A traveler is to shorten the prayer even when his journeys are frequent—such as the mail courier or taxi driver who spends most of his time on the road between towns.

He may also combine Zuhr with ʿAsr and Maghrib with ʿIshāʾ, praying them during the time of either one. Every traveler who is allowed to shorten is likewise allowed to combine, for this is an occasional concession to be used when need arises, such as when the pace of travel is urgent. Muʿādh—may Allah be pleased with him—reported that “when the Prophet ﷺ was on the expedition of Tabūk, if he set out before the sun had begun to decline, he would delay Zuhr until he could combine it with ʿAsr and pray them together; and if he set out after the sun had declined, he would pray Zuhr and ʿAsr together and then continue the march. He did the same with Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ.” This was narrated by Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī.

If, during his journey, the traveler stops somewhere to rest, it is better for him to pray each prayer in its proper time—shortened, but without combining.

Combining Zuhr with ʿAsr and Maghrib with ʿIshāʾ is also permissible for a sick person whose hardship would increase if he did not combine.

Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) said: “Combining was ordained to remove hardship from the ummah. Whenever they need to combine, they may do so. All the hadiths indicate that the Prophet ﷺ combined within a single prayer time to lift difficulty from his community; therefore, combining is permissible when there is—”