Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (22/77)

Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah sanctify his soul—said:

Section

“A General Principle”

On the Number of Rak‘ahs in the Prayers, Their Times, and Related Matters of Combining and Shortening

Many scholars who write scholarly works customarily discuss the times, number, and names of the prayers in the chapter on prayer times. Some then discuss shortening and combining prayers in two separate chapters, alongside the prayers of those with valid excuses, such as the sick and those in fear. Others discuss combining prayers under prayer times, while devoting a separate chapter to shortening them. Since travel alone is the reason for shortening prayers, it is appropriate to discuss the traveller’s prayer alongside the prayers of those in fear and those who are ill.

As for combining prayers, there are several reasons for it; it is not confined to travel. We shall devote a comprehensive section to each of these matters.

وَقَالَ شَيْخُ الْإِسْلَامِ - قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ رُوحَهُ -: فَصْلٌ: " قَاعِدَةٌ " فِي أَعْدَادِ رَكَعَاتِ الصَّلَوَاتِ وَأَوْقَاتِهَا وَمَا يَدْخُلُ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ جَمْعٍ وَقَصْرٍ. جَرَتْ عَادَةُ كَثِيرٍ مِنْ الْعُلَمَاءِ الْمُصَنِّفِينَ لِلْعِلْمِ أَنْ يَذْكُرُوا فِي بَابِ مَوَاقِيتِ الصَّلَاةِ: أَوْقَاتَهَا وَأَعْدَادَهَا وَأَسْمَاءَهَا ثُمَّ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَذْكُرُ الْقَصْرَ وَالْجَمْعَ فِي بَابَيْنِ مُفْتَرِقَيْنِ مَعَ صَلَاةِ أَهْلِ الْأَعْذَارِ كَالْمَرِيضِ وَالْخَائِفِ. وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَذْكُرُ الْجَمْعَ فِي الْمَوَاقِيتِ. وَأَمَّا الْقَصْرُ فَيُفْرِدُهُ. فَإِنَّ سَبَبَ الْقَصْرِ هُوَ السَّفَرُ وَحْدَهُ فَقِرَانُ صَلَاةِ الْمُسَافِرِ بِصَلَاةِ الْخَائِفِ وَالْمَرِيضِ مُنَاسِبٌ. وَأَمَّا الْجَمْعُ: فَأَسْبَابُهُ مُتَعَدِّدَةٌ؛ لَا اخْتِصَاصِ السَّفَرِ بِهِ. وَنَحْنُ نَذْكُرُ فِي كُلٍّ مِنْهَا فَصْلًا جَامِعًا.