A glance at the traditions-5

18. Mālik ibn Anas writes in the book, Al-Muwaṭṭa’:

والعصر الظّهر بين يجمع هل :عبدالله بن سالم سأل انّه شهاب ابن عن

.بعرفة؟ الناس صلاة إلى تر ألم بذٰلك، لابأس نعم :فقال السّفر؟ فى

Ibn Shahāb asked Sālim ibn ‘Abd Allāh: “Do you combine the ẓuhr and ‘aṣr prayers while in travel?” He replied: “Yes, there is no problem for that. Can you not see how the people pray on the Day of ‘Arafah (in the plain of ‘Arafah)?”[1]

It is necessary to note that the Muslims regard it as permissible on the Day of ‘Arafah in the plain of ‘Arafah to combine the ẓuhr and ‘aṣr prayers by observing them together at the time of ẓuhr prayer without any interval in between. Here, Sālim ibn ‘Abd Allāh is saying that just as the people is performing together the two prayers in ‘Arafah, they can also do the same elsewhere.

19. Muttaqī Hindī thus stated in his book, Kanz al-‘Ummāl:

لنا جمع :عبدالله قال

مسافر غير مقيمًا – وسلّم [وآله] اليه الله صلى – الله رسول

النّبىّ ترى لم :عمر لإبن رجل فقال . العشاء و المغرب و والعصر الظّهر بين

.رجل جمع إن امّته لايحرج لأن :قال ذٰلك؟ فعل – وسلّم [وآله] اليه الله صلى –

‘Abd Allāh (ibn ‘Umar) said: “The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) combined the ẓuhr and ‘aṣr prayers and the maghrib and ‘ishā’ prayers together while resident and not in travel.” A man asked Ibn ‘Umar: “Why did the Prophet (ṣ) do that?” He replied: “So that his ummah would not be put to (unnecessary) difficulty should one prefer to do so”.[2]

20. We can also read the following in Kanz al-‘Ummāl:

– وسلّم [وآله] اليه الله صلى – النّبىّ أنّ جابر، عن

.إقامتين و بأذان والعصر الظّهر بين جمع

Jābir (ibn ‘Abd Allāh) says: “Verily, the Prophet (ṣ) combined together the ẓuhr and ‘aṣr prayers with one adhān and two iqāmahs.”[3]

21. In Kanz al-‘Ummāl, one can read the tradition below:

– وسلّم [وآله] اليه الله صلى – الله رسول أنّ جابر عن

.بسفر بينهما فجمع بمكّة الشّمس له غربت

Jābir (ibn ‘Abd Allāh) says: “While the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) was in Mecca the sun had set. Upon reaching Sarf,[4] he combined the two prayers (maghrib and ‘ishā’).”[5]

22. In Kanz al-‘Ummāl, it is thus narrated from Ibn al-‘Abbās:

– وسلّم [وآله] اليه الله صلى – الله رسول جمع

:قال لامطرٍ، و سفرٍ غير فى بالمدينة العشاء و المغرب و والعصر الظّهر بين

.امّته على التّوسعة أراد :قال ذٰلك؟ فعل تراه لم :عبّاس لابن قلت

The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) combined together the ẓuhr and ‘aṣr prayers as well as the maghrib and ‘ishā’ prayers in Medina while not in a state of journey or rainfall. A narrator says: I asked Ibn al-‘Abbās: Why did he (the Holy Prophet) do so? He replied: He wanted easiness for his ummah.[6]