The Book of Prayer - Travellers

Author: Sahih Muslim | Hadith Reference: Sahih Muslim 705 a

Hadith Text

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed the noon and afternoon prayers together, and the sunset and Isha' prayers together without being in a state of fear or in a state of journey.

Scholarly Commentary

This narration establishes the permissibility of combining prayers (jam' al-salat) in circumstances other than travel and fear. The scholars have differed in interpreting this hadith. The majority position holds that this refers to combining at the time of the earlier prayer (jam' taqdim) during rainfall or extreme mud, or for one with an illness or pressing need.

Imam al-Nawawi states in his commentary on Sahih Muslim that this demonstrates the flexibility of the Shari'ah. The Hanafis generally restrict combining to Hajj at Arafah and Muzdalifah, while the Malikis permit it for rain and similar hardships. The Shafi'is and Hanbalis have broader permissions for combining due to various forms of hardship.

The wisdom behind this ruling is to remove hardship from the Ummah while maintaining the fundamental obligation of prayer. It is essential to note that this refers to combining with a valid excuse, not mere convenience, and that the prayers remain distinct units performed in sequence.