They Combined the Zuhr and 'Asr Prayers due to Rainfall, then the Rain Stopped

Question :

The Permanent Committee for Religious Research and Legal Rulings reviewed the following request for a ruling, which contained a question regarding congregational prayers:

If they combined 'Asr and Zuhr prayers, praying them both at Zuhr time, and they also performed Isha' and Maghrib prayers in a like manner, due to rainfall at Zuhr or Maghrib time; then the rain stopped, either at Zuhr time, or 'Isha' time - should the 'Asr or 'Isha' prayers be repeated, or not?

Answer:

The scholars may Allah have mercy on them have mentioned that rain which is sufficient to wet the clothes and cause discomfort is a valid excuse for joining the prayers. They agreed that it is permissible to combine the 'Isha' and Maghrib prayers due to rain which wets the clothes, based upon the narration attributed to Abu Salamah bin 'Abdur- Rahman, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

"It is a part of the Sunnah, on days when it is raining, for us to combine the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers." (Narrated by Al- Athram)

Al-Bukhari narrates that the Messenger of Allah combined the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers on a rainy night. As for combining Zuhr and 'Asr prayers, scholars are divided as to its permissibility. Some of them permit it, citing as evidence the narration of Al-Hasan bin Wadhdhah, from Musa bin 'Uqbah, from Nafi', from Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet combined the Zuhr and Asr prayers in Al- Madinah when it was raining. This view was the choice of Al- Qadhi and Abu Al-Khattab, and it is the Mathhab of Ash- Shafi'i.

Some of the scholars held the view that combining Zuhr and 'Asr prayers due to rain is not permissible, because the license to do so was only reported regarding Maghrib and 'Isha' and because hardship at this time is greater. Ibn Qudamah - may Allah have mercy on him - said in Al-Mughni:

"As for combining Zuhr and Asr, it is not permissible. Al- Athram said: 'It was said to Abu Abdullah: (What of) combining the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers? He said: 'No, I have not heard (of it).' And this was the view preferred by Abu Bakr and Ibn Hamid, and it was the opinion of Malik."

Then after mentioning the opinions in support of combining the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers, he said:

"And we hold that the evidence for combining the prayers which we have mentioned - the saying of Abu Salamah and the consensus of opinion - have not been reported except regarding Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers; and their Hadith is not authentic, because it is not mentioned in the Sahih books of Hadith or the Sunan. As for Ahmad's saying: "I have not heard (of it)." - it proves that it is nothing. Nor is it correct to make an analogy with the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers, because there exists in them (i.e. at that time of night) hardship, due to darkness and potential danger. Nor is it correct to make an analogy with travelling, because its hardship is caused by the journey and lack of company... and that does not exist here."

One of the conditions of acceptance for combining two prayers is the presence of some license for combining them during the beginning of the first prayer, its completion, and the beginning of the second prayer. Thus, if the license which was present at the start of the first prayer is broken after the start of the first prayer, and during the combining of the two prayers that is, at the end of the first prayer and the beginning of the second, its absence will not cause harm during the rest of the prayers.

Therefore, it is clear that 'Asr prayer, for those who permit combining it with Zuhr prayer, and likewise 'Isha' prayer for those who permit joining it with the Maghrib prayer due to rain, need not be repeated if the license no longer exists after it has begun, since it existed when the combined prayers were begun. And through Allah is attained success. And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.