in one of his two views: it is permissible during a short journey; because the people of Makkah combine prayers at 'Arafat and Muzdalifah, which is a short journey. To us, it is a concession established to alleviate hardship during a journey, and thus it is restricted to long journeys, just like shortening prayers (qasr) and wiping over leather socks (mash) for three days. It is also because it involves delaying a worship past its time, thus resembling the breaking of the fast (during Ramadan), and because the evidence for combining is the practice of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and a practice lacks a specific legal formula; it is merely an incident in a particular circumstance, so its ruling is not established except in its like, and it has not been reported that he combined prayers except during a long journey.
Section: It is permissible to combine Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers on account of rain. This is narrated from Ibn 'Umar, and it was practiced by Aban ibn 'Uthman among the people of Madinah. This is the view of the Seven Jurists, Malik, al-Awza'i, al-Shafi'i, and Ishaq, and it is also narrated from Marwan and 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz. The scholars of opinion (ahl al-ra'y) did not permit it.
Section (28): Our evidence is that Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman said: "It is part of the Sunnah, when it is a rainy day, to combine Maghrib and 'Isha'." Recorded by al-Athram. This refers to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Nafi' said: "'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar used to combine [prayers] when the leaders combined Maghrib and 'Isha'." Hisham ibn 'Urwah said: "I saw Aban ibn 'Uthman combine the two prayers on a rainy night; Maghrib and 'Isha', and 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, and Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd al-Rahman prayed them with him, and they did not disapprove of it." There is no known dissenter among them in their era, so it constitutes consensus (ijma'). Recorded by al-Athram.
Section: As for combining Dhuhr and 'Asr, it is not permissible. Al-Athram said: It was said to Abu
(27) In [manuscripts] A and M: "wa-ruwiya" (and it was narrated). (28) Thus it appears, and the discussion is the completion of the previous section. (29) Recorded by Imam Malik, in the Chapter: Combining Two Prayers in Residency and Travel, from the Book of Travel. Al-Muwatta' 1/145. And al-Bayhaqi, in the Chapter: Combining Two Prayers During Rain, from the Book of Prayer. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 3/168.
