Jama’ – Combining Prayers
The Narrations on Joining Prayers While Resident
Question:
In Sahih Muslim there are about 10 ahadith on combining prayers while a resident (i.e. not travelling, raining, or fear). I have heard that travel, rain, and fear were the only reasons for which we are allowed to join prayers. Is it permissible to do this and under which circumstances? How are these ahadith understood by the ulama? JazakAllah khair.
Country: Saudi Arabia
Answer:
Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuHu,
The relied-upon opinion in the Shafi’i School is that prayers may be combined for rain or travel; but combining for reasons such as illness, fear, etc. is not permissible. (al-Hawashy al-Madaniyyah 2/54; Kifayat al-Akhyar 193; Minhaj al-Talibin w/ Khatib 1/529, 533)
There are narrations that the Prophet Muhammad would combine prayers in Medina without a reason such as fear, travel, or rain. (Sahih Muslim 5/938-940)
Here, three views will be mentioned:
1) Some authorities understood these to establish it being permissible to combine prayers due to an illness; this is Imam Nawawi’s preferred view. Adhra’i mentioned that it is also related from Imam Shafi’i in Mukhtasar al-Muzani. Zarkashi reports Imam Shafi’i to have held two views [qawlayn] regarding this issue.
Also, the Prophet Muhammad is reported to have instructed that a woman with irregular vaginal discharge may combine prayers. Sulayman al-Kurdi mentioned that some of the As-hab, like Khattabi, Qadi Husayn, Ruyani, Mawardi, Darimi, and others, maintained this view; and irregular vaginal discharge is a type of illness. Others ascribed this view to the As-hab without specifying irregular vaginal discharge, but rather illness without qualification.
Analogously, illness allows one to break the fast, similar to traveling; therefore, combining prayers should be permitted due to illness. And likewise other difficulties warrant combining prayers, such as rain; in fact, an illness can be more of a difficulty than walking for prayer in the rain. (Kifayat al-Akhyar p. 173-174; al-Mawahib al-Madaniyyah 248; Rawdat al-Talibin 1/503)
2) Some other authorities understood the narrations more literally. Mohammad b. Sirin, Imam Malik’s student Ash-hab, a group of scholars from Ahl al-Hadith, and Abu Is-haq al-Marwazi opined that prayers may be combined while resident without a specific reason. Ibn al-Mundhir preferred this view.
This is supported by a literal understanding of the narrations along with what Ibn Jubayr asked Ibn ‘Abbas as to why the Prophet Muhammad had done so; to which Ibn ‘Abbas replied, “He desired that he not make things difficult on his ummah.” Thus, Ibn ‘Abbas did not explain the Prophet Muhammad’s action as being for a specific reason. (Kifayat al-Akhyar 174; al-Mawahib al-Madaniyyah 248; Sharh Sahih Muslim 5/938-41)
3) The relied-upon opinion in the Shafi’i School, as mentioned above, is that prayers may be combined for rain or travel; but combining for reasons such as illness, fear, etc. is not permissible.
And Allah knows best.
Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.
Read MoreCombining Salah if it Rained Prior to Maghrib though Stopped During Maghrib
Question:
Regarding combining salaah can you combine it if it had rained before magrib namaz but when namaz had started it had stopped but the floor out side was wet secondly how long most the rain rain for before we can combine them jazakallah kare
Answer:
It is permissible for a resident non-traveler to join between prayers on account of certain weather conditions, like rain, snow, hail, etc. Snow and hail are considered when they liquefy enough to make one’s garment wet. One may only join in the first prayers time. Accordingly, zuhr and asr (or the Friday prayer and asr) may be joined in zuhr’s time and maghrib and isha in maghrib’s time. This is Imam Shafi’s opinion in the qawl jadid. According to the qawl qadim, one may join in either the first or the second time. This opinion has also been transmitted in his Imla. (Mughni al-Muhtaj 1/534)
The weather condition must be present at the beginning of the first prayer. And, according to the relied-upon opinion [al-asahh], it must be present at the conclusion of the first prayer. There is also an opinion [muqabil al-asahh] that the presence of rain is not stipulated at the time of concluding the first prayer. There is no problem if the rain cedes during the prayer’s performance. (Ibid)
If it was raining at the time of the beginning of the maghrib prayer and at the time of its end [salam], then it was done correctly according to the relied-upon view [al-asahh]. If it was raining at the beginning only, then according to another opinion in the Shafi School [muqabil al-asahh] it was done correctly.
Allah knows best.
Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.
Read MoreThe Pre-Conditions of Combining Prayer (Jama') in Rain
The Shafi’i school states that combining the prayers (jama‘), whether Thuhr or ‘Asr or Maghrib and ‘Isha’, when it is raining is permissible (ja’iz) in the law, and a divine dispensation (rukhsah). However, they are not unanimous regarding the shuroot (conditions) that are needed for it to be valid. This article will discuss the disagreements.
Ibn Naqib Al-Masri stipulates the following conditions for the validity ofJama‘ (combining prayers) at the time of rain:
- The rain is strong enough to wet one’s garment.
- With the condition that he INTENDS to make jama’ah in the Masjid.
- The Masjid is far.
- It is raining when the first prayer begins and it ends, and when the 2nd prayer begins. Then he mentions that the conditions mentioned for travelling (i.e. those not specifically for travel such as distance etc, are also conditions)
- That the first prayer be prayed first (e.x.: thuhr before ‘asr )
- the intent exists for joining before the end of the first prayer.
- That one not seperate the two prayers by waiting between them, however if the seperation is short then it is forgiven.
[See Reliance of the Traveller 15.10, 15.14 (pages 194-196)]
- Qadi Husayn and Mutawalli1 stipulate the condition that the shoes become wet (not the garment – thobe).
- Taqiyud-din Al-Hisni stipulates that the rain be present at the time of the end of the Salams for the first prayer “as stated by the ‘Iraqi jurists” and this is the “correct opinion” in his view. However he does state that there is a minor opinion of this not being conditional.2
- Imam Abi Shuja’ in his “Matn” (Ghayatul-Ikhtisar) stipulates that it be at the first Salah time they be combined, not at the second. and Taqiy-ud-din calls this the Ath-har (lit. most manifest) opinion. The other view is that is permitted and this is do to the qiyas (the analogy) that it is the same as travelling. Those who disagree state that analogy can not be made between the two issues, as rain is not in the ‘hand’ of the one praying, whereas it is in the hand of the one travelling.
Imam An-Nawawi stipulates the following in his Minhaj:
“And it is permitted to combine the prayers in rain praying them at an early time (i.e. praying the second prayer early), and in the ‘new school’ it is forbidden to pray it in its later time (i.e. for jama’), and the condition for praying it at an early time is that [the rain is] present at the time of the first prayer. The most correct view is that its conditional that it be present at the time at the end of the salams. Snow and hail are just like [the ruling of] rain if it is pouring. And the Ath-har (and he states Asa-hh – most correct view in Rawdat at talibin) is that this dispensation is for those who are going for prayer in jama’ah at the masjid that is far off and the rain creates difficulty for him in his path [to the masjid].”
Imam Al-Khatib Ash-Shirbini mentions a second opinion in his Mughni al-Muhtaj after mentioning the words of An-Nawawi regarding it be specific to the one going to the masjid: “And the second view is that it is an absolute dispensation.”3
May Allah shower His blessing on the Prophet Muhammad, his family, his followers. Amin!
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