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Fatwa CenterCombining prayers due to old age
Question
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu. Praise be to Allaah, my maternal grandmother is over 100 years old. She prays some prayers before their defined time. She prays the ‘Ishaa prayer along with the Maghrib prayer, and the ‘Asr prayer along with the Thuhr prayer. My question is: can she continue praying this way due to her age? When we tell her that it is not permitted and that she has to wait till the prayer time comes, she gets somewhat aggressive. May Allaah reward you.
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.
The basic principle is that each prayer must be performed in its defined time; Allah, The Exalted, says (what means): {Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.} [Quran 4:103]
It is not permissible to combine the prayers except for a valid excuse such as travel or sickness and the like. If it is difficult for her to perform each prayer in its due time because of her old age and weakness, then she bears no sin for combining the prayers. However, if it is not difficult for her to perform each prayer in its due time, it is impermissible for her to combine the prayers. You should give her advice in a gentle manner that she would accept so that she performs the prayer in its due time. She may combine the two prayers in form but not in reality by performing ablution at the end of the time of the first prayer and pray it at the end of its time and then perform the following prayer at the beginning of its time, as that would be easier for her.
For more benefit, please refer to fatwas 82828 and 99903.
Allah knows best.
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