Reference: http://binothaimeen.net/content/224
Question: O noble Shaykh, during days like these, a person does not feel comfortable to combine Maghrib with ‘Ishaa, and he does not know what the criteria is [to combine]. What we heard from you last year caused embarrassment for us. So a person does not know what he should do. He sees five or more people from the people of the masjid: one has weak eyesight, another is old and one has to walk slowly. These people are the pillars of the masjid and are the most regular in attendance. He does not know whether he should combine for them, which is what they want, or if he should not?
Another person is asking about the tradition in which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) combined (the prayer) in Madeenah without being in a state of danger or rainfall. The companion (who narrated it) said: “He did not want to put his nation through unnecessary hardship.” What is the meaning of: “He did not want to put his nation through unnecessary hardship”? Is it possible that the prophet (ﷺ) would do something that is not [meant to be] a legislation for the nation? During these days of rain, especially, there is more differing. You enter the masjid and you see the elders have come to the masjid after going through difficulty on their way to the masjid because of the cars and mud. So you find that some of the imaams are embarrassed by their request to combine. What is your advice?
This is another question about combining. He says that a person fears to fall into sin, especially the imaams. The imaam fears to fall into sin due to combining if he was to combine. This is because he is afraid that his action has no legitimate basis. He is also afraid to fall into sin if he was not to combine. This is because he is afraid that he would put the people who are behind him through hardship and have a (negative) impact on them. Especially since it has been narrated (in the hadeeth): “O Allaah, Whoever has authority over an affair of the nation of the prophet (ﷺ) and he treated them with harshness, then put him through hardship.” So what should he do? Is it safer for him to combine or he should not? Does (the presence of) minor harm or minor hardship requires that ease to be practiced)?
Response: This question is very important especially since the reason for combining during these days and a few days ago is present and that is hardship. The hardship may occur for different reasons. Amongst them are the following:
1- The falling of rain. So if it rains, then this is a form of harm. Some people say that there is no harm today caused by rain because the people come in cars until they stop at the door of the masjid. The answer to this is that not every person comes in a car. Even when they come to the door of the masjid they are harmed from the rain that is coming down. This is a form of harm.
2- The harm may be from the markets due to the water that has been gathered there. Therefore, a person could be harmed when he comes to this masjid which is surrounded with areas of water, and this is a form of harm.
3- The harm may be because of the severe cold wind during the winter days. This is also a form of harm on the people and a hardship similar to the harm of rain or even more.
Therefore, if there is going to be harm (as a result) of not combining, then the imaam should combine and there is no sin on him. If there is a hardship on some of the people and not on others, then he should go with what is suitable for the weaker ones. This is because of the saying of the prophet (ﷺ): ” When any one of you leads the people in prayer, he should be brief. Indeed from amongst them are the weak, the sick and the needy (who have something to do)”. [ Bukhari and Muslim]
If he is uncertain whether he should combine or not because the reason that permits (combining) is unclear (to him), then the general ruling is that he should not combine. This is because a legitimate reason has to be present in order to combine. So if there is no reason then the general ruling is not to combine, so he should not do it. However, if it happens that he did not combine, then when the people went home some harmful rain came down, in that case the people can pray at their homes and the full reward will we recorded for them. That is because of the saying of the prophet (ﷺ): “When a slave of Allah suffers from illness or sets out on a journey, he is credited with the equal of whatever good works he used to do when he was healthy or at home“. [Bukhari] Therefore, it may be that he is:
a. certain that there is a hardship (on the people) or he may be certain that there is no hardship.
b. It may be that he strongly believes that there is a hardship or he strongly believes that there is no hardship,
c. or he is (totally) uncertain.
So when does he combine? He combines when he is certain of the hardship or he strongly believes that there is a hardship. As for if he knows that there is no hardship or he strongly believes that there is no hardship or if he is uncertain, then he does not combine.
جمع الصلاة لأجل المطر -1
المرجع: http://binothaimeen.net/content/224
السؤال: في مثل هذه الأيام فضيلة الشيخ، يتحرج الإنسان من الجمع بين المغرب والعشاء، ولا يدري ما هو الضابط؟ وقد أحرجنا ما سمعناه منك في العام المنصرم، فصار الإنسان لا يدري ماذا يفعل، يرى خمسة أو أكثر من جماعة المسجد وهم: ضعيف بصر، وكبير سن، وبطيء مشي، وهم أعمدة المسجد وأكثر الناس ارتياداً له فلا يدري هل يجمع من أجلهم وهم يرغبون بذلك أم لا؟
وآخر يقول:
في الحديث أن النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- «جمع من غير خوف ولا مطر في المدينة قال الصحابي: أراد ألا يحرج أمته» فما معنى قوله -صلى الله عليه وسلم-:«أراد ألا يحرج أمته؟» وهل يمكن أن يعمل النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- عملاً ليس تشريعاً للأمة؟ خصوصاً نحن في أيام المطر هذه الأيام فالخلاف كثر، تدخل المسجد، وتجد كبار السن قد أتوا إلى المسجد بعد مشقة عانوها وهم في طريقهم إلى المسجد بسبب السيارات والوحل، فتجد بعض الأئمة يتحرجون من طلبهم للجمع فما توجيهكم؟
وهذا أيضاً سؤال في الجمع:
يقول: الإنسان يخشى من الإثم وخاصة الأئمة، يخشى الإمام من الإثم في الجمع إذا جمع؛ لأنه يخاف ألا يكون فعله مسوغاً للجمع، ويخاف من الإثم إذا ترك الجمع؛ لأنه يخاف من تشديده على من وراءه وتأثيره عليهم وخصوصاً وقد ورد:((اللهم من ولي من أمر أمتي شيئاً فشدد عليهم فشدد عليه)) فماذا يفعل؟ وأيهما أحوط: الجمع أم عدمه؟ وهل الأذى اليسير أو المشقة اليسيرة تجلب التيسير؟
الجواب: هذا السؤال مهم جداً ولا سيما وأن سبب الجمع هذا اليوم وما قبله بأيام يسيرة موجود وهو المشقة، والمشقة تكون بأسباب منها: نزول المطر، فإذا كان المطر ينزل فهذا أذية، وقد قال بعض الناس: أنه لا أذية في المطر اليوم؛ لأن الناس يأتون على السيارات حتى يقفوا على باب المسجد، والجواب عن هذا: أنه ليس كل إنسان يأتي على السيارة، ثم إذا نزل من السيارة عند باب المسجد تأذى بالمطر الذي ينزل؛ فهذه أذية، وقد تكون الأذية من الأسواق مما يكون فيها من الماء، ويجتمع فيتأذى الإنسان إذا جاء إلى هذا المسجد وحوله مناطق من الماء هذه أذية، وقد تكون الأذية مع ريح شديدة باردة في أيام الشتاء وهذا أيضاً أذية شاقة على الناس كأذية المطر أو أكثر، فإذا كان في ترك الجمع حرج، فليجمع الإمام ولا حرج عليه، وإذا كان على بعض المأمومين حرج وعلى بعضهم يسر فليقتد بأضعفهم؛ لأن النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قال: ((إذا أم أحدكم الناس فليخفف، فإن من ورائه الضعيف والمريض وذا الحاجة)) وإذا تردد بين الجمع وعدمه لعدم اتضاح السبب المسوغ؛ فإن الأصل ألا يجمع؛ لأن الجمع يحتاج إلى ثبوت السبب، فإذا لم يثبت فإن الأصل عدم الجمع فلا يجمع، ولكن إذا لم يجمع ثم انصرف الناس من الصلاة إلى بيوتهم ثم حدث مطر يؤذي فللناس أن يصلوا في البيوت ويكتب لهم الأجر كاملاً؛ لقول النبي -عليه الصلاة والسلام-:((إذا مرض العبد أو سافر كتب له مثل ما كان يعمل صحيحاً مقيماً)) إذاً؛ الواقع أنه قد يتيقن المشقة، أو يتيقن عدم المشقة، أو يغلب على ظنه المشقة، أو يغلب على ظنه عدم المشقة، أو يتردد فمتى يكون الجمع؟ يكون الجمع إذا تيقن المشقة أو ترجح عنده وجود المشقة، أما إذا علم أن لا مشقة أو ترجح عنده أن لا مشقة أو شك فلا يجمع.
