Anas reported that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had to set out on a journey hurriedly, he delayed the noon prayer to the earlier time for the afternoon prayer, and then he would combine them, and he would delay the sunset prayer to the time when the twilight would disappear and then combine it with the 'Isha' prayer.
The Book of Prayer - Travellers
Sahih Muslim 704 c
Hadith Text
Anas reported that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had to set out on a journey hurriedly, he delayed the noon prayer to the earlier time for the afternoon prayer, and then he would combine them, and he would delay the sunset prayer to the time when the twilight would disappear and then combine it with the 'Isha' prayer.
Scholarly Commentary
This noble hadith establishes the permissibility of jam' al-taqdim (advancing combination) and jam' al-ta'khir (delaying combination) during travel. The Prophet (ﷺ) demonstrated both forms: combining Dhuhr with 'Asr by praying them together during 'Asr time (jam' al-ta'khir), and combining Maghrib with 'Isha by delaying Maghrib until 'Isha time (jam' al-ta'khir).
This ruling applies specifically to travelers, as indicated by the condition "when he had to set out on a journey hurriedly." The scholars differ regarding the minimum distance required for travel concessions, with the predominant opinion being approximately 48 miles (80 km). The wisdom behind this concession is to alleviate hardship upon the Ummah while maintaining the obligation of prayer.
Note that combining prayers does not mean shortening them - each prayer remains complete in its rak'ahs. This combination is a mercy from Allah to His servants, demonstrating the flexibility and practicality of Islamic legislation in accommodating genuine human needs without compromising religious obligations.