Moreover, combining two prayers is prescribed to meet a worldly need, so it is all the more appropriate when it serves to perfect the prayer. One who combines two prayers is praying within the prescribed time. The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—combined the noon and afternoon prayers at Arafah during the time of the noon prayer, so that his standing at Arafah would be complete and uninterrupted. Otherwise, he could have dismounted to pray. Since he combined the two prayers to perfect the standing at Arafah, combining them to perfect the prayer is all the more appropriate.

He also combined prayers in Medina because of rain, although he himself—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was not harmed by the rain. Rather, the prayers were combined to enable people to pray in congregation. Combining prayers to secure congregational prayer is better than offering them separately and alone. Combining two prayers is also better than praying in a bathhouse, for the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—forbade prayer in camel pens and bathhouses, whereas combining prayers is prescribed.

Indeed, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Whoever sleeps through a prayer or forgets it should pray it when he remembers it, for that is its time.”

Yet when he slept through the prayer, he moved elsewhere, saying:

“This is a valley in which Satan was present with us.”

Thus, he delayed the prayer beyond the time at which he had been commanded to offer it because Satan had been present in that place. Prayer in such a place is disliked but permissible; nevertheless, moving elsewhere is recommended. Ahmad ibn Hanbal and others explicitly stated this.

Bathhouses and camel pens are dwelling places of devils; hence, he prohibited prayer there. Combining prayers, however, is prescribed when it serves an overriding benefit. Thus, if someone combines the prayers to avoid praying in the haunts of