Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “It is permissible to combine the prayers because of deep mud, a biting, icy wind on a pitch-black night, and the like, even when no rain is falling, according to the sounder of the two scholarly opinions. This is preferable to people praying in their homes, for abandoning the congregational prayer and performing it at home is an innovation that opposes the Sunnah; the Sunnah is that the five daily prayers be offered in congregation in the mosque, and this is unanimously superior to praying at home. Likewise, offering the prayers in combination inside the mosques is better than performing them separately in one’s houses, by the consensus of the jurists who permit combining, such as Mālik, al-Shāfiʿī, and Aḥmad.” End quote.

Whoever is granted the concession to combine may adopt whichever option is easier for him—whether jamʿ taqdīm (advanced combination) or jamʿ taʾkhīr (delayed combination).

At ʿArafah it is preferable to perform an advanced combination of Zuhr and ʿAsr, and at Muzdalifah it is preferable to combine Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ by delaying them, following the practice of the Prophet ﷺ. The advanced combination at ʿArafah ensures that the standing remains uninterrupted, while the delayed combination at Muzdalifah facilitates continuous travel to reach it.

In short, combining the two prayers at ʿArafah and Muzdalifah is a recommended Sunnah, whereas in other places it is merely permissible and is done when need arises. If there is no need, it is better for the traveller to perform every prayer in its prescribed time, for the Prophet ﷺ did not combine during the days of Hajj except