clear separation between them, just as it is jurisprudentially recommended to perform each prayer at its specific time.
Contents:
- Opinion of the Shia Imamis
- Evidence from the Quran
- Evidence from the Prophetic Sunnah according to the Sunni narrations
- Evidence for the permissibility of combining prayers from the traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them)
1. Opinion of the Shia Imamis
The reasoning behind the legislation of combining prayers is based on authentic traditions narrated from the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), in addition to explicit traditions permitting the combination of prayers without any excuse in places other than Arafat and Muzdalifah, as narrated by Sunni scholars and their narrators, as well as Shia narrators and their scholars. Due to the permissibility of combining prayers according to the Imami Shia jurists, followers of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) usually combine prayers by performing the delayed prayer first and then the subsequent one in the case of Dhuhr-Asr and Maghrib-Isha.
The permissibility of combining Dhuhr and Asr, as well as Maghrib and Isha, is a consensus among all Islamic jurists. They allow combining Dhuhr and Asr in Arafat during the Hajj pilgrimage as an advanced combination and Maghrib and Isha in Muzdalifah as a delayed combination. Moreover, a significant group of Sunni jurists also permits combining prayers during travel.
The Shia Imami jurists, however, have a broader perspective on this issue and permit the combination of prayers unconditionally based on clear texts, while emphasizing the preference of performing the five prayers at their individual times and advocating for the separation between them.
It is worth noting that the opinion of the permissibility of combining prayers is not exclusive to the Shia, as other Islamic schools also permit it in specific circumstances. However, there are variations in their views on this matter. Some opinions include:
The Hanafi opinion, which restricts combining prayers to Arafat and Muzdalifah during Hajj, and does not generally permit combining prayers during travel.
The Shafi’i and Maliki opinions, which allow combining prayers during travel with some differences regarding specific conditions like rain, mud, fear, and illness.
The Hanbali opinion, which permits combining Maghrib and Isha only, both in advance and delayed, due to severe cold, snow, ice, heavy rain that soaks clothing, and mud.
The Shia Imami opinion is unanimous in permitting the combination of Dhuhr and Asr, as well as Maghrib and Isha, regardless of whether travel, rain, illness, or fear are involved. This is based on the explicit statements of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the infallible Imams from his family (peace be upon them). The following are some of their evidences:
2. Evidence from the Quran
The holy verse: “Establish the prayer at the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night and the Qur’an at dawn. Indeed, the recitation of the Qur’an at dawn is ever witnessed.” (Quran 17:78)
This verse is interpreted to support the permissibility of combining prayers as it covers three prayer times: the decline of the sun (Dhuhr and Asr), the darkness of the night (Maghrib and Isha), and the recitation of the Qur’an at dawn (Fajr).
3. Evidence from the Prophetic Sunnah according to the Sunni narration:
As for the evidence from the noble Prophetic traditions transmitted through Sunni sources, there are many. Examples include:
- Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) prayed Dhuhr and Asr together and Maghrib and Isha together, without fear or travel. (Hadith source: Sahih Bukhari)
- Ibn Abbas also reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) prayed seven or eight units of prayer together in Madinah, including Dhuhr and Asr, and Maghrib and Isha. (Hadith source: Sahih Bukhari)
- Abdullah bin Shuqaiq reported that Ibn Abbas once delivered a sermon after Asr until the sun set and the stars appeared. People were saying, “Prayer, prayer!” Then a man from Banu Tamim, who neither rested nor relaxed during prayer, came to Ibn Abbas and said, “Teach me according to the Sunnah, and I will follow your example.” He then asked, “Did you see the prayer I offered?” Ibn Abbas replied, “Yes, I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) praying Dhuhr and Asr together, and Maghrib and Isha together.” (Hadith Source: Musnad Ahmad)
- Saeed bin Jubair narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) combined prayers during a journey he undertook for the Tabuk expedition. Ibn Abbas said, “I asked him, ‘What led him to do that?’ Ibn Abbas replied, ‘He did not want to put his Ummah in difficulty.’ (Hadith Source: Sahih Muslim)
- Sahl bin Haneef reported that he heard Abu Umamah say, “We prayed Dhuhr with Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, then we went out until we entered upon Anas bin Malik, and we found him praying Asr. I said, ‘O uncle, what is this prayer you have prayed?’ He said, ‘Asr, and this is the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) that we used to pray with him.'” (Hadith source: Sunan Abi Dawood)
These narrations explicitly affirm the permissibility of combining prayers without any specific excuse, contradicting the arguments that seek to limit this practice.
4. Evidence for the permissibility of combining prayers from the traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them):
Regarding the narrations from the infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), indicating the permissibility of combining prayers without any excuse, such as illness, travel, rain, or others, there are numerous examples. Some of them include:
- Zurarah reported from Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) prayed Dhuhr and Asr together without any specific reason, and Maghrib and Isha together before the appearance of twilight, without any excuse, and the Prophet did so to provide ease for his Ummah. (Hadith source: Bihar al-Anwar)
- Is-haq bin Ammar reported from Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) prayed Dhuhr and Asr with one call to prayer and two recitations, and he prayed Maghrib and Isha with one call to prayer and two recitations, all without any specific reason. (Hadith source: Al-Kafi)
- Abdul-Lah bin Sanan narrated from Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) prayed Dhuhr and Asr with one call to prayer and two recitations, and he prayed Maghrib and Isha with one call to prayer and two recitations, without any excuse. (Hadith source: Al-Kafi)
- Abdullah bin Sinaan reported from Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) prayed Dhuhr and Asr together with one call to prayer and two recitations, and Maghrib and Isha together with one call to prayer and two recitations, without any specific reason. (Hadith source: Al-Kafi)
- The Imam Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) prayed Dhuhr and Asr together and Maghrib and Isha together without any excuse.” (Hadith source: Al-Kafi)
These narrations make it clear that combining prayers without a specific excuse is permissible, and there is no valid reason to restrict this practice, as it is consistent with the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).
5. The Wisdom behind the Legislation of Combining Prayers:
The wisdom behind the legislation of combining prayers, as evident from the mentioned traditions, is facilitation and ease. Allah, the Exalted, desires ease for His servants, and Islam seeks to make worship manageable for the believers. The Quran emphasizes the principle of easiness in the following verses: “Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship” (Quran 2:185) and “He has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty” (Quran 22:78).
It is narrated from Imam Ali bin Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) that he used to advise children to combine Maghrib and Isha prayers to facilitate their religious obligations, indicating the intention of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to make things easy for his Ummah.
Therefore, the wisdom behind the legislation of combining prayers is to ease the burden on the believers, especially considering the challenges and commitments people face in various aspects of their lives, including industrial centers where adhering to the fixed prayer times might pose difficulties.
All in all, the permissibility of combining Dhuhr and Asr, as well as Maghrib and Isha, is supported by clear evidence from both Sunni and Shia sources. The practice is not limited to specific circumstances such as travel or illness but is allowed without any particular excuse. The intention behind this permissibility is to make worship easy for the Ummah, consistent with the overarching principle of ease in Islamic teachings.
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