"I saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) delaying the Maghrib prayer till he offered it along with the `Isha' prayer whenever he was in a hurry during the journey." Salim narrated, "Ibn `Umar used to do the same whenever he was in a hurry during the journey." And Salim added, "Ibn `Umar used to pray the Maghrib and `Isha' prayers together in Al-Muzdalifa." Salim said, "Ibn `Umar delayed the Maghrib prayer because at that time he heard the news of the death of his wife Safiya bint Abi `Ubaid. I said to him, 'The prayer (is due).' He said, 'Go on.' Again I said, 'The prayer (is due).' He said, 'Go on,' till we covered two or three miles. Then he got down, prayed and said, 'I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) praying in this way, whenever he was in a hurry during the journey.' `Abdullah (bin `Umar) added, "Whenever the Prophet was in a hurry, he used to delay the Maghrib prayer and then offer three rak`at (of the Maghrib) and perform Taslim, and after waiting for a short while, Iqama used to be pronounced for the `Isha' prayer when he would offer two rak`at and perform Taslim. He would never offer any optional prayer till the middle of the night (when he used to pray the Tahajjud)."
Shortening the Prayers (At-Taqseer) - Sahih al-Bukhari 1091, 1092
This narration from Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) establishes the permissibility of combining prayers during travel, specifically Maghrib and Isha. The Prophet (ﷺ) would delay Maghrib until the time of Isha when journeying, then pray them consecutively with separate iqamah for each.
Scholarly Commentary on Prayer Combination
The practice of jam' at-taqdim (advancing combination) and jam' at-ta'khir (delayed combination) is established through this hadith. Here, the Prophet demonstrates jam' at-ta'khir by postponing Maghrib into Isha's time.
Ibn Umar's adherence to this sunnah, even upon receiving distressing news, shows the companions' commitment to following the Prophet's example in all circumstances.
Methodology of Combined Prayer
The Prophet would pray Maghrib's three rak'at first, complete them with taslim, pause briefly, then pray Isha's two rak'at. This demonstrates that combined prayers remain distinct units - not merged into a single five-rak'at prayer.
The brief interval between prayers allows for clear distinction while maintaining the convenience of combination during travel.
Legal Rulings Derived
Combining prayers is permissible for travelers due to hardship. The traveler may choose which prayer to delay or advance based on circumstance.
The narration also indicates that supererogatory prayers may be omitted during travel until Tahajjud time, showing concessions in worship during journeys.