Combining Prayers

21-11-2001 | IslamWeb

Question:

Is it permissible to combine prayers due to work within a distance which is less than 80km? Because the time I come to work is very close between Asr and Maghrib. So can I combine Zuhr and Asr?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Scholars state that it is lawful to combine two prayers like Thuhr and ‘Asr or Maghrib and ‘Isha if there is a sound Islamic reason for doing so, such as the fear of being harmed physically or materially if one does not combine the prayers.

So, if by not combining your prayers, you might be harmed in your work or you may lose some important Islamic benefits, then you can combine the prayers, but you should not make this as a habit. The distance of the trip here is not important. In fact, the Prophet combined Thuhr and ‘Asr and Maghrib and ‘Isha without any fear and without travel.

But, combining prayers as a habit is unlawful as it is contrary to what the Prophet used to do and to the special emphasis he put on praying each prayer at its prescribed fixed time.

For more benefit on the ruling on shortening and combining the prayers, please refer to Fataawa 362857, 83821, 90615, 90113, 88402, and 350368.

Allah knows best.