Is it possible to combine prayers even if not travelling? [closed]

Question

The Quran says:

"...When you are secure, offer the prayer duly, because the prayer has been prescribed to the believers as linked to particular times." (An-Nisa 4:103)

And the times are defined also:

“Offer the prayer from the decline (westwards shift) of the sun till (the beginning of) the chill of the night, and during the accumulation of red lights of dawn. The accumulation of red lights of dawn is certainly visible.” (Al-Isra 17:78)

“Offer the prayer in two parts of the daytime and in the hours of the night that are closer to daytime...” (Hud 11:114)

Start of Dhuhr is defined: from the decline (westwards shift) of the sun End of Asr is defined: Offer the prayer in two parts of the daytime, therefore end of asr is end of daytime.

But the line between of those two parts of the daytime (end of dhuhr/beginning of asr) is nowhere cleary defined. The Prophet also combined sometimes those prayers without being on a journey or having fear of anything:

Narrated from Ibn Abbas: “The Messenger of Allah combined Dhuhr and Asr, Maghrib and Isha. There was no fear, no journey.” (Muslim, Prayer of the travelers, 6/59)

And there are five furhter ahadith on that: (Muslim, Prayer of the travelers, 6/60, 6/65, 6/66, 6/68)

Is it allowed to combine those prayers without being on a journey or without having any excuse (having fear of something)?

Answer 1

From what I gather from scholars, they refer to several hadeeths indicating the permissibility of this, albeit while warning it does not mean to make it the usual practice, as Rasullah SA never did so.

An example of such hadeeth is this one:

"It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray in Al-Madinah combining two prayer. Joining Zuhr and 'Asr, and Maghrib and 'Isha', when there was no fear nor rain. It was said to him: "Why?" He said: "So that there would not be any hardship on his Ummah."

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ أَبِي رِزْمَةَ، - وَاسْمُهُ غَزْوَانُ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُصَلِّي بِالْمَدِينَةِ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَ الصَّلاَتَيْنِ بَيْنَ الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاءِ مِنْ غَيْرِ خَوْفٍ وَلاَ مَطَرٍ ‏.‏ قِيلَ لَهُ لِمَ قَالَ لِئَلاَّ يَكُونَ عَلَى أُمَّتِهِ حَرَجٌ ‏. ‏ Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 602 In-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 109 English translation : Vol. 1, Book 6, Hadith 603" from the webpage https://sunnah.com/nasai:602.

This further one, for instance, informs that what one understands as 'fear' can be understood broadly:

"Kathir bin Qarawanda said: "We asked Salim bin 'Abdullah about prayer while traveling. We said: 'Did 'Abdullah combine any of his prayer while traveling?' He said: 'No, except at Jam'.'[1] Then he paused, and said: 'Safiyyah was married to him, and she sent word to him that she was in her last day in this world and the first day in the Hereafter. So he ride off in a hurry, and I was with him. The time for prayer came and the Mu'adhdhin said to him: 'The prayer, O Abu 'Abdur-Rahman! But he kept going until it was between the time for the two prayer. Then he stopped and said to the Mu'adhdhin: "Say the Iqamah, and when I say the Taslim at the end of Zuhr, say the Iqamah (again) straight away." So he said the Iqamah and he prayed Zuhr, two Rak'ahs, then he said the Iqamah (again) straight away, and he prayed 'Asr, two Rak'ahs. Then he rode off quickly until the sun set and the Mu'adhdhin said to him: "The prayer, O Abu 'Abdur-Rahman!" He said: "Do what you did before." He rode on until the starts appeared, then he stopped and said: "Say the Iqamah, then when I say the Taslim, say the Iqamah. So he said the Iqamah and he prayed Maghrib, three Rak'ahs, then he said the Iqamah (again) straight away and he prayed 'Isha', then he said one Taslim, turning his face. Then he said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'If any one of you has urgent need that he fears he may miss, let him pray like this.'

أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ شُمَيْلٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا كَثِيرُ بْنُ قَارَوَنْدَا، قَالَ سَأَلْنَا سَالِمَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ، فِي السَّفَرِ فَقُلْنَا أَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَ شَىْءٍ مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ فِي السَّفَرِ فَقَالَ لاَ إِلاَّ بِجَمْعٍ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ كَانَتْ عِنْدَهُ صَفِيَّةُ فَأَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِ أَنِّي فِي آخِرِ يَوْمٍ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَأَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ مِنَ الآخِرَةِ ‏.‏ فَرَكِبَ وَأَنَا مَعَهُ فَأَسْرَعَ السَّيْرَ حَتَّى حَانَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمُؤَذِّنُ الصَّلاَةَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ ‏.‏ فَسَارَ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ بَيْنَ الصَّلاَتَيْنِ نَزَلَ فَقَالَ لِلْمُؤَذِّنِ أَقِمْ فَإِذَا سَلَّمْتُ مِنَ الظُّهْرِ فَأَقِمْ مَكَانَكَ ‏.‏ فَأَقَامَ فَصَلَّى الظُّهْرَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ ثُمَّ أَقَامَ مَكَانَهُ فَصَلَّى الْعَصْرَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ رَكِبَ فَأَسْرَعَ السَّيْرَ حَتَّى غَابَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمُؤَذِّنُ الصَّلاَةَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ كَفِعْلِكَ الأَوَّلِ ‏.‏ فَسَارَ حَتَّى إِذَا اشْتَبَكَتِ النُّجُومُ نَزَلَ فَقَالَ أَقِمْ فَإِذَا سَلَّمْتُ فَأَقِمْ ‏.‏ فَصَلَّى الْمَغْرِبَ ثَلاَثًا ثُمَّ أَقَامَ مَكَانَهُ فَصَلَّى الْعِشَاءَ الآخِرَةَ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ وَاحِدَةً تِلْقَاءَ وَجْهِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمْ أَمْرٌ يَخْشَى فَوْتَهُ فَلْيُصَلِّ هَذِهِ الصَّلاَةَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 597 In-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 104 English translation : Vol. 1, Book 6, Hadith 598" from the webpage https://sunnah.com/nasai:597.

May this help.

Allah knows best.