Doubting validity of combined prayers
2-1-2018 | IslamWeb
Question:
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh, Shaykhs. I combine the prayer, and I was combining the Maghrib and the ‘Ishaa’ prayer at the time of the Maghrib during this Ramadan, and the time for the ‘Ishaa’ began, most probably. I say 'most probably', as here in Makkah, the azan is given later than at its due time, so I cannot be sure of that exactly. However, the software in my phone showed a time which I had crossed while praying the ‘Ishaa’. Are those two prayers valid? Also, I later recognized that the phone software had been showing the wrong time, with about five minutes difference, and therefore I may have prayed many ‘Ishaa’ prayers after the time for ‘Ishaa’ had begun while combining them at the time of the Maghrib, as I used to think that it was later, but this was not true. I am not sure about this, although I do strongly suspect that that was the case, and Allah, the Exalted, knows best. Please advise on whether I am required to make up for any prayers. If yes, then how many? And only ‘Ishaa’ prayers, or the Maghrib as well? If the Maghrib too, then must both be combined again while repeating them?
May Allah reward you, Shaykhs.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Your ʻIshaa’ prayer is valid as long as the case is as you described in the question, regardless of whether it was performed at the time of the Maghrib or the ʻIshaa’. You are not required to make up for any prayers, neither the Maghrib, nor the ʻIshaa’. Combining two prayers means performing them at the time of one of them. If the valid excuse that permits combining the prayers exists when starting the first prayer and finishing it and when starting the second prayer, and they were performed consecutively, then both prayers are valid and you are not required to make up for any of them.
We would like to warn you against Waswasah (obsessive whisperings) and exaggeration in such matters, as this causes grave evils.
Allah knows best.