Shortening the Prayers (At-Taqseer) - Sahih al-Bukhari 1112

This narration from our beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) establishes the legal precedent for combining prayers during travel. The wisdom behind this divine concession (rukhṣah) demonstrates Allah's mercy upon His servants, easing the difficulties of journey while maintaining the obligation of prayer.

Timing and Conditions for Prayer Combination

When the Prophet began his journey before midday (zawāl), he would delay Dhuhr until the time of ʿAṣr, then combine them as jamʿ taʾkhīr (delayed combination). This indicates that the traveler has the option to combine either at the time of the first prayer (jamʿ taqdīm) or the second prayer (jamʿ taʾkhīr).

When the sun had already declined (meaning Dhuhr time had begun) before departure, he would pray Dhuhr first then travel. This shows the importance of praying at the proper time when circumstances permit, and only utilizing the concession when necessary.

Scholarly Interpretation

Imam al-Nawawi explains that this hadith proves the permissibility of combining Dhuhr and ʿAṣr during travel, whether one is actually moving or stationary during the combination. The wisdom is to relieve the ummah of hardship.

Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī states that the majority of scholars permit combining prayers while traveling based on this and similar authentic narrations. The minimum distance that qualifies as travel for this concession is approximately 48 miles (80 km) according to most madhāhib.

Practical Application

The traveler may combine Dhuhr with ʿAṣr and Maghrib with ʿIshāʾ, either by advancing the second prayer or delaying the first. This concession applies throughout the journey until the traveler returns home or intends to reside in a place for more than four days.

This divine mercy allows the Muslim traveler to maintain their prayer obligations without excessive difficulty, reflecting the balanced nature of Islamic law which considers both spiritual obligations and practical circumstances.