11: PRAYER

"So ftar AI/Ilh IlS much as you art'able",-"

(Qur'1fi: At-Taghabun: 16)

Thus, onc is not legally required to do what is beyond onc's capacity. If a

Muslim riding his a ni mal cannot face the qiblah, then il is not obligatory upon
him to face it and he to face any direction in prayer. Likewise, a passenger
on a plane is to pe rform prayer as much as he can; he may sland, Sil , oow,
prmtrate or beckon (bowing and prostration) with his head (according to the
situatio n), but he must face the qiblah for it is possible (to do so) .

Third: The Prayer of a Traveler

A travder is onc of the persons for it is permissible for him to
shorten the prayer consisting of four rak 'ahs (units of prayer) 10 on ly two
rak 'ails as Slated in the Noble the Sunnah (Prophetic Tradition), and
the consensus o f Muslim scholars. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
itnd wlrtn you lravellhroughout thelnnd, there i. no blame
upon you for Iht shorttning of prayer._.
(Qur'an: 101)
the !'mphet (?BUHj performed only shortened prayers on his

journeys', Fu rt henno re, on journeys, shortening the pra )",r is bttte r than corn plet ing
it accon:ling to the majority of :;<;holars. It is narrated in the Two Sab.ibs that' k ishah
(may Allah k pleased with h,,) said:
"When the prayer was mjoi/led (by Allah), it ..."s two rak' ahs (,mits
of prayer) only (in every prayer) both when in residence or on a
jourl/ey, Then lire prayers performed on jouwey remained the same,
but (the rak 'ail s aj) the prayer for Mon"lrave/eN were increased."'
'Urnar (may Allah pleased with him) said:

-rhe prayer performed 0" joumeys is of two rok'alls. This is the

complete pm)"'. witbout ,;'ortclli"s-"'
A Muslim on a journey is to start shortening the a.< soon as he leaves
his town or city as Allah penn its the shortening of prayer for those who travel
through the land. Bdorc leaving his town, a Moslim j. not legally considered
a travcler through the land (and hence he is not permitted to shorten the
praye r). The Prophet (PBUH) used to shorten the prayer as soon as he left his
hometown, So, if a person does not travel from lh e residential land, he is not
considered a travekr.
 A I.... is p"rm iued 10 the p.... ""en i f he frrquently I...."'[s,
11 in caSt of a mail or, IU; driver .... ho sp"nds moSI of his on
way bet .....

It i$l"'rmissible for a t.... veler 10 combine the lolI!1f Prayer and the
(Aftunoon) P.... yer at the due lime of either of them, and, likew ise, locombine
the Mllghrib (Sunsd) P"'y<r and Ihe 'Ishd' (Night) the due time of
either of Ihem. Tha\ is benllK what makes it p"rmissible for lhe ITavelu 10
shorten pnop makes il Pflmissibk for him locombine prayersu .....ell
How""er, shortening pray". is a tempo .... ry permission valid when Ihere is
a n«essily, as in the .... hen a t.... veler is in hasle on his Jou rney. Mu' 1dh
(may Allah be pleas..d with him) na rraled:
·On the Bailie ofTab uk, wlte" tlte Prophet (PBUH) Itad ge'" fo rth
before Ihe sun II,e mcridilln, he Wfluld de/ay Ihe ZlIhr Proyer
Ilnd combine it wilh Ihe .Apo Proyer, performing tltem Bul
whtn he proceeded after Ihe SI'" hlld passed Ihe meridian. he lOvuld
perform Ihe Zuhr and lire ' Asr Pmyrr1; (al Ihe time of I/,e Zuhr)
ond then would proctC'd. (He afled similorly for Ihe Maghrib
Pmyer,) When the sUlr had sel before he proceeded, he would
dtlay the Maghrib Pmyer mrd combine il with the '/shd' Prayer,
performing them logether. But when he proceeded IIfter sunset, he
Wfluld perform tire '/Ji,d' Prayer and the Maghrib Prllyer al the
lime of Ihe Maghrib Proyer."
(Related by Ahmad and AI· nrmidhi) "
When a I.... '·eler stops on his journey, 10 lake a rnl,;1 is better for him 10
J't'rform each shortened at its lime, nl)t to combine pray"'"s_!fit;s
difficult for a Musli m patient 10 perform each at its due time, then he is
permitted to combine th e lor,/rr Prayer and Ihe 'AIr Prayer (at Ihe due lim e of
eithu of Ihem). and (1) combine the Maghrib Prayer and Ihe Proyer (at
the due time of eilher ofl hem).
Shlykhu l· b lim Ibn Taymifl h said:
"Allllh hllS ordllintd Jilorttnillg of proyer to diffrcultitJ Ilnd
make things eruy for ' ht M"Jiirn notio". So. a Mus/im iJ ptrnrittro 10
combine prayeN "'he M MtctJS<lry. All b.adilhJ (rtlllltd f<) thiJ matler)
imply IlInl il is p",'r issiblc M two pmyeN oltht .Jut
H" 11: PRAYER

of either of them in o,<1er to remOve "ny possible hardship ,,, .. sed to

the Prophets nation. TI",s, il is permissible to combine pmyen ifi! is
/0 cause hardship if not do,,"_
This proves that it j, permiSjible with
greoltr reason for a Mm/i", patient to combine (two) prayer.! at the
due lime of cill,er of them as long as it is difficult for him to
eacl, pm)'e, at ils dl<e ame""
lbn Taymiya h also said:
"Patim/s can combine the prayer accordins 10 the Sur!»ah for il
js narraled in two nodi/hs rhat the Prophet (PBUH) ordered a
mustahilLlah " to combine III e prayer.""
By means of analogical deduction with the case of a mmtall<ldah, the
combining of prayer is pcrmined for every Muslim who cannot purify for
every prayer. such as lhose inflkted wilh enuresis, a continuously bl""ding
wound, or a nosebleed. The Prophet (PBUH) said to Hamnah
Bint /ahsh when she asked him about i'liM!!.al," (vaginal bleeding other than
menstruation):
"... But ifyou "re ,Irong enough lode/ay Ihe Zuhr Prayer and advance
Ihe 'A"r prayer. 10 wash. and then combine the II,e 'A"r
Prayer>; (and) 10 Ille Magllfib Prayer and advance Ihe 'IsJul'
Prayer. to wash, and then combine Ihe lwo prayer>, do so."
(Related by Ahmad, Abil Diiwiid. and At · Tirmidhi and deemed
"ahi!J. (authentic) by the Jailer)"
It is pt:rm issihle to combine th e Maghrib Prayer and the "lsha" Prayer. in
particular, if there is rai n that wets clothes and causes difficulty (fur those who
go to the mosque). The Prophet (PBUH) combined the Maghrib Prayer and the
'Isht!' Prayer in a rainy night, " and so did Abol Bakr and' Umar afterwards".
Shaykhul -Isllm Ibo Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"According 10 lhe sOlmdesr view of se/wla". it is permissible for a
Mu,/im 10 combine prayers because of "'ud or Slrong cold wind in a
dark night, even if it has SlOpped raining. 'rhi, is more incumbent than
perfor",ing ea,h prayer al it, due time at home. Moreover, to abandon
combining congregalional prayers in mnU/ue, to perform prayer at
home is a bid 'ah (a maUe, inr/Ovaled in religion) that contradicts rhe
5unn"h (Praphetic Tradition). /r is an acl of tile 5unnan to perform
the Five (Obligotory) Proyers in Mngregation in the mosque. and
thjs is more due. according to Ih. unm,imous agreement o/Muslims,
 24 1

flla n performing prayers at home, In additioll. prayer

combinea in the mosque is """" diu tlran performi"g prayers at Irome
individuaily. according 10 tire "na"imoo" of tire scholars
who mai"ta i" the aforeme"rioned permissibility 10 cQmbi", prarers
(due 10 bad K'eal/ocr). sucll as M<lIik. Asl'-SMljn. and Al1mad" '
It is better for one perm itled (0 combi ne proyers (0 co mbin e them accord ing
(0 what su its hislher situation most. On the Day of 'Arafah. it is better (for
the pilgrims) to combine the Z;uhr Prayer and the Prayer at the (ime of
the former," hut in MUld alifah, it is better (for the pi lgrims) to wmbine the
Maghrib Prayer and the 'Isll/o' Prayer al the time of Ihe laller, according to
whatlhe Prophet (PBUH) did (in his Hajj)''', On the Day of' Arafah, pilgrims
combine Ihe Z;ul" and Ihe Praye" at the time of t he former in order to
continue stayi ng at . Afafa h MOUnl (without interruption), but in Muzdalifah ,
they combine the Maglrrih and the 'IsM ' Prayers at the time of the latter to
continue moving toward
In general. it is an act of the SI"",aH for pilgrims to combine praye" on
th e Day of ' Araroh and in Muzdalifah but in circumstan ces other than that,
it is when necess",y. However, when there is no necessity, it is
better for a trav.!er to perform each prayer at it! du e ti me. During the day! of
his liPj), Prophet (PBUH) combined prayers only on the Day of' Arafah
and in MU7.dalifah. bu t he (PBUH) did not combine prayers in because
he was to stay So th e P"'phet (PBUH) used 10 combine proyers only
whcn was in a hurry o n a journey. We invoke All ah to guide us to useful
knowledge and good deeds.

Fourth: The Fear Prayer

The Fear Prayer is ordained for Muslims during every legal fighting such as
fighting with and the oppressors, as Allah , Exalted b<' He, say.·
"... If you f ear rl,at who ",ay di.,upt [0'

Qltack/ you ..• (Qllr'1n: An - 101)
Th ose with whom Muslims are permitted to fight are determ ined by meanS
of analogical deduction with this Qur'ani' verse. However, the Fear Prnyer is
not permissible during prohibited fighting, The proof of the legality of the
Fear Prayer is stated in the Nuble the Sunnah (Prophetic Traditio n),
and the conSenSuS of Mus lim scholars, Allah, Exalted be He. says:
"And when you /I.e. the mmmandu of a" army) are among
them and in prayer. let a group of them stand /In
prayer} K'lth you a"d let them carry 'heir arm •• And when