Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/397)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

whereas at Muzdalifah delayed combining is preferable, because it is easier for the people: stopping them on the road while they are travelling to Muzdalifah would cause hardship.

If someone were to ask: If the two options—combining in advance or delaying the combination—are equally convenient for a person, which is preferable?

The answer is that they say delayed combining is preferable, because the most it involves is delaying the first prayer beyond its prescribed time; and a prayer performed after its time due to an excuse is valid and sufficient. Combining in advance, however, entails praying the second prayer before its time begins, and a prayer offered before its time begins is invalid, even when there is an excuse. It is also the more cautious course, since some of those who permit combining do not permit combining in advance except at Arafah.

“If he combines them during the time of the first prayer, he must intend to combine them at its opening takbir, ……”

His statement, “If he combines them during the time of the first prayer, he must intend to combine them at its opening takbir,” means that combining during the time of the first prayer is subject to three conditions:

The first condition is intending to combine them at its opening takbir. This is based on the view that a traveller must intend to shorten the prayer, because combining means joining one prayer to another. Therefore, the intention to join them must encompass every part of the prayer, and so he must form this intention at the opening takbir of the first prayer. Thus, if he begins the first prayer without intending to combine them, then decides during the prayer to combine them, the combination is invalid, because he did not intend it at the opening takbir of the first prayer. Part of it was therefore devoid of the intention to combine, whereas combining means joining, and the joining must encompass the entire prayer. If he intends to combine them after concluding the first prayer, then it is invalid all the more so.

The correct view, however, is that it is not a condition to intend combining at the opening takbir of the first prayer. He may form the intention to combine even after concluding the first prayer, or even at the opening takbir of the second prayer, so long as the reason for combining remains present.

وأما في مزدلفة فالأفضل التأخير؛ لأنه أرفق فإن إيقاف الناس في أثناء الطريق وهم في سيرهم إلى مزدلفة فيه مشقة. فإن قال قائل: إذا تساوى الأمران عند الإِنسان التقديم أو التأخير فأيهما أفضل؟ فالجواب: قالوا: الأفضل التأخير، لأن التأخير غاية ما فيه تأخير الأولى عن وقتها، والصلاة بعد وقتها تعذر جائزة مجزئة، وأما التقديم ففيه صلاة الثانية قبل دخول وقتها، والصلاة قبل دخول الوقت لا تصح ولو لعذر، ولأنه أحوط حيث منع بعض المجوزين للجمع من جمع التقديم إلا في عرفة. فَإِنْ جَمَعَ فِي وَقْتِ الأُولَى اشْتُرِطَ نِيَّةُ الجَمْعِ عِنْدَ إِحْرَامِهَا، ........ قوله: «فإن جمع في وقت الأولى اشترط نية الجمع عند إحرامها» إذا جمع في وقت الأولى اشترط ثلاثة شروط: الشرط الأول: نية الجمع عند إحرامها وهذا مبني على اشتراط نية القصر للمسافر؛ لأن الجمع ضم إحدى الصلاتين إلى الأخرى، ولذلك فلا بد أن تكون نية الضم مشتملة على جميع أجزاء الصلاة، فلا بد أن ينوي عند إحرام الأولى، فلو فرض أنه دخل في الأولى وهو لا ينوي الجمع، ثم في أثناء الصلاة بدا له أن يجمع، فإن الجمع لا يصح؛ لأنه لم ينوه عند إحرام الأولى، فخلا جزء منها عن نية الجمع والجمع هو الضم، ولا بد أن يكون الضم مشتملاً لجميع الصلاة، ولو نوى الجمع بعد السلام من الأولى لم يصح من باب أولى. والصحيح: أنه لا يشترط نية الجمع عند إحرام الأولى، وأن له أن ينوي الجمع ولو بعد سلامه من الأولى، ولو عند إحرامه في الثانية ما دام السبب موجوداً.