therein the location of the dispute [is excluded] by what we have mentioned.

Section: The illness that permits combining [prayers] is that which is accompanied by difficulty and weakness in performing each prayer at its [appointed] time. Al-Athram said: It was said to Abu 'Abd Allah [Ahmad ibn Hanbal]: May the sick person combine between the two prayers? He said: I hope that for him, if he is weak and cannot manage except for that. Similarly, it is permissible to combine [prayers] for the woman suffering from irregular bleeding (mustahada), the person who suffers from urinary incontinence (sals al-bawl), and those in similar circumstances, due to the hadith we narrated, and Allah knows best.

Section: The sick person has the choice regarding performing [the prayers] in the time of the first or the second, just like the traveler. If both matters are equal for him, then delaying [to the time of the second] is better, for the reason we mentioned regarding the traveler. As for combining due to rain, it should only be performed at the time of the first [prayer], because the predecessors (al-salaf) used to combine during the time of the first, and because delaying the first to the time of the second leads to the necessity of hardship, going out in the darkness, or long (39) waiting in the mosque until the time of 'Isha enters. Furthermore, it is the custom for people to gather for the Maghrib; thus, if he detains them in the mosque to combine the two prayers, it is more burdensome than if one were to pray each prayer in its [appointed] time. Often, the excuse may vanish before the time of the first [prayer] expires, so the combining becomes void and prohibited. If they choose to delay the combining, it is permissible. It is recommended to delay the first [prayer] from its initial time slightly. Al-Athram said: I asked Abu 'Abd Allah about combining the two prayers during rain? He said: Yes, he may combine them when the darkness has become mixed [with the light] before the twilight (al-shafaq) disappears; that is what Ibn 'Umar used to do. Al-Athram said: Abu Usama narrated to us, [who said] 'Ubayd Allah narrated to us, from Nafi', who said: Our commanders, when it was a rainy night, would delay the Maghrib and hasten the 'Isha' before the twilight disappeared. Ibn 'Umar would pray with them and did not see any harm in that. 'Ubayd Allah said: I saw al-Qasim and Salim praying with them on such a night. It was said to Abu 'Abd