in the Sahīh that he mentioned combining prayers while travelling, and that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, combined the noon and afternoon prayers while travelling when he was on the move. This has already been discussed in detail. Thus, in his customary usage, the expression “combining prayers” meant offering both during the time of one of them. As for combining them within their two separate times, he is not known to have used the expression in that sense. How, then, could he depart from his habitual usage to a different one?
Furthermore, Ibn Shaqīq says:
“Something about that troubled me, so I went to Abū Hurayrah and asked him, and he confirmed Ibn ʿAbbās’s statement.”
Do you suppose his misgivings were that it was impermissible to delay the noon prayer until the end of its time, and impermissible to bring the afternoon prayer forward to the beginning of its time? Could this be unknown even to those with the least knowledge, such that it would trouble him? Is this something he would need to put to Abū Hurayrah or anyone else and ask about? Its permissibility is a matter transmitted so widely among Muslims as to be universally known.
Some of them had doubts only concerning the sunset prayer, yet these people permit delaying it until the end of its time. The hadith therefore constitutes evidence against them in either case. The permissibility of delaying it does not depend on combining prayers; rather, it may be delayed until the end of its time regardless, even when the night prayer is also delayed. This is what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did when he demonstrated the prayer times, as related in the hadiths on that subject. Likewise, the authentic hadith states:
“The time for the sunset prayer lasts until the glow of twilight disappears, and the time for the night prayer lasts until midnight.”
Similarly, he said:
“The time for the noon prayer lasts until the shadow of each object equals its height, and the time for the afternoon prayer lasts until the sun turns yellow.”
Thus, this