and in the presence of an impediment. Whoever catches the last part of the shared time has caught the time for the two prayers [both of them] (1).

Some of our scholars and others maintain that combining prayers is permissible if, and only if, the journey permits shortening them. They have consequently prohibited pilgrims in Mecca and others from combining the noon and afternoon prayers or the sunset and night prayers. I know of no reliable proof for their position. Rather, it contradicts the Sunnah established with certainty from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

We know that he did not instruct any of the Meccan pilgrims accompanying him to delay the afternoon prayer until its exclusive time, nor to bring forward the sunset prayer and perform it before reaching Muzdalifah, whether at ‘Arafah or near al-Ma’zimayn. This is known with certainty, and no one has claimed otherwise. Rather, Ahmad’s statements and explicit rulings indicate that everyone attending the pilgrimage should combine the two prayers and delay the sunset prayer, as established by the Sunnah. This was also the position chosen by a number of his followers, including Abū al-Khattāb in matters of worship, Abū Muhammad al-Maqdisī, and others.

One must therefore say either that combining prayers is connected with travel generally, whether short or long—either without further qualification or because one is on the move—or that combining prayers at Muzdalifah is connected with the pilgrimage rites, as some of our scholars and others maintain. In my view, the former is more correct and more consistent with Ahmad’s principles and explicit rulings. He expressly permitted combining prayers when not travelling because of an occupation; it is therefore all the more appropriate when someone is pressing on during a short journey.

Furthermore, rulings connected specifically with travel are confined to travel, such as shortening prayers, breaking the fast, and wiping. As for those applicable on both long and short journeys, such as praying on a mount, performing dry ablution, and eating carrion,