Their statement, “He wanted to avoid imposing hardship on his community,” makes clear that combining prayers does not mean delaying the first prayer until the end of its time and performing the second at the beginning of its time, for observing such precise timing entails great hardship. Moreover, this is permissible for anyone at any time, whereas hardship is relieved when a need arises. He must therefore have granted those with valid excuses a concession that relieves their hardship, unlike those without such excuses.

This rests on a principle observed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): there are three prayer times for those with valid excuses and five for everyone else. Allah Most High says:

“Establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night.”

He thus mentions three prayer times. The second end of the day encompasses Zuhr and ʿAsr, while the approaching hours of the night encompass Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ.

Likewise, He says:

“Establish prayer at the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night.”

According to the more correct of the two views, the sun’s decline means its passing the zenith. The expressions used for this describe the sun as declining, passing its zenith, inclining, or slanting. Thus, He mentions the sun’s decline and the darkness of night. Zuhr and ʿAsr are performed after the sun’s decline, and Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ during the darkness of night. He mentions the beginning of the time—the sun’s decline—and its end—the darkness of night. This darkness means the full onset of night and its gloom.

For this reason, Companions such as ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn ʿAwf and others said: If a menstruating woman becomes pure before dawn, she performs Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ; if she becomes pure before sunset, she performs Zuhr and ʿAsr. This is the position of the majority of jurists, such as Mālik and al-Shāfiʿī