Joining Prayers Due to Rain

When joining two prayers due to rain, it is only permissible to join at the time of the first of them [1], and only when satisfying these conditions:

1. It should actually be raining:

i. at the start of the first prayer (e.g. dhuhr);

ii. when making salams from it;

iii. and when starting the joined prayer (e.g. asr).

If it is not raining during any one of these three times, it is not permissible to join prayers in our school. I am not aware of any position in our school that permits joining when one [m: merely] expects rain.

2. [m: The prayers] should be offered in a group at a place of congregation, such as a masjid or musalla. If one prays alone, even if in a masjid, it’s not permissible to join. The same holds if he prays alone or in a group at home or at work without going to a place of congregation: it is not permissible join.

3. The place of congregation must be far to the point where the rain causes one discomfort on his way there.

4. There should be nothing that protects one from the rain, such as a covered walkway or umbrella. From this, it is known that it is not permissible for one to join prayers if he comes to the congregational prayer in a car such that he is not caused discomfort by the rain.

Notes

[m:

[1] Joining two prayers means praying two compulsory prayers at the time of one of them. It is only permissible to join dhuhr with asr and maghrib with isha, and only when certain conditions are satisfied. The situations that allow joining prayers are two: travel and rain. When traveling, it is often permissible to join two prayers at the time of the first, such as praying dhuhr and asr at the time of dhuhr or praying maghrib and isha at the time of maghrib; it is also often permissible (during travel) to join two prayers at the time of the second, such praying dhuhr and asr at the time of asr or praying maghrib and isha at the time of isha. However, when joining due to rain, it is only ever permissible to do so at the time of the first prayer. It is not permissible to shorten prayers due to rain.

]

Amjad Rasheed

(Translated by Moustafa Elqabbany)

السؤال : ما شروط الجمع عند المطر ؟ سمعت أنه يجوز الجمع في قولٍ عند الشافعية إن كان المطر متوقعاً ذلك اليوم ، فهل هذا صحيح ؟ الجواب : يجوز الجمعُ تقديماً فقط بين الصلاتين بسبب المطر لكن بشروط : الأول : أن يكون المطر نازلاً بالفعل عند ابتداء الصلاة الأولى كالظهر ، وعند السلام منها ، وعند الشروع في الصلاة المجموعة كالعصر . فلو لم يكن هناك مطر في واحد من هذه المواضع الثلاثة لم يجز الجمع عندنا ، ولا أعلم في مذهبنا قولاً يُجَوِّز الجمعَ عند توقع نزول المطر . الشرط الثاني : أن تُصلى جماعة بموضع الجماعة كالمسجد والمصلى ، فلو صلى منفرداً ولو في المسجد لم يجز الجمع ، وكذا لو صلى في بيته أو مكان عمله منفرداً أو جماعةً دون خروج لموضع الجماعة فلا يجوز الجمع . الثالث : أن يكون موضعُ الجماعة بعيداً بحيث يتأذى المصلي بالمطر في طريقة . الرابع : أن لا يكون في طريقة شيء يقيه المطر كسقف سوق أو مظلة ، وبه يعلم أنه لا يجوز الجمع في المطر لمن يأتي الجماعة بسيارته بحيث لا يتأذى من المطر