On combining prayers: Hadith perceptibly slipping toward deviation

[Ruhi_Rose]

“People should normally observe the actual times of Ishaa’ as long as there is no real hardship in doing so. Those who find it extremely difficult may combine Ishaa’ with Maghrib or Maghrib with Isha only when that is necessary. Allah knows best.”

The above statement is according to the Edinburgh Central Mosque.  I agree that in difficult or unusual situations a person can combine Maghrib and Isha and also Dohr and Asr because Allah has already clarified (V.22:78) that He has not placed any hardships in Religion. But the Edinburgh Central Mosque cites the following hadith for its decision, which, if you read carefully, is trying to promote the opposite.

Reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas–may Allah be pleased with him–that the Messenger of Allah–peace and blessings be upon him–combined Zuhr with Asr prayer and combined Maghrib with Ishaa’ prayer in Medina, without being in a state of fear or severe rainfall. It was said to Ibn ‘Abbas: “What did he intend thereby?” He said: “he wanted that his Ummah should not be put to unnecessary hardship.”

I think the Edinburgh Mosque didn’t stop to ponder on this hadith which clearly implies that we can combine our salahs not only in unusual or extraordinary situations, but any time we desire.  The forged hadith claims that the Prophet (pbuh) combined Dohr and Asr, and Maghrib and Isha, during times when there was no fear of the enemy attacking nor any other similar risk and neither was there any inconvenience caused by rainfall.   Doesn’t this very obviously suggest that emergencies and extraordinary situations / circumstances are not the only reasons for combining prayers, rather one can combine prayers whenever they want?

[N. Truth Seeker]

Correct.  The other thing traditionalists insist which I don’t understand .. according to them if for example, someone is combining two salahs, you must offer the fard rakahs one after the other and the nafl or Sunnah rakahs later.  For instance, if combining Maghrib and Isha prayers, you got to offer 3 fard of Maghrib, then 4 fard of Isha.  The 2 nafl rakahs (or call it Sunnah) of Maghrib and Isha should be offered later or any time later.  Why?  What’s the logic behind this?  No one has been able to explain.  If they ever find it necessary, they will invent a hadith to justify it, yet that will be no justification.   According to Quranic principles and logical thinking, this rule makes no sense. 

If someone is in the practice of offering fard rakahs only in all situations, that's a different matter and there's nothing wrong with it as long as they offer their fard sincerely and observe good deeds.  It's up to Allah to Judge.  But if someone also wants to go the extra mile and offer nafl, that's great too.  But why this mandatory traditional rule of offering only fard while combining salah?

[Ruhi_Rose]

Yeah brother ts, that's another senseless traditional concept.  Actually I didn't know of this rule of offering only fard while combining salah until a few months ago when a hadithist sister spoke about it.  I asked her why, she could never come to the point other than beating around the bush.  In any case, I don't follow that rule unless I'm short of time on a day when I need to combine my salah because of a tough schedule.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

That hadith is another one of those counterfeits.  It wants to promote the idea of combining your prayers whenever you wish, not just in specific situations.  Though the Noble Quran does say that there is no hardship in religion and in difficult times we can combine our prayers, the Noble Quran has also mentioned the five specific timings for each of the five salah and we should not be combining our prayers just for the heck of it, for no rhyme or reason, as insinuated in this forged hadith.

Touching on that point raised by brother ts, it seems that this rule of offering fard rakahs first while combining prayers is based on the assumption that people combine prayers only when they are short of time (as sister Ruhi rightly referred) so in such a case just do the fard first.  Of course everyone knows that;  when people don’t have enough time, they make sure they do the fard rakahs, nafl rakahs can be done later.  But shortage of time is not the only reason for combining prayers.  In fact shortage of time is never the reason for combining prayers as there's always plenty of time for the second prayer you combine with the first one. It's only when you shorten your prayers (offer only fard and nafl later) is because of lack of time.  The traditionalists have apparently mixed up shortening of prayers with combining of prayers.  While shortening of prayers is done for lack of time or safety reasons, combining of prayers often has a string of other reasons.

However, coming back to the combining prayers topic, for example you may need to combine Maghrib and Isha in summer because Isha time might be as late as 11 p.m. and you may not be able to stay awake that long for various reasons.  So you offer Maghrib and soon after, Isha.  Another example, you may also require to combine Dohr with Asr if your schedule is such that you won’t get the time to offer Asr as you maybe travelling in your car from one part of the city to another.   In such cases while offering Maghrib or Dohr, you might have enough time (or plenty of time) to comfortably finish the fard and nafl of both prayers.  So, there is no need to delay nafl.  That can be offered right away after the fard rakahs in both prayers, one after another. 

[N. Truth Seeker]

@ Sister Heba, exactly.   If time is short, everyone knows fard has to be done first and nafl any time later.  But they don't see it that way.  Time or no time, they say it's mandatory to only offer fard while combining prayers and nafl later.  You're right, traditional hadithists have mixed up combining of prayers and shortening of prayers which are actually two different aspects.

Supposing I am living in a place where Isha is at 11.30 p.m. and Maghrib is at 10.00.  So I do my Maghrib (fard and nafl) which will take between 10 to 15 minutes.  And then instead of waiting up to 11.30, I do my Isha (fard, nafl as well as the wither) right away which will take another 15 to 20 minutes.  There's no issue of shortage of time here.  Yet the traditionalists won't agree to this method.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Yes, that's their rationale, I've observed it too.  Just ignore those empty headed critters cause it's pointless trying to reason with them.  Allah Almighty knows the truth and that's enough.  Only Allah will preside on the Day of Judgement, not those guys making these purposeless rules nor anyone else.

[N. Truth Seeker]

True sister ..

[Zainab_M]

You guys perceived all of it so accurately, right on the dot.

While that fraudulent hadith is encouraging people to combine prayers whenever they desire regardless of the situation, the traditionalists quote it despite their embarrassment.  If you send a question to them asking if Maghrib and Isha can be combined OR Dohr and Asr can be combined, they will answer that it can be done only in unusual or difficult circumstances. Yet they will quote this hadith which indicates the reverse.   

Jazek'Allah khair sisters and brother for bringing up this point and exposing another forged and discrepant hadith.

[N. Truth Seeker]

You're welcome sister Zainab.

[Ruhi_Rose]

welco sis .... 😐

[Heba E. Husseyn]

While that fraudulent hadith is encouraging people to combine prayers whenever they desire regardless of the situation, the traditionalists quote it despite their embarrassment.  If you send a question to them asking if Maghrib and Isha can be combined OR Dohr and Asr can be combined, they will answer that it can be done only in unusual or difficult circumstances. Yet they will quote this hadith which indicates the reverse.  

Yes, this too is a very common hadithist practice, quoting a hadith in a tafsir despite that hadith saying the opposite of the traditional explanation itself.  It arises out of awkwardnesses felt by traditionalists over hadith discrepancies. This nonsensical approach only deepens the state of confusion among readers.

[Zainab_M]

Precisely .. it only adds to the existing confusion within the hadith institution created by incongruities, deviations and disaccords.