Combining Maghrib & Isha in Summer Months?

[The stated article mentions that:]

Ibn Abbas RA said, “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has often combined the noon and the mid afternoon prayers, and combined the sunset and the nightfall prayers, for no fear or travel.” In another version, “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) combined noon and mid afternoon prayers, and combined sunset and nightfall prayers, in Medina, under no circumstances of fear or rain.” Ibn-Abbas was asked, “So, why did he do that? He answered; he (the Prophet) wanted to remove pains and troubles off his nation. In the version of Abdullah, son of Shaqiq: Ibn-Abbas one day delivered a sermon in the afternoon until the sun set and the stars began to appear in the sky, so people kept saying: the prayer! The prayer! And a man from the tribe of Tamim walked towards him and said strongly: the prayer! The prayer! Ibn-Abbas replied: Are you going to teach me the Sunna, what a fool you are! Then he said: I’ve seen the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) combine noon and mid afternoon, and combine sunset and nightfall prayers. The narrator, Abdullah son of Shaqiq, goes on to say: I still felt uneasy, so I went over to Abu-Hurayra (the great companion of the Prophet) and asked him about that and he confirmed the validity of what Ibn-Abbas said. [Refer to Sahih Muslim].

This hadith is the one that cause the disagreement. Ibn Taimiyyah said, “When Ibn Abbas said it was in Medina, it means that the Prophet PBUH was not in any kind of journey.” (Refer to Al-Qaul Al-Mubin fi Akhta’ Al-Musallin, Abu Ubaidah Masyhur bin Hasan bin Mahmood bin Salman, page 422)

Sheikh Mahmood Shaltoot and Mohammad Ali Al-Shayis in Muqaranatul Mazahib fi Al-Fiqh quoted some comments from scholars to show the validity of what Ibn Abbas said. They said, “… If combining prayer in Arafah is permitted to give more chance for pilgrims to increase the supplication and listening the khutbah, then it is also similar to the permissibility of combining the prayer for need, as long as it is not taken as a habit!”

Imam Malik gave a different interpretation by saying, “I believe that the Prophet PBUH combined his prayer as mentioned by Ibn Abbas, because of rain. He made the conclusion of that because Ibn Abbas said “…under no circumstances of fear or travel…”

Nevertheless, what Ibnu Munzir said in Al-Ausath might be the answer to reply what Imam Malik said. Ibnu Munzir said, “If the Prophet PBUH combined the prayer because of rain, then surely Ibnu Abbas would mentioned it as the reason why combining the prayers was made. Ibn Abbas was among those who with the Prophet PBUH while they combined the prayer so Imam Malik’s doubt could not be accepted.

Another imam, Ibn-Shibrima, was quoted as saying the same opinion. Ibn-Hajar in his book Fat’h Al-Bari, a commentary on Sahih Al-Bukhari, says several imams of jurisprudence had the opinion that the tradition in question may be applied literally, hence they held it permissible for any Muslim to combine prayers while in residence for whatever genuine need without restrictions, but on the condition of not taking it as a habit in itself. Those imams include Ibn-Sireen, Rabi’a, Ash-hab, Ibn-Al-Mundhir and Al-Qaffal Al-Qabir.

As a conclusion we have here an authentic hadith (tradition) that no one has ever questioned its authenticity. It was narrated by Ibn-Abbas and confirmed by Abu-Hurayra. It was further put into practice by Ibn-Abbas. He invoked it to respond to those who objected to his delaying the performance of sunset prayer in excess of its time limit.

In Subulus Salaam, there is also another reason why some scholars refuse the permissibility of combining the prayer caused by genuine need. It was said that the practice was done not as a real combination between two prayers. It was just illustrated or Shuwari. It means that although the practice was seen as combining the two prayers but it was actually not. The first prayer was performed at the end of the time and immediately after that, the time for the next prayer begins and it was performed instantly without delay.

Sheikh Mahmood Shaltoot and Muhammad Ali Al-Shayis in Muqaranatul Mazahib fi Al-Fiqh refused this opinion. Ibnu Abbas had already explained in the hadith that the purpose of combining the prayer was the Prophet PBUH wanted to remove pains and troubles off his nation. To wait until then end of the first prayer and perform the next one immediately without delay is not something easy and will not suit the purpose.

As a conclusion, combining the sunset and night prayer is permissible as long as it is not being taken as a habit. People are asked to go to work early in the morning, so how come we demand them to stay up in order to catch up with the time for nightfall prayer, which entails a big measure of unease. Permissibility even applies to combining prayers during winter too in those countries, due to the too short daytime and the difficulty of performing each prayer in time by workers, except at a great pain and unease, which should be removed.

What I would like to emphasis here is scholars who are disagreeing among themselves are so committed with the manners of disagreement. No one hurts another and the unity of Muslims is always in a safe hand. I have consulted some scholars and their responds was so amazing. Many of them asked me, who are the scholars that give the fatwa of the permissibility? After I mentioned several names, they advised me to follow the fatwa as those scholars are actually investigated by themselves the situation Muslims are facing here in the West, so they know the background and the fundamental of the issue.

We will always aware about the attendance of Maghreeb and Isha’ prayer in our mosque which –Alhamdulillah- is increasing from one day to another. If the majority of the regular attendance face difficulties to attend the Isha’ prayer, then we might take the step to combine the prayer and we’ll try to keep the prayer on time during the weekends. But I would really like to make it clear here that no one should hurt another regarding the disagreement. When some of the Companions broke their fast while others kept fasting during a journey with the Prophet PBUH, it was clearly stated that no one among those who fast underestimated those who broke their fast.

This also should never being seen as to so-called play with the Shariah. The Prophet Muhammad PBUH always said yasseeru wa la tu’asseeru (make thing easy and don’t make the opposite). For all the commandments, which are clearly stated in the Quran and the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, we will never compromise to change. Islam is not a wishy-washy religion. Like hijab, bring as many scholars as you want from every single corner of the earth to say that hijab is not compulsory, we will never say it is an option. Let our women fear to Allah and understand that every single hair exposed, will be a burden and burnt.

May Allah show and lead us to the right path and include us among those who listen to the guidance and follow the best. Ameen.

Assalamu alaikum,

This is basically a Salafi/modernist position. It is also a good example of the kinds of strange conclusions one reaches by not following the scholarly bases of the sunni path.

1. Ubaidah Masyhur bin Hasan bin Mahmood bin Salman [=Mashhur Hasan Salman] is a Jordanian Salafi. He is not a faqih.

2. Sh. Mahmoud Shaltut is well known as having been a modernist Azhari, with many reformist and untenable stances.

3. If scholars mention the positions of individual early Muslims, it does not mean that they agree or that these are valid to follow.

4. This is not supported by any of the 4 madhhabs.

5. Who are the major traditional madhhabi fuqaha of our times who allow this?

Ibn Qudama said, in response to the hadith mentioned from Ibn Abbas (Allah be well pleased with him) that, “The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to combine Zuhr and Asr, and Maghrib and Isha, without fear or rain,” that the proof against this (i.e. against understanding it with its outward purport) are the general hadiths about the timings of prayer. He said that,

“… Its is possible that he performed the first prayer towards the end of its time and the second at the beginning of its time, because `Amr ibn Dinar, who reported of this hadith, from Jabir ibn Zayd, from Ibn Abbas, said, “I believe he delayed Zuhr and hastened Asr, and he delayed Maghrib and hastened Isha…” (al-Mughni)

Imam al-Nawawi said in his al-Majmu` Sharh al-Muhadhdhab[4: 264]

(Item: The positions on combining prayers while resident, without fear, travel or rain.) Our madhhab (i.e. the Shafi`i madhha) and the madhhab of Abu Hanifa, Malik, and Ahmad, and the overwhelming majority of the scholars is that it is not valid…

6. Prayer calendars inevitably give the late isha time, which is when the whiteness in the sky disappears. This is, in fact, only the position of Abu Hanifa. The position of Abu Yusuf and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan (his main students), and Imams al-Shafi`i, Malik, and Ahmad, is that isha time comes in when the redness in the sky disappears. This is significantly earlier than the former time. [see below] According to Sayyidi Mostafa Azzam, a friend and committed Shafi`i, based on actual sighting, the earlier isha time (=when the redness in the sky disappears) occurs at around 12 or 13 degrees. Thus, if you take an 18 degree-based prayer time table, the earlier Isha time comes after 2/3 of the stated time for maghrib has passed. If we take the example of Belfast, N. Ireland: Belfast Prayer Times:

Today’s Prayer Times

Maghrib is at 9:45. Isha is at 11:50. There are 125 minutes between the two 2/3 of the time between the two is 83 min = 1 hr, 23 min. Therefore, the earlier Isha time is 11:07. This is not unduly late.

Wassalam,
Faraz.