Praise be to Allah (swt). We ask for His guidance and seek refuge from the evil within ourselves.
Is it permissible to combine prayers together because of drizzle or light rain that does not soak one’s clothes?
Answer
Praise be to Allah.
Combining prayers (جمع بين الصلاتين) is a concession in Islam given under certain circumstances to ease hardship, such as when traveling, during sickness, or in the case of heavy rain that causes genuine difficulty for people going to the mosque.
Light drizzle or rain that does not soak one’s clothes and does not cause significant hardship is not a valid reason for combining prayers according to the majority of scholars. The hardship must be tangible such as clothes getting wet, muddy pathways, or danger to health.
Evidence from the Sunnah:
It is narrated that the Prophet ﷺ combined Maghrib and ‘Isha on a rainy night (Sahih Muslim), but the scholars explain that this was during heavy rain that caused hardship for worshippers walking to the masjid.
Ibn Qudāmah (رحمه الله) said in al-Mughni:
“It is permissible to combine two prayers because of rain if the rain soaks the clothes and there is hardship in going to the mosque.”
It is permissible to combine Zuhr and Asr, or Maghrib and Isha, when rain is heavy enough to soak clothes and cause hardship in reaching the mosque. This concession is granted to ease the difficulty faced by those attending congregational prayers.
Ibn Abbas (RA) said:
"The Prophet (ﷺ) combined Zuhr and Asr, and Maghrib and Isha in Madinah without fear or rain." (Sahih Muslim, 705)
In another narration, it was specifically mentioned that combining prayers was done due to rain.
Hadith from al-Muwatta of Imam Malik
Yahya related from Malik that Abu’z-Zubayr said:
"I heard Sa'id ibn Jubayr and 'Ata ibn Abi Rabah giving a dispensation to combine the Maghrib and Isha prayers on a rainy night
In conclusion, if the rain is very light and does not wet your clothes or cause real difficulty, then it is not permissible to combine the prayers. One should perform each prayer in its appointed time, and this is closer to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
And Allah knows best.