Answered by: Maulana Muhammad Afzal Hussain
Question
Dear Mufti,
In Hajj, should I pray the Zuhr and Asr prayers together with my group and leaders or should I only pray the Zuhr and wait for the Asr time?
While I was performing Hajj, our Amir explained to us the plan for the group which was to pray them together as the Prophet upon whom be peace did.
But a Maulana on the trip came to some of us after the talk and said that we should only pray the Zuhr.
I followed the Amir as I know from bayans that when you are traveling, you should appoint an Amir and follow him but the other brothers were somewhat upset with us.
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The Hanafis have judged all the narrations on this issue to be based on the method of “apparent combining” (Jam’ al-Suri) not “real combining” (Jam’ al-Haqiqi). What this means is that since we are told to make every prayer on time as Allah said: “Verily, Prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.”[An-Nisa:103]and there are Ahadith of Ibn Mas’ud (RA) which clarifies that the Prophet (SWS), never combined the prayers together (by taking prayer out of its time) except in Arafa and Muzdalifa during the Hajj.
Ahnaf’s opinion is based on the following Ahadith:
- Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (RA) relates:
“I never saw the Messenger of Allah offering any salah, not at its stated time except two; He offered the Magrib and Isha together(at Muzdalifa).”(Sahih al-Bukhari:1682, Sahih Muslim:1289)
- It was narrated that Abdullah (RA) said: ” The Messenger of Allah (SWA) used to offer Salah at their proper time except in Jam (Al-Mujdalifah) and Arafat.” (Sunan An-Nasai:3013)
The author of Al-Hidayah mentioned: “According to Imam Abu Hanifah the preservation of the timings is obligatory on account of the texts (Nusus)” [see: Al-Hidayah, chapter: The Ihram] Therefore, combining prayers is not allowed in the school of Ahnaf apart from Zuhr and Asr in Arafah and Magrib and Isha in Mujdalifah. However, other Madhabs allowed to combine prayers on any journey as some Ahadith has supported their view. So, perhaps your Amir was a follower of other than Hanafi Madhab as he said to combine Zuhr and Asr and Moulana’s opinion was based on the opinion of Ahnaf.
Only Allah Knows Best
Written by Maulana Muhammad Afzal Hussain
Checked and Approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham