Q: I have a question regarding combining prayers while travelling.
In 3–4 days, I will be travelling to another city for just one night. I suffer from severe waswasa (intrusive doubts), especially related to purity. Because of this, using the washroom becomes very difficult for me, as I doubt splashes and often end up washing my legs repeatedly. My wuḍūʾ also takes a long time, and prayer becomes difficult as well. Due to my anxiety, I even record the prayer and listen to it afterwards to reassure myself and it won't be possible for me to pray in a mall prayer room or a mosque as I recite out loudly and if I'm combining prayers it would be just easier as I would have to go through it just twice rather than 4 times (dhuhr, asr, Maghrib, Isha).
All of this takes a lot of time and causes me distress. When travelling, it upsets me because we usually go out to malls, and praying outside the home becomes even more challenging for me. I wanted to ask whether it would be permissible for me to combine prayers on that day only, as travelling already shortens the prayers to two rakʿahs. Praying two prayers together with one wuḍūʾ would be much easier for me—for example, praying Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr together, and Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ together.
Normally, I pray on time and do not combine prayers. I am confused because technically there will be proper facilities at the hotel (washroom, hot water, etc.), so I am unsure whether my situation is considered a valid reason. At the same time, it is winter, the buildings are centrally air-conditioned, and washing my legs repeatedly becomes very difficult. I also sometimes need to call a family member to help me with wuḍūʾ due to my anxiety, which may not be easy in a new place as it's just difficult seeing if they are free and a I am feeling very anxious and confused about this, and I would appreciate guidance on what would be permissible for me in this situation.
A: According to the Hanafi Mazhab, joining salaah during safr is permissible in this way that one performs the Zuhr Salaah in the end of the Zuhr time and thereafter when the Asr time sets in, then one performs the Asr Salaah in the beginning of the Asr time. Similarly is the case of Maghrib and Esha Salaah.
Performing two salaah in one salaah time (e.g. Zuhr and Asr in the Zuhr time or Maghrib and Esha in the Esha time) is not permissible and is regarded as a major sin in Islam. The salaah performed before its time will have to be repeated.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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