Judgement on Combining Salaah: Zuhr & Asr, Maghrib & Isha WITHOUT ANY reason:

@Bani Hashim,

Brother, only when we go for Hajj, on 9th Zilhaj we pray Zuhar and Asar in Arafat because Prophet (S.A.W) performed that, and in ordinary days you have to pray 5 Times a day, according to their prescribed time.

And Maghrib and Isha also performed combine in Muzdalifa. Because in Arafat all the Hajireen has to go Muzdalifa and if they stay in Arafat for the Maghrib prayer then they will not be able to reach Muzdalifa on time. Following is the narration,

'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Radi-Allahu anhu, relates:

I never observed the Messenger of Allah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam perform any prayer out of its time except at Muzdalifa. He combined Maghrib and 'Isha at Muzdalifa (Sahih al-Bukhari 1:227, Sahih Muslim 1:417, Sharh Ma'ani 'l-athar 1:164).

Source: http://www.albalagh.net/qa/0082.shtml

It clearly shows that in Arafat and Muzdalifa, Muslims are allowed to pray combine. But not in your every day life.

@Bani Hashim, my friend don't think too much because then you should also do a deep research. Live your life according to Qur'an and Sunnah. And our Holy prophet (S.A.W)'s life is the only example how a Muslim should live his life.

Hope you are clear now. :)

Brother, quote the hadith and provide reference. And I have also quoted the hadith which says "I never observed the Messenger of Allah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam perform any prayer out of its time except at Muzdalifa. He combined Maghrib and 'Isha at Muzdalifa"

Please note the word "Never"

Now read here brother,

According to the Hanafi school, it is not permitted to combine the prayers and take a prayer out of its prayer time by either delaying it or performing it before its time. The only exception they have in this, based on the narration of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, is in Arafat (where Zuhr and 'Asr are combined) and in Muzdalifa (where Maghrib and 'Isha are combined). The remaining three schools permit combining in other circumstances too as when a person is traveling, or it is raining heavily, etc.

Source: http://www.albalagh.net/qa/0082.shtml

And in Arafat you are a traveler.

And to sum up the answer, A Muslim can not be said to have performed all obligatory 5 daily prayers if he continues to perform Zuhr and Asr combine and Maghrib and Isha combine, without in the state of travelling or heavy rain.

And it is a Major Sin to pray salaah combine without any valid reason.

Holy Qur'an says,

Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours. [Holy Qur'an 4:103]

@Bani Hashim,

Sayyidina Ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that the Prophet r (SAW) said, "If anyone combines two prayers at a time without a valid reason then he has entered door of the doors of the Kaba'ir (grave sins) [1 -Concerning times of Salah.htm Page 18 of 138]

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: With regard to the person who deliberately delays the prayer until after the time for it is over, or who sets his alarm clock late so that he will not get up on time, he is deliberately not praying, and he has committed a great evil according to all the scholars.

Now regarding "Ummah should not be put to (unnecessary) hardship."

Note its mention "Unnecessary hardship", and unnecessary hardship has many meanings. Few examples are,

1. If it is intensely hot, then it is better to delay Zuhr prayer until it cools down a little, i.e., until it is nearly time for ‘Asr, because it cools down a little when it is nearly time for ‘Asr.

See if the temperature is hot while the person is in his house with no danger, no heavy rain and he is not a traveler. He can delay the prayer until it cools down a little bit. Delaying the prayer or miss the prayer with no reason is a sin. There are many means of "Unnecessary Hardships" brother. And Prayer is not a hardship for a Muslim, but the situation of a person makes it hard or easy. Its not the hardship of praying on time but it regards a valid reason to delay according to me. Brother have you found no other hadith that our Holy Prophet (S.A.W) prayed 5 times a day on their prescribed times? Holy Prophet (S.A.W) wanted to save the ummah from "Unnecessary hardships" but he (S.A.W) not meant the ummah to leave the prayer to pray combine. "Unnecessary hardships" has many meanings.

2.Another reason is if it will be possible to pray in congregation at the end of the time but not at the beginning, in which case delay is preferable. For example, if a man is outside the city when the time for prayer comes, and he knows that he will reach the city and catch up with the congregation at the end of the time for prayer, is it better for him to pray when the time for prayer comes, or to delay the prayer until he reaches the congregation?

@bani Hashim, it happens when the two respondents follow different Fiqah. It is a grave sin and Holy Prophet (S.A.W) performed them due to reasons, some of which I quoted above in my reply.

Holy prophet (S.A.W) 99.99% of his life prayed 5 times daily on their prescribed time and 0.01% combine, and if you want make basis of 0.01% for the rest of your life thinking it to be an Unnecessary Hardship then its up to you. And for me, I don't feel praying on time to be an Unnecessary Hardship and I want to follow Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and how he (S.A.W) prayed 99.99% of his life.

If you prefer Sunni, then all 4 islamic school of thought are agreed that you one can not pray combine salaah without any vaild reason (i.e. heavy rain or traveling). The second thing you should consider is that you pray to please Allah (S.W.T) so you have to pray on times prescribed by Allah (S.W.T) so that you can please him and you don't pray to please your body thinking it to a hardship. And third thing is that, the more you do hardship the more you get reward, like one person offering salaah standing and one person is offering salaah sitting then no doubt the person who is offering salaah standing will get more reward then the person who is offering salaah sitting.

And for your question "what is the answer for my benefit and the house brother?"

Answer: If you want to get benefited by offering Salaah then you have to pray on time because then you will get more reward and your prayers will benefit you more, if your aim of praying is to please Allah (S.W.T). Many Muslims pray Tajjahud which is not an obligatory salaah to please Allah (S.W.T), they stand at nights they don't care about their sleep or sweet dreams and you want to pray combine to reduce your timings or hardship. Brother it feels like you just want to take off the fards from you only and you are not praying to please Allah (S.W.T).

And last thing, as all 4 Fiqas are agreed that you can not pray combine without a valid reason then I am no one to say that you can pray combine without a valid reason.

I got you brother. You have not asked the question because you want an answer for that but you wanted your own answer to be taken as right, but that's not the case. And regarding Stuck in traffic, he is a traveler or if he found any masjid near he can offer the namaz and their is a time period between each namaz, if he can reach his home, office etc before the time of next Salaah he can offer Fard. That's what the Muslims do who don't take it as an hardship.

I have given you detail explanation but now again you are repeating what you have said earlier but I can not repeat my statements again and again because you are not even trying to understand. Well, my duty was to give an answer the best of my knowledge, to accept it or not its your decision brother.

Assalam-0-Alikum.