Performance of five daily prayers (Salah) is obligatory in Islam: Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha. The time slot for each of these prayers is assigned explicitly in the Quran and Sunnah. Performance of all the prayers at their correct time is also obligatory. The importance of praying at the right time is specifically mentioned and emphasized in different verses of the Quran, such as the 103rd verse of Surah An-Nisa.
Translation
If you are late in performing your service of prayer honour God by remembering Him, standing or sitting or lying on your sides. And when you have security perform your act of prayer befittingly; and praying at fixed hours is prescribed for the faithful.
On the other hand, the Quran also describes that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى does not put such a burden on u, which is beyond our capacity, as mentioned in the first part of the 286th verse of Surah Al-Baqarah.
Translation
God does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.
So, many relaxations and exemptions are granted by Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى in fulfilling the religious obligations, under compelling circumstances, such as performance of tayammam instead of wudu, where water is not available, or exemption from compulsory fasting in Ramadan, if one is sick or is travelling. Similar relaxations in the performance of regular prayers are also available for the travelers, including a reduction in the number of Rakahs and combining different prayers.
The Concept of Combining Prayers – An Insight
Combining two prayers together is a sort of relaxation or concession provided in Islam for those, who are travelling. Out of five regular daily prayers, Fajr is the one, that cannot be combined with any other prayer. The rest of the four can be combined as under:
- Duhr and Asr can be performed together.
- Maghrib and Isha can be performed together.
This relaxation is available only for travelers. Many references about this concession can be found in the Quran and Hadith. The 101st verse of Surah An-Nisa narrates that travelers are allowed to shorten their prayer.
Translation
When you travel in the land there is no sin if you curtail your service of prayer if you fear the unbelievers may harass you, for indeed your open enemies are the infidels.
Although, this verse speaks about the shortening of prayers, while traveling; scholars interpret that it also applies to combining the prayer when traveling because the wisdom behind it is to provide ease and comfort to the travelers. The concept is sufficiently evidenced by many Hadiths and Sunnah, where the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ practically combined Dhuhr with Asr, and Maghrib with Isha, when traveling. Hadith 1107 of Sahih Al-Bukhari narrates this Sunnah of the Prophet as under:
Translation
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to offer the Zuhr and `Asr prayers together on journeys, and also used to offer the Maghrib and `Isha’ prayers together.
Hadith 706b of the Sahih Muslim narrates this Sunnah, with more details as under:
Translation
Mu’adh b. Jabal reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) combined in the expedition to Tabuk the noon prayer with the afternoon prayer and the sunset prayer with the ‘Isha’ prayer. He (one of the narrators) said: What prompted him to do that? He (Mu’adh) replied that he (the Holy Prophet) wanted that his Ummah should not be put to (unnecessary) hardship.
Here, it is specifically mentioned that the Prophet combined Dhuhr with Asr, and Maghrib with Isha, during his journey for the Battle of Tabuk. It is evident that when traveling, the Prophet used to combine prayers. Secondly, he used to do it to avoid unnecessary hardship to his Ummah. It should also be noted that the journey to Tabuk involved a long distance, during which the Prophet joined two prayers together. It means that when traveling, Muslims are allowed to combine two prayers.
The same sunnah also appears in Hadith 1206 of Sunan Abi Dawud. So, the practice of combining two prayers, i.e., Dhuhr with Asr, and Maghrib with Isha, by the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ is sufficiently evidenced from various Hadiths; hence beyond any doubt and confusion.
How to Combine Prayers?
The Islamic jurisprudence, on the basis of various Quranic and Hadith references, had advised a complete procedure on how to combine two prayers. Mainly, there are two ways to combine two prayers:
- Jami’ Taqdeem: It means offering two prayers combined at the time of the earlier prayer. So, if you intend to perform Dhuhr with Asr, you need to perform both at the time of Dhuhr Prayer. Similarly, when performing Maghrib and Isha combinedly, it needs to be done at the time of Maghrib, if following the concept of Jami Taqdeem.
- Jami’ Ta’kheer: The second method of offering two prayers together is known as Jami’ Ta’kheer. It means praying the two Salahs, combinedly, at the time of the later prayer. It means if one wants to perform Dhuhr with Asr, under this concept, he/she can perform it when the time slot of Asr prayer starts. Similarly, Maghrib and Isha can be performed at the time of Isha, under this procedure.
Which Prayer to Perform First?
The most important and relevant point to consider when combining two prayers is to perform both in the correct order. The proper procedure to follow is as under:
- When combining Dhuhr with Asr, no matter whether you follow Jami Taqdeem or Jami Ta’kheer, always perform Dhuhr first. Once Dhuhr is performed, you can then offer Asr prayer.
- Similarly, when combining Maghrib with Isha, you must perform Maghrib first, then Isha.
- If the latter Prayer is offered first, by mistake or due to any other reason, it will be considered invalid. It would need to be repeated after the performance of the earlier prayer. For example, if Isha is performed prior to Maghrib, it will be considered invalid. The reciter needs to perform the Isha prayer again, after reciting Maghrib.
- In any case, there should be no considerable gap between the two prayers. Both must be offered immediately, one after the other.
To avoid confusion, always perform the earlier prayer first, followed by the later prayer, regardless of the situation.
Who is a Traveler?
Travelers are generally of two types. The one who is on the road and the one who has either made a stopover or has reached the destination and intends to stay there for a while. In both situations, the person will be considered a “Traveler” to avail of the relaxation of combining two prayers.
Here, the distance from the hometown is critical to qualify as a “Traveler”. Generally, the majority of scholars hold the view that a person qualifies as a traveler when they travel a minimum distance of 48 Miles or 77 Kilometers from their hometown.
Similarly, the number of days one stays at a particular place, away from their hometown, is also very important to qualify for the status of traveler. The exact number of days differs across the four schools of thought:
- According to the Hanafi school of thought, if you intend to stay away from your hometown for 15 days or less, you are considered a traveler and are allowed to combine prayers. If your stay exceeds 15 days, you will be considered a resident and will not be eligible for the traveler’s relaxation.
- In other schools of thought, such as Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali, the threshold is 4 days, after which the person is considered a resident.
Important: The relaxation of combining two prayers is optional (being a concession). It is not an obligation.
Conclusion
Islam is a religion that offers ease and comfort while fulfilling religious obligations. According to the Quranic verses quoted above, Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى does not burden His servants beyond their capacities. Accordingly, there are so many concessions, relaxations, and exemptions granted by Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى in performance of various religious duties. Combining prayers, Dhuhr with Asr, and Maghrib with Isha, is an example of such relaxation. The purpose of this relaxation is to provide Muslims with an opportunity to perform prayers without fear or tension.
At the same time, it has not been made compulsory; it remains optional. Hence, if one intends to avail of this concession, they can do so. It would also be an act of following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ, as he used to do so while traveling. Another good example of this practice is combining two prayers during the Hajj. They offer Dhuhr and Asr, combinedly at Arafah, and Maghrib and Isha at Muzdalifah, on the 9th of Zilhajj.
