Some of Uthmān’s partisans used to revile Alī and proclaim this openly from the pulpits and elsewhere because of the fighting that had taken place between them and him. The adherents of the Sunnah from every group condemned them for this. Some among them would also delay the prayer beyond its appointed time. Thus, one who held fast to the Sunnah would openly express his love and allegiance to Alī and carefully observe the prayer (1) at its prescribed times.

Indeed, Amr ibn Murra al-Jamalī—one of the finest people of Kufa and a teacher of al-Thawrī and others—was seen after his death. He was asked, “What did Allah do with you?” He replied, “He forgave me because of my love for Alī ibn Abī Tālib and my careful observance of the prayer at its prescribed times.”

Alī’s partisans, however, went to excess in the opposite direction. They began always praying the afternoon prayer together with the noon prayer, before its own prescribed time, and always praying the night prayer together with the sunset prayer, before its own prescribed time. Thus, they would always combine the two prayers during the time of the first. This contradicts what has been mass-transmitted from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He only [did so] (2) for a particular reason—especially when combining them during the time of the first prayer. What has been mass-transmitted among the leading scholars is that he did this at Arafah, while there is disagreement regarding what he did elsewhere. There is no dispute that he did not do so habitually, whether resident or traveling. Indeed, during the Farewell Pilgrimage he combined the prayers only at Arafah and Muzdalifah. It has, however, been narrated that he combined them during the expedition (3) of Tabūk. It has also been narrated that he combined them in Medina, but only rarely and for a particular reason. His usual practice was not to combine them. How, then, could the two prayers be combined habitually?

If those people delayed the noon prayer until the time of the afternoon prayer, that was better than bringing forward (4) the afternoon prayer to the time of the noon prayer. Combining by delaying is better than combining by bringing forward. For