Why Do Shia Muslims Combine Their Prayers?
Shia Muslims combine Ẓuhr & ʿAṣr and Maghrib & ʿIshāʾ prayers because the Qur’an defines three broad time windows for prayer, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself combined prayers in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim and other sources — even without fear, travel, or rain. This practice is therefore Sunnah, done to remove hardship and supported by both Sunni and Shia narrations.
Explanation
The Qur’an does not explicitly list “five daily prayer times” by name, but instead describes time ranges that cover them. Shia Muslims interpret this as permission to pray either separately (five distinct times) or in combined form (three windows).
The Prophet ﷺ demonstrated this in practice: combining prayers in Madinah without excuse, as narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Shia Muslims therefore view combination not as a concession, but as a valid Sunnah option, especially to ease difficulty in modern daily life.
Evidence
Qur’an (17:78) — Three Natural Windows
Arabic: «أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ»
Transliteration: Aqimi ’ṣ-ṣalāta li-dulūki ’sh-shamsi ilā ghasaqi ’l-layl wa qurʾāna ’l-fajr
English: “Establish prayer from the sun’s decline until the darkness of night, and the Qur’an at dawn…”
📖 Reference: Qur’an 17:78 (King Fahd Complex, Sahih International translation)
➡️ Classical exegesis:
- Dulūk al-shams = Ẓuhr & ʿAṣr.
- Ghasaq al-layl = Maghrib & ʿIshāʾ.
- Qurʾān al-fajr = Fajr prayer.
Thus, the Qur’an outlines three prayer periods, not five named slots.
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim — Combining Without Fear or Travel
Arabic: «صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الظُّهْرَ وَالْعَصْرَ جَمِيعًا، وَالْمَغْرِبَ وَالْعِشَاءَ جَمِيعًا، فِي غَيْرِ خَوْفٍ وَلَا سَفَرٍ»
Transliteration: Ṣallá Rasūlu ’llāh ﷺ al-ẓuhr wa ’l-ʿaṣr jamīʿan, wa ’l-maghrib wa ’l-ʿishāʾ jamīʿan, fī ghayri khawfin wa lā safar
English: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ combined Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr, and Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ together — without fear and without travel.”
📖 Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb Ṣalāt al-Musāfirīn, ḥadīth 705a
Arabic: «أَرَادَ أَنْ لَا يُحْرِجَ أُمَّتَهُ»
Transliteration: Arāda an lā yuḥrija ummatahu
English: Ibn ʿAbbās said: “He (the Prophet ﷺ) wanted to remove hardship from his Ummah.”
📖 Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth 705a (comment of Ibn ʿAbbās)
Arabic: «صَلَّى بِالْمَدِينَةِ سَبْعًا وَثَمَانِيًا، الظُّهْرَ وَالْعَصْرَ، وَالْمَغْرِبَ وَالْعِشَاءَ»
Transliteration: Ṣallá bi’l-Madīnah sabʿan wa thamāniyan, al-ẓuhr wa ’l-ʿaṣr, wa ’l-maghrib wa ’l-ʿishāʾ
English: “He prayed in Madinah seven (rakʿāt) and eight (rakʿāt) — Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr together, and Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ together.”
📖 Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth 705f
Shia Hadith — al-Kāfī
Arabic: «إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَمَعَ بَيْنَ الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ بِغَيْرِ عِلَّةٍ، وَبَيْنَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاءِ بِغَيْرِ عِلَّةٍ»
Transliteration: Inna Rasūl Allāh ﷺ jamaʿa bayna ’l-ẓuhr wa ’l-ʿaṣr bighayri ʿillah, wa bayna ’l-maghrib wa ’l-ʿishāʾ bighayri ʿillah
English: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ combined between Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr without excuse, and between Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ without excuse.”
📖 Reference: al-Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 3, p. 288
Shia Hadith — Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa
Arabic: «إِنَّ لِكُلِّ صَلَاتَيْنِ وَقْتًا إِلَّا الْفَجْرَ، فَإِنَّ وَقْتَهَا وَاحِدٌ»
Transliteration: Inna li-kulli ṣalātayn waqtan illā al-fajr, fa-inna waqtahā wāḥid
English: “Every two prayers share one time, except Fajr which has its own distinct time.”
📖 Reference: al-Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 3, Bāb al-Jamʿ bayna al-Ṣalātayn
Qur’an (22:78) — No Hardship in Religion
Arabic: «وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ»
Transliteration: Wa mā jaʿala ʿalaykum fī ’d-dīni min ḥaraj
English: “He has not placed upon you in the religion any hardship.”
📖 Reference: Qur’an 22:78 (King Fahd Complex, Sahih International translation)
Conclusion / Summary
The Qur’an outlines three natural windows of prayer. The Prophet ﷺ combined prayers in Madinah without excuse, and Ibn ʿAbbās clarified this was to remove hardship. Shia Muslims therefore combine prayers as a continuation of Prophetic Sunnah, while still considering separate timings valid. This practice is not a “Shia innovation,” but rooted in both Qur’an and authentic Sunnah.
Quick FAQ
Q: Do Shia Muslims pray less than Sunnis?
No. Both pray five daily prayers (17 rakʿāt). The difference is whether they are prayed in five separate slots or combined into three windows.
Q: Did the Prophet ﷺ combine prayers without excuse?
Yes. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim and al-Kāfī confirm he did so in Madinah, not only during travel, fear, or rain.
Q: Is combining prayers obligatory for Shia?
No. It is a permitted Sunnah. Shia Muslims can pray separately or combine, depending on circumstance.
References
- Qur’an 17:78 — Three prayer periods.
- Qur’an 22:78 — No hardship in religion.
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim — ḥadīths 705a, 705f (Book of Ṣalāt al-Musāfirīn).
- al-Kulaynī, al-Kāfī — vol. 3, p. 288.
- al-Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa — vol. 3, Bāb al-Jamʿ bayna al-Ṣalātayn.