By Imām Abū Jaʾfar al-Ṭaḥāwī
Translated by Abu Humayd
Preface by Shaykh Dr. Abul Hasan Hussain Ahmed
Praise be to Allah that is due from all grateful believers, a fullness of praise for all his favours: a praise that is abundantly sincere and blessed. May the blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Master Muhammad, the chosen one, the Apostle of mercy and the seal of all Prophets صلى الله عليه وسلم; and upon his descendants who are upright and pure: a blessing lasting to the Day of Judgment, like the blessing bestowed upon the Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام and his descendants. May Allah be pleased with all of the Prophetic Companions (Ashab al-Kiram). Indeed, Allah is most worthy of praise and supreme glorification!
Allah ta’ala said (Surah al-Ahzab, 33: 21):
قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ
لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا
“Verily in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example for him who looks unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.”
This lowly being was asked by the brother known as Abu Humayd from England to write a preamble for his translation of a significant legal issue from the work known as Sharḥ Maʾānī ‘l- Āthār of the greatly learned Egyptian scholar par excellence, Imām Abū Jaʾfar al-Ṭaḥāwī (d. 321 AH). The legal issue (mas’ala) at hand is a pertinent one and somewhat related to the times we live in due to some revisionists and autodidactic personalities endeavouring to add their own two pennies worth in. A host of these types of personalities have attempted to do this in order to satisfy their own personal inclinations and justifications on an array of jurisprudential matters which were primarily left to the remit of the highest ranking and authoritative scholars of the past. It was this latter class of scholarship which was trusted and looked up to when delivering and accepting a qualified verdict using the putative sources of Islamic law (Qur’an, Sunna, Ijma’ and Qiyās), as well as their use of the validated and acknowledged legal methodologies (Usūl) to interpret the named sources.
In these times of confusion and at times asinine behaviour emanating from the hands of mainly unqualified and self-declared spokesmen for Islam, as well as some looked up to as scholars but their outward colours have demonstrated the diametric opposite of tangible scholarship by being superficial or even charlatanistic in nature, the following hadiths come to mind and the honourable reader would do well to take heed of them when taking authentic knowledge of the Islamic sciences:
The Prophet ﷺ said: “This knowledge will be carried by the trustworthy ones of every generation. They will expel from it the alteration made by those going beyond bounds; false claims of the liars and the false interpretations of the ignorant ones.” [Related by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan-ul-Kubrā (10/209), Ibn Abi Hatim in al-Jarh wat-Ta’dīl (2/17) and Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr in at-Tamhīd (1/57-58), from the Hadith of Ibrahim Ibn ‘Abdur-Rahman al-‘Udhari رضي الله عنه. It was authenticated by Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal – as occurs in Sharaf Ashābul Hadith (p. 29, no. 56) of al-Khatib al-Baghdadi].
Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه narrated that while he was walking with the Prophet ﷺ, he ﷺ said three times: ‘Indeed, there is something I fear for my Ummah more than the Dajjāl.’ Abu Dharr asked him: ‘What is this that you fear for your Ummah more than the Dajjāl?’ He replied: ‘The misguiding Imams/scholars.’ [ أئمة مضلين] – (Musnad Ahmed (35/222, no. 21296, declared Sahih li-ghayrihi by Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūt)
Bearing all this in mind, the legal matter at hand has been sufficiently discussed and dispensed with by the well qualified and recognised Muhaddith and Faqih, al-Imām Abū Jaʾfar al-Ṭaḥāwī, with his mastery of hadith and more so how to draw conclusions from apparently conflicting reports of various types. In order for the reader to feel assured and at ease with the scholarly research presented by Imām Abū Jaʾfar al-Ṭaḥāwī, it is germane to finish with a quotation from the leading Egyptian Hanafi Muhaddith known as al-Imām Badrud-Din al-Ayni (d. 855 AH) who had written a multi volume commentary on Imām Abū Jaʾfar al-Ṭaḥāwī’s Sharḥ Maʾānī ‘l-Āthār. Allama al-Ayni said about Imām Abū Jaʾfar al-Ṭaḥāwī in his Nukhab al-Afkar fi Tanqih Mabani al-Akhbar fi Sharḥ Maʾānī ‘l-Āthār:
ولا يشك عاقل منصف أن الطحاوي أثبت استنباط الأحكام من القرآن ومن الأحاديث النبوية، وأقعد الفقه من غيره ممن عاصره سنا، أو شاركه رواية من أصحاب الصحاح والسنن، لأن هذا إنما يظهر بالنظر في كلامه وكلامهم، ومما يدل على ذلك ويقوي ما ادعيناه، تصانيفه اامفيدة الغزيرة في سائر الفنون من العلوم النقلية والعقلية.
وأما في رواية الحديث ومعرفة الرجال، فهو كما ترى إمام عظيم ثبت ثقة حجة كالبخاري ومسلم وغيرهما من أصحاب الصحاح والسنن، يدل على ذلك اتساع روايته ومشاركته فيها أئمة الحديث المشهورين كما ذكرناهم.
“Nobody possessing intellect and a sense of justice would doubt that al-Ṭaḥāwī was most assertive in deriving legal decisions from the Qur’an and the Prophetic ahadith; most penetrative in Fiqh among all those authorities of al-Sihah and al-Sunan (two types of hadith collections) who shared his time or age, or were associated with him in narration (riwāya) as is surely manifested only by looking into his discourse and into the discourses of others, our claim having been ascertained and strengthened by his useful works which abound in various branches of the sciences of revelation and reason.
As regards his knowledge and narrating hadith, recognition of the transmitting individuals, and having a large number of Shuyūkh (teachers), he is, as you see, the greatest leader, firm, reliable and a proof like al- Bukhari, Muslim and other authorities of al-Sihah and al-Sunan, as is indicated by the multitude of his narration, and his association, in this respect, with the well-known Imams of Hadith whom we already mentioned.” (Quoted from his Nukhab al-Afkar in the introduction to Sharḥ Maʾānī ‘l-Āthār of al-Ṭaḥāwī (1/33), Dar ‘l-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, Beirut, 1416 AH)
Peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad ﷺ
Abul Hasan Hussain Ahmed
Ramadan 1437 AH/June 2016
Translator’s Preface
The following is a partial translation of Imām Abū Jaʾfar al-Ṭaḥāwī’s رحمه الله discourse on combining between two prayers [JamʾBayn ‘l-Ṣalātayn] from his masterpiece Sharḥ Maʾānī ‘l- Āthār[1]. In response to the many narrations that seemingly indicate towards its permissibility he sets out giving constructive responses to these narrations proving once again his mastery in the field of both fiqh [jurisprudence] and aḥādīth [narrations].
بَابُ اْلجمْعِ بينَ الصَلاتينِ، كيفَ هُوَ؟
Chapter on the Combining of Two Prayers: How is it done? [1]
Before setting out to answer the narrations, Imām al-Ṭaḥāwī first quotes many aḥādīth that seemingly support the real combining of two prayers. For the sake of brevity, I have only translated the text and not the full chain as the authenticity of these aḥādīth are generally agreed upon:
حَدثَنَا فَهْدٌ ، قَالَ : حَدثنا ُمحَمدُ بْنُ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى ، قَالَ : حَد ثَنِي أَبِي ، عَنِ ابْنِ َأبِي لَيْلَى ، عَنْ أَبِي قَيْسٍ الأوْدِ ي ، عَنْ هُزَيْلِ بْنِ شُرَحْبِيلَ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَُنه ، ” َأن النبِي صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ كَانَ َيجْمَعُ بَيْنَ الصلاتَيْنِ فِي السفَرِ”
From ʿAbdullāh b. Masʾūd رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ used to combine between two prayers whilst on journeys.
حَدثَنَا يُونُسُ ، قَالَ : أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ ، أن مَالِكًا حَدثَهُ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزبَيْرِ الْمَكي ، عَنْ أَبِي الطفَيْلِ ، َأن مُعاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ َأخْبَرَه ، ” أَنهُمْ خَرَجُوا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ ، عَامَ تَبُوكَ ، فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلم ، َيجْمَعُ بَيْنَ الظهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ ، وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاء ” . حَدثَنِي يَزِيدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ ، قَال : حَدثَنَا عَبْدُ الرحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِي ، قَال : حَدثَنَا قُرةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزبَيْرِ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا أَبُو الطفَيْل ، قَال : حَدثَنا مُعاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ ، فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ ، قَال : قُلْتُ : مَا حَمَلَهُ عَلَى َذِلكَ ؟ قَالَ : أرادَ أنْ ُيحْرِجَ أُمتَهُ
From Abī ‘l-Ṭufayl that Muʾādh b. Jabal رضي الله عنه informed him that they once went out with the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ in the year of Tabūk and that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ used to combine Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr and then Maghrib and ʿIshā’. He [Abū ‘l-Ṭufayl] said: What made him do this? He [Mu‘ādh] replied: He intended that his ﷺ Ummah not go through hardship.
حَدثَنَا يُونُسُ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا أسَدٌ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا شُعْبَةُ ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِيَنارٍ ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ ُيحَدثُ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَباسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، قَالَ : ” صَلى رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ ثَمَانِيًا ، جَمِيعًا ، وَسَبْعًا جَمِيعًا
From Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما that he said: The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ prayed eight units in combination and seven units in combination.
حَدثَنَا إسْمَاعِيلُ بْن يحْيَى، قَالَ: حَدثََنا محَمدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيس ، قَالَ:َ أخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَان، قَالَ: حَدثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ دِينَارٍ، قَالَ: أَنْبَأَنَا جَابِرُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ ، أَنهُ سَمِعَ ابْنَ عَباسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، يَقُولُ : ” صَليْتُ مَعَ النبِي صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ ثَمَانِيًا جَمِيعًا ، وَسَبْعًا جَمِيعًا ” . قُلْتُ لأبِي الشعْثَاء : أظُنهُ أخَّرَ الظهْرَ وَعجَّل الْعَصْرَ ، وََأخَّرَ الْمَغْرِبَ ، وَ َعجَّلَ الْعِشَاءَ ، قَالَ : وَأَنَا أظُن َذلِكَ
Jābir b. Zayd heard Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما say: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ eight units in combination, and seven units in combination. I (Jābir) said: O Abī ‘l-Shaʾthā’, I think that he ﷺ had delayed the Ẓuhr prayer and hastened the ʿAṣr prayer, and he delayed the Maghrib prayer and hastened the ʿIshā’ prayer. He (then) said: I also think so.
حَدثَنَا يونس قَالَ : أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ ، قَالَ: أخْبَرَنِي مَاِلكٌ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزبَيْرِ الْمَكي ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَباسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، قَالَ : ” صَلى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ الظهْرَ وَالْعَصْرَ جَمِيعًا ، وَالْمَغْرِبَ وَالْعِشَاءَ جَمِيعًا ، فِي غَيْرِ خَوْفٍ وسَفَر ” ، حَدثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا عَبْدُ الرحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِي ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا قُرةُ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزبَيْرِ ، فَذَكَرَ بإسَْنادِهِ مِثْلَهُ . قُلْتُ : مَا حَمَلَهُ عَلَى ذَِلكَ ؟ قَالَ: أرادَ أنْ ُيحْرِجَ أُمتَهُ . حَدثَنَا أَبُو بِشْرٍ الرقي ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا َحجاجٌ ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزبَيْرِ ، فَذَكَرَ بإسَْنادِهِ مِثَْلهُ . حَدثَنَا رَبِيعٌ اْلجِيزِي ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ الْقَعْنَبِي ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ الْفَراءُ ، عَنْ صَالِحٍ ، مَولَى التوْءَمَةِ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَباسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا مِثْلَهُ غَيْرَ ، أَنهُ قَالَ : فِي غَيْرِ سَفَرٍ ومطَرٍ
Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما said: We prayed Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr with Messenger of Allāh ﷺ in combination, also Maghrib and ʿIshā’ in combination without being in the state of fear or travel. In another narration he said: Without being in the state of travel or rain.
حَدثََنا محَمدُ بْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ قَالَ : حَدثَنَا حَجاجٌ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا حَمادٌ ، عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُدَيْرٍ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ شَقِيقٍ ” أن ابْنَ عَباسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، أخرَ صَلاةَ الْمَغْرِبِ ذَات لَيْلَةٍ ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ : الصلاةَ الصلاةَ ، فَقَالَ :لا أم لك ، أَتُعْلِمُنَا بِالصلاةِ ، وَقَدْ كَانَ النبِي صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ رُبمَا جَمَعَ بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْمَدِينَةِ
Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما delayed the Maghrib prayer one night, so a man said: Prayer, Prayer. He replied: May you he deprived of your mother. Are you teaching us the prayer? Indeed, the Prophet ﷺ used to combine both these prayers in Madīnah.
حَدثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ ، وَفَهْد ، قَالا : حَدثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنِي الليْثُ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنِي نَافِع ، ” أن عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، عجلَ السيْرَ ذَات لَيْلَة ، وَكَانَ قَدِ اسْتُصْرِخَ عَلَى بَعْضِ أَهْلِهِ ابْنَةِ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ ، فَسَارَ حَتى هَم الشفَقُ أنْ يَغِيبَ ، وَأَصْحَابُهُ يُنادونَه لِلصلاةِ ، فَأَبَى عَلَيْهِمْ ، حَتى إِذَا أكْثَرُوا عَلَيْهِ ، قَال : إِني رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ يجْمَعُ بَيْنَ هَاتَيْنِ الصلاتَيْنِ ، الْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاءِ ، وَأَنَا أجْمَعُ بَيْنَهُمَا
ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما was in a hurry in a journey one night when he received the news of some family member, Bint Abī ʿUbayd. So he proceeded until when the twilight was about to disappear, one of his companions called for prayer, but he refused until many of them complained. He (Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما) then said: I saw the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ combine between these two prayers, Maghrib and ʿIshā’, and I combine them (also).
حَدثَنَا يُونُسُ ، قَالَ : أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ ، َأن مَالِكًا ، حَدثَهُ ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، قَال : ” كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ إِذَا عجلَ بِهِ السيْرُ جَمَعَ بَيْنَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاءِ
Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما said: When the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ was in a hurry whilst on journey he would combine Maghrib and ʿIshā’.
حَدثَنَا فَهْدٌ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا اْلحِمانِي ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ ، عَنِ الزهْرِي ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ ، عَنْ أَبِيه ، ” َأن رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ ، كَانَ َيجْمَعُ بَيْنَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاءِ إذَا جَد بِهِ السيْرُ
Sālim from his father (Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما) that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ would combine Maghrib and ʿIshā’ when he was in a hurry whilst on journey.
حَدثَنَا فَهْدٌ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا اْلحِمانِي ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نجِيحٍ ، عَنْ إسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي ذؤَيْبٍ ، قَال : ” كُنْتُ مَعَ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، فَلَما غَرَبَتِ الشمْس ، هِبْنَا أنْ نَقُول لَهُ الصلاةَ فَسَارَ ، حَتى ذَهَبَتْ فحْمَةُ الْعِشَاءِ ، وَرَأَيْنَا بَيَاضَ افُقِ ، فَنَزَلَ فَصَلى ثَلاثًا الْمَغْرِبَ ، وَاثْنَتَيْنِ الْعِشاء ، ثُم قَال : هَكَذَا رََأيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ يَفْعَلُ
Ismāʾīl b. Abī Dhu’ayb said: I was with Ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما when the sun had set, we feared reminding him of ṣalāh (out of awe). He continued travelling until the darkness of the night appeared and we saw the whiteness of the horizon. [At this point,] he dismounted [from his camel] and performed 3 units of Maghrib and 2 of ʿIshā’, he then said: This is how I saw the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ do it.
حَدثََنا محَمدُ بْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ ، وَابْنُ أَبِي دَاوُدَ ، وَعِمْرَانَ بْنِ مُوسَى الطائِي ، قَالُوا : حَدثَنَا الربِيعُ بْنُ َيحْيَى الأشْنَانِي ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا سُفْيَانُ الثوْرِي ، عَنْ ُمحَمدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ ، قَال : ” جَمَعَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ بَيْنَ الظهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ ، وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاءِ بِالْمَدِينَة لِلرخَصِ مِنْ غَيْرِ خَوْفٍ وعِلةٍ
Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh said: The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ combined Ẓuhr, ʿAṣr and Maghrib, ʿIshā’ in Madīnah for the purpose of ease without fear or any problem.
حَدثَنَا عَلِي بْنُ عَبْدِ الرحْمَنِ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا نُعَيْمُ بْنُ حَمادٍ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ ُمحَمدٍ الدرَاوَرْدِي ، عَنْ مَاِلكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، عَنْ أَبِي الزبَيْرِ ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ ، ” أن رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ غَرَبَت لَهُ الشمْسُ بِمَكةَ ، فجَمَعَ بَيْنَهُمَا بِسَرِفٍ يَعْنِي الصلاةَ
From Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh, that the sun set in Makkah, and the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ combined both prayers.
حَدثَنَا ابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْراهِيمَ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا أَبَانُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ ، عَنْ َيحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِير ، عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ عُبيدِ اللهِ ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَاِلكٍ ” أن رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ كَانَ َيجْمَعُ بَيْنَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاءِ فِي السفَرِ
From Anas b. Mālik that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to combine Maghrib and ʿIshā’ on journeys.
Imām al-Ṭaḥāwī begins after quoting the above narrations:
“So a group of scholars are of the opinion that the time for praying Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr is one. They say: This is why the Prophet ﷺ combined both of them (prayers) in a timing of [any] one of them, and in a similar fashion, [he combined] the Maghrib and ʿIshā’. According to this opinion, the prayers times are one – the first will not be [deemed] missed until the time of the latter is over.
Against this opinion are another group of Scholars, and they say: Rather, every [prayer] from these prayers has its individual timing from the other, and thus say: As for what you narrated regarding it from the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ from his combining between two prayers, then it was narrated from him ﷺ as they mentioned [individual timings].
There is no real proof that he ﷺ combined them both in a time of either one of them (whether in Ẓuhr or ʿAṣr time). It is a possibility His ﷺ combining is what you have mentioned (real combining), and yet it is also a possibility that he ﷺ prayed all of those prayers separately in its actual timing (apparent combining, praying Ẓuhr just before the time expires, and praying ʿAṣr as soon as it enters), as was alluded to by Jābir b. Zayd, and he is the one who narrated it from Ibn ʿAbbās and ʿAmr b. Dīnār. So the people of the first group have replied: We have found in some narrations that indicates how the combination [of the two prayers] had taken place by him ﷺ [and it] is [precisely] as what we have stated. So they narrated in this regard (the following narrations):
)حديث مرفوع) مَا حَدثَنَا ابْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا عَارمُ بْنُ الْفَضْل ، قَال : حَدثَنَا حَمادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ ، عَنْ أَيوبَ ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ ، أن ابْنَ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، ” اسْتُصْرِخَ عَلَى صَفِيةَ بِنْتِ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ وَهُوَ بِمَكةَ ، فََأقْبَلَ إلَى الْمَدِينَة ، فَسَارَ حَتى غَرَبَتِ الشمْسُ ، وَبَدَتِ النجُومُ ، وَكَانَ رَجُلٌ يصحَبه ، يَقُولُ :الصلاةَ الصلاةَ ، قَالَ: وَقَاَل لَهُ سَالِمٌ: الصلاة ، فَقَالَ : إن رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ كَانَ إِذَا عجلَ بِهِ السيْرُ فِي سَفَرٍ ، جَمَعَ بَيْنَ هَاتَيْنِ الصلاتَيْنِ ، وَإِني أرِيدَُ أنْ أجْمَعَ بَيْنَهُمَا فَسَارَ حَتى غَابَ الشفق ، ثُم نَزَلَ َفجَمَعَ بَيْنَهُمَا. “
What was narrated to us from Ibn Marzuq, who said ʿĀrim b. ‘l-Faḍl, narrated to us who said Ḥammād b. Zayd narrated to us from Ayyūb from Nāfiʾ that Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما was informed about the death of Safiyyah رضي الله عنها (the wife of the Prophet ﷺ) when he was at Makkah. He proceeded till the sun set and the stars shined. He said: When the Prophet ﷺ was in a hurry about something while on a journey, he would combine both these prayers. (The narrator said) I wanted to combine the two prayers, so he proceeded till twilight had disappeared. So he (Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما) then combined both of them (the prayers).
)حديث مرفوع) حَدثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي دَاوُدَ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنا مُسَدد ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا يحْيَى ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، ” أَنهُ كَانَ إِذَا جَد بِهِ السيْرُ جَمَعَ بَيْنَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاء ، بَعْدَمَا يَغِيبُ الشفَقُ ، وَيَقُولُ: إن رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ كَانَ إِذَا جَد بِهِ السيْرُ ، جَمَعَ بَيْنَهُمَا. “
Ibn Abī Dāwūd narrated to us, who said Musaddad narrated to us, who said Yaḥyā narrated to us from ʿAbdullāh from Nāfiʾ from Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما that when he was in a hurry whilst on journey he would combine Maghrib and ʿIshā’ after the disappearance of the twilight. Ibn ʿUmar would say; Indeed, when the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ was in a hurry whilst on journey he would combine them both.
Al-Ṭaḥāwī then says: “They say (those that allow the actual combining); In this [narration] is proof regarding the characteristics of how his ﷺ combining of both these prayers took place. However, the argument that is against them from those that disagree is that the narration of Ayyūb in which he says: ‘He proceeded until twilight had disappeared and thereafter he descended’, then all Companions [students] of Nāfiʾ did not mention this [wording], ʿUbaydullāh did not mention this, Mālik and al-Layth also did not mention it, neither have those whom we narrated the ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما in this chapter.
Rather, he [Ayyūb] narrated that to be from the practice of Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما, mentioning from the Prophet ﷺ the combining but did not mention how the combining took place (whether out of its stipulated time or within its time). As for the narration of ʿUbaydullāh that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ combined both of them thereafter mentioning the combining of Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما, how it was done and such that it was done after the disappearing of the twilight, then it is possible that he intended to perform his ʿIshā’, which he was going to combine, after the twilight disappeared, even though he had already performed Maghrib before the twilight disappeared, because he was not going to combine between them.
So upon that reason he combined Maghrib and ʿIshā’. Others besides Ayyūb have explained that which we have said.”
حَدثَنَا فَهْدٌ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا اْلحِمانِي ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ ، عنْ أسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ ، قَالَ: أخْبَرَنِي نَافِعٌ ، أن ابْنَ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْه ، ” جَد بِهِ السيْرُ ، فَرَاحَ رَوْحَة ، لَمْ يَنْزِلْ إلا لظُهْرٍ أو لِعَصْرٍ ، وأخرَ الْمَغْرِبَ حَتى صَرَخَ بِهِ سَالِمٌ ، قَالَ : الصلاةَ ، فَصَمَتَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، حَتى إِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَ غَيْبُوبَةِ الشفَق ، نَزَلَ فجَمَعَ بَيْنَهُمَا ، وَقَال: رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ يَصْنَعُ هَكَذَا إِذَا جَد بِهِ السيْرُ”
Fahd narrated to us, who said Ḥammānī narrated to us, who said ʿAbdullāh b. ‘l-Mubārak narrated to us from Usāmah b. Zayd, who said Nāfiʿ informed me that Ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما was in a hurry whilst in journey and proceeded forward, he did not descend except for Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr he delayed Maghrib until Sālim shouted; ‘Prayer’, Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما remained silent up until when the twilight was about to disappear, he then descended and combined them both, and then said; I saw the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ exactly that, whilst in a hurry on a journey.
“So in this narration his descending for Maghrib (prayer) was before the disappearing of the twilight. It is possible that the statement of Nāfiʾ “after the twilight disappeared”, as appears in the ḥadīth of Ayyub, was intended to mean “close to the twilight disappearing”, in order that it not contradict with what had been narrated regarding it. This narration was narrated by other than Usāmah from Nāfiʾ with the same wording as that of Usāmah’s.”
حَدثَنَا رَبِيعٌ الْمُؤَذنُ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنِي ابْنُ جَابِر ، قَالَ : حَدثَنِي نَافِعٌ ، قَال : ” خَرَجْتُ مَعَ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، وَهُوَ يُرِيدُ أرْضًا لَهُ ، قَالَ : فَنَزَلْنا مَنْزِلا ، فََأتَاهُ رَجُلٌ ، فَقَال لَهُ: إن صَفِيةَ بِنْتَ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ لِمَا بِهَا ، َوأظُن أنْ تُدْرِكَهَا ، فخَرَجَ مُسْرِعًا وَمَعَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ ، فَسِرْنَا حَتى إِذَا غَابَتِ الشمْس لَمْ يُصَل الصلاةَ ، وَكَانَ عَهْدِي بِصَاحِبِي وَهُوَ محَافِظٌ عَلَى الصلاةِ . فَلَما أَْبطََأ قُلْتُ : الصلاةَ رَحِمكَ اللهُ ، فَلَما الْتَفَتَ إلَي وَمَضَى كَمَا هُوَ ، حَتى إِذَا كَانَ فِي آخِرِ الشفَق ، نَزَلَ فَصَلى الْمَغْرِبَ ثُم الْعِشَاءَ وَقَدْ تَوَارَت ، ثُم أقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا ، فَقَالَ : كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ إِذَا عجلَ بِهِ أَمْر ، صَنَعَ هَكَذَا
Rabīʿ al-Mu’addhin narrated to us, who said Bishr b. Bakr narrated to us, who said Ibn Jābir narrated to me, who said Nāfiʾ narrated to me who said: I went out with ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما on a journey to some of his land. Then someone came to him and said: ‘Ṣafiyyah bint AbīʿUbayd is sick, try to get there before it is too late.’ He set out quickly, accompanied by a man of the Quraysh. The sun set but he did not pray, although I knew him to be very careful about praying on time. When he slowed down I said: ‘The prayer, may Allāh have mercy on you.’ He turned to me but carried on until the twilight was almost gone, then he stopped and prayed Maghrib, then he said the Iqāmah for ʿIshā’, at that time the twilight had totally disappeared and led us in prayer. Then he turned to us and said: ‘If the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ was in a hurry to travel he would do this’.
حَدثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ الْعَقَدِي ، قَال : حَدثَنَا الْعَطافُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ الْمَخْزومِي ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ ، قَالَ : ” أقْبَلَْنا مَعَ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ حَتى إِذَا كُنا بِبَعْضِ الطرِيقِ ، اسْتُصْرِخَ عَلَى زَوْجَتِهِ بِنْتِ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ ، فَرَاحَ مُسْرِعًا ، حَتى غَابَتِ الشمْسُ ، فَنُودِيَ بِالصلاةِ فَلَمْ يَنْزِلْ ، حَتى إِذَا أَمْسَى ، َفظَنَنا أَنهُ قَدْ نَسِيَ ، فَقُلْتُ : الصلاةُ ، فَسَكَتَ ، حَتى إِذَا كادَ الشفَقُ أنْ يَغِيبَ ، نَزَلَ فَصَلى الْمَغْرِبَ ، وَغَابَ الشفَقُ فَصَلى الْعِشَاءَ ، وَقَال : هَكَذَا كُنا نَفْعَلُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ إِذَا جَد بِنَا السيْرُ
Yazīd b. Sinān related to us, who said AbūʿĀmir al-ʿAqadī related to us, al-ʿAṭṭāf b. Khālid al- Makhzūmī from Nāfiʾ who said: We came back with Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما [from Makkah] when the news of the Prophet’s ﷺ wife; Bint Abī ʿUbayd’s death arrived, he hurriedly moved on until when the sun was about to set, so the call for (Maghrib) prayer was made but he (Ibn ʿUmar) did not descend [from his mount] until the evening was about to enter, so we thought that he must have forgotten, so I said: ‘Prayer’, and he still remained silent until just before the twilight was about to disappear, [he then] descended and prayed Maghrib, and then when the twilight disappeared he prayed ʿIshā’. He then said: This is what we used to do with the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ when we used to be in a hurry whilst on journey.
“Hence, all of them narrated from Nāfiʾ that the descending [from the mount to combine] of Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما was before the disappearing of the twilight. We also mentioned the possible meaning of the [singular] report of Ayyūb from Nāfiʾ: “after the twilight disappeared”, which he could intend [to mean] “close to the twilight disappearing”.
The preferred method according to us is to take all these narrations and bring them in to harmony, rather than have them conflict [with each other], so we have taken what was narrated from Ibn ʿUmar that his descending for Maghrib “after the disappearing of the twilight” to mean that it was close before the disappearing of the twilight, [especially] when it was [also] narrated from him that his descending [for Maghrib] was before the disappearing of the twilight. Were there to be any conflict (with these narrations) then the narration of Ibn Jābir would be given preference of the two [reports].
Because the report of Ayyūb has in that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ used to combine between both prayers, thereafter mentioning the action of Ibn ʿUmar how it was done, [but] in the narration of Ibn Jābir the description of how the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ did it was mentioned, hence his [the latter] is given preference. If they (those that disagree) say: It has been narrated from Anas regarding the explanation of how the combination [of two prayers] took place. Hence they narrate regarding that, that which Yūnus narrated to us,
يُونُسُ ، قَالَ : أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ ، قَالَ: أخْبَرَنِي جَابِرُ بْنُ إسْمَاعِيلَ ، عَنْ عُقَيْلِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَاِلكٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ ، مِثْلَهُ يَعْنِي أن رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ كَانَ إِذَا عجلَ بِهِ السيْرُ يَوْمًا ، جَمَعَ بَيْنَ الظهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ ، وَإِذَا أرادَ السفَر لَيْلَةً ، جَمَعَ بَيْنَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاءِ ، وَيُؤَخرُ الظهْرَ إلَى أولِ وَقْتِ الْعَصْرِ ، فَيجْمَعُ بَيْنَهُمَا ، وَيُؤَخرُ الْمَغْرِبَ ، حَتى َيجْمَعَ بَيْنَهُمَا وَبَيْنَ الْعِشاءِ ، حَتى يَغِيبَ الشفَقُ
Who said Ibn Wahb informed us, who said Jābir b. Ismāʾīl informed me from ʿUqayl b. Khālid from Ibn Shihāb from Anas b. Mālik رضي الله عنهما similar to it, meaning that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ one day was in a hurry on a journey, he combined both Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr likewise at night when he intended a journey he would combine Maghrib and ʿIshā’ and would delay Ẓuhr into the first part of ʿAṣr [in ʿAsr time] and combine both [these prayers], he would also delay Maghrib until he would combine both in ʿIshā’, after the disappearing of the twilight.
“So they say: In this narration is proof that he ﷺ prayed Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr in the time of ʿAsr and his combining was [thus] explained like that. Then the argument against them by the second ﷺ group is that this narration could possibly mean what we have previously explained [that it was close to the end of the waqt of the first prayer and not past it].
Another possibility is that the characteristics of the combining (mentioned in the above narration) maybe from the words of al-Zuhrī and not from the Prophet ﷺ because he [al-Zuhrī] would do that many times, [he] would join narrations with his words [to explain them] to the point that it was falsely understood as being part of the hadith. [Or as explained already] Another possible meaning could be, his saying: “Into the first part of ʿAṣr”, to be “close to the beginning of ʿAṣr” [but not in ʿAṣr].
So if the meaning of the ḥadīth is in fact as we have provided showing some of the interpretations [in explaining of جمع], then it does not necessitate that he prayed them [the prayers] in the time of ʿAṣr then there is no argument by those who say he prayed it in the time of ʿAṣr, and if the origin of the narration was that he did pray it in the time of ʿAṣr then that would be a [real] combination [of prayers]. Then surely disagreeing with him [Anas] in this regard is ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar in what we have narrated from him from the Prophet ﷺ, those have disagreed also in this regard is ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها.”
حَدثَنَا فَهْدٌ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا اْلحَسَنُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا الْمُعَافَى بْنُ عِمْرَانَ ، عَنْ مُغِيرةَ بْنِ زَِيادٍ الْمَوْصِلِي ، عَنْ َعطَاءِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا ، قَالَت : ” كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلمَ فِي السفَر ، يُؤَخرُ الظهْرَ وَيُقَدمُ الْعَصْرَ ، وَيُؤَخرُ الْمَغْرِبَ وَيُقَدمُ الْعِشَاءَ
Fahd narrated to us, who said al-Ḥasan b. Bishr narrated to us, who said al-Muʾāfī narrated to us from Mughīrah b. Ziyād al-Mawṣūlī from ʿAṭā’ b. Abī Rabāḥ from ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها that she said: During journey the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ used to delay Ẓuhr, hasten ʿAṣr and delay Maghrib hasten ʿIshā’.
“Here we have a narration from ʿAbdullah b. Masʾud also, we have already narrated from him from the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ that he would combine between two prayers [only] during journeys. Thereafter it was also narrated from him what;”
مَا حَدثَنَا حُسَيْنُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ ، قَالَ : حَدثَنَا قَبِيصَةُ بْنُ عُقْبَةَ ، وَالْفِرْيَابِي ، قَالا : حَدثَنَا سُفْيَان ، عَنِ الأعْمَش ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرحْمَنِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ ، قَاَل: ” مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلم ، صَلى صَلاةً قَط فِي غَيْرِ وَقْتِهَا إلا أَنهُ جَمَعَ بَيْنَ الصلاتَيْنِ بجَمْعٍ وَصَلى الْفجْرَ يَوْمَئِذ لِغَيْرِ مِيقَاتِهَا
Ḥusayn b. Naṣr narrated to us, who said Qabīṣah b. ʿUqbah and al-Firyābī both said Sufyān narrated to us from al-Aʾmash from ʿUmārah b. ʿUmayrʿAbd ‘l-Raḥmān b. Yazīd from ʿAbdullāh [Ibn Masʾūd] رضي الله عنه who said: I have not seen the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ pray a prayer ever outside of its time except for the combining of the two prayer at Muzdalifah, and where he prayed the Fajr prayer before its stipulated time on that day. [2]
So it is established with proofs which we have mentioned that, that which he [Ibn Masʾūd] observed of the combining by the Messenger ﷺ is in contrast to the interpretation of it given by our opponents. Therefore, this is the ruling of this chapter from the route of authenticating the meanings of the narrations regarding the combining of the prayers of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.
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Footnotes:
[1] Sharḥ Maʾānī ‘l-Āthār (1/160-164) Beirut; Dar ‘l-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah.
[2] A recent argument is the notion that ʿAbdullāh b. Masʾūd did not see the combining of prayers by the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ outside of Ḥajj, their argument being; just because he did not see the combining other than in Ḥajj does not necessitate that it (real combining) did not take place outside of Ḥajj. However, al-Ṭaḥāwī previously to this narration quotes a narration which he mentioned right at the beginning of the chapter that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ used combine between prayers during journeys. This proves that combining on journeys was not done outside of the prayers allocated times and the only prayers that were done outside of their time were the prayers during Ḥajj as explained by none other than himself.
Note: This article was edited for spelling and style.
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