Sheikh Ubayd: Combining Maghrib and Isha

In the fifteenth question from Great Britain, the questioner said: “Is it permissible to combine the Isha (night prayer) with the Maghrib (evening prayer) by bringing it forward? The reason is that the Fajr prayer (dawn prayer) for them is at 3:00 AM, breaking the fast is at 9:30 PM, and Isha is at 11:00 PM.”

The eminent scholar Sheikh Ubaid Al-Jabiree (may Allah preserve him) answered:

“There is no problem with this, and I have already issued verdicts on this matter in numerous sessions, whether via this website or others. And it has been authentically proven that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) combined the Dhuhr prayer (midday prayer) with the Asr prayer (afternoon prayer) in Medina, as well as the Maghrib (evening prayer) with the Isha (night prayer), by combining them and bringing the latter forward. He prayed Dhuhr and Asr as 8 Rakaat (prayer units) and he prayed Maghrib (evening prayer) and Isha (night prayer) as 7 Rakaat (prayer units). And when Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) was asked for the reason, he said: so that he (the Messenger of Allah) would not cause hardship for his Ummah. And just as you have described in your question, there is hardship in this, and this is removed by combining and bringing it forward, i.e., you pray the Maghrib prayer and then the Isha prayer, after which you can pray whatever you are able to of the Tarawih prayer, because the time of the Isha prayer has been brought forward; its time is also the time of the Maghrib prayer, and you then pray the Tarawih prayer in your homes. And do not dispute over this matter!”