on the basis of the established Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and by analogy with combining the prayers at ‘Arafah. This is the well-known position in the school. It has also been said that he may combine them only when pressing on with his journey; another view is that he may not combine them even then. These two views occur in the section entitled “al-Muhrim” in Ibn al-Qāsim’s transmitted material in Kitāb al-Jāmi‘. A sick person who fears losing consciousness may also combine them at this time, though this is disputed.

A sick person may combine them at the end of ‘Asr’s preferred time—when the additional shadow reaches two object-heights—if, when Zuhr’s time begins, his illness makes prayer difficult whether standing or sitting, and he hopes that the illness will abate before the end of that time, making prayer easier for him. This, too, is disputed. It has been said that he should not delay Zuhr until the end of ‘Asr’s time, but should perform each prayer at its own time as best he can, or combine them at the end of Zuhr’s time and the beginning of ‘Asr’s if that is easier for him. A traveller who sets out before the sun passes its zenith and intends to stop at the end of ‘Asr’s time may likewise combine them then, on the basis of the established Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) concerning this, and by analogy with combining the prayers at Muzdalifah.

A sick person for whom combining is easier may combine the prayers at the end of Zuhr’s time and the beginning of ‘Asr’s, as may a traveller whose journey extends from before the sun passes its zenith until after the additional shadow has reached two object-heights. According to one view, this applies only when he is pressing on with his journey. This is Ibn al-Qāsim’s position and what he transmitted from Mālik, following the apparent meaning of the hadith of ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Umar:

“When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was hastening on his journey, he would combine Zuhr and ‘Asr.”

Another view allows this even when he is not pressing on with his journey. This is Ibn Habīb’s position, following the apparent meaning of the wording in the hadith:

“He came out and prayed Zuhr and ‘Asr together, then went inside, and later came out and prayed Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ together.”

There are three views concerning the precise time at which these two categories of people may combine the prayers. The first is that they combine them at the end of the first object-height; the second, that they combine them at the beginning of the second; and the third, that they combine them by performing Zuhr at the end of the first object-height and ‘Asr at the beginning of the second. The first two views reflect the disagreement over the period they share within their preferred times. The third rests on the view that they do not share any preferred time.

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The same applies to Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ as to Zuhr and ‘Asr: they are combined at the beginning of