Joining prayers because of rain

Question

Praise be to Allah.

There is a concession allowing Maghrib and
‘Isha’ prayers to be joined at the time of Maghrib, with one adhaan and iqaamah for each of them, when there is rain that soaks people’s clothes,
when going back to the mosque for ‘Isha’ will cause hardship. This is according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions.

Similarly it is permissible to join them when it is very muddy, according to the correct
scholarly view, so as to avoid hardship and difficulty. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and has not laid upon you in religion any
hardship”

[al-Hajj 22:78]

“Allaah burdens not a person beyond his
scope”

[al-Baqarah 2:286]

Abaan ibn ‘Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased
with him) joined Maghrib and ‘Isha’ on rainy nights, when there was a group of senior scholars from among the Taabi’een, and it is not known that
any of them objected, so that meant there was consensus.

That was mentioned by Ibn Qudaamah in
al-Mughni. It is also allowed for a person who is very sick to join Zuhr and ‘Asr at the time of either of them, depending on what is easier
for him, and he can join Maghrib and ‘Isha’ likewise, so as to avoid hardship.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhoot
al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’, 8/135.

If it is asked: can we join prayers because
of rain in the mosque or at home? The answer is:

What is prescribed is for the people who pray
in the mosque to join their prayers if there is a reason that justifies joining them, such as rain, so as to attain the reward of praying in
congregation whilst also being kind to the people. This is what it says in the saheeh ahaadeeth.

With regard to joining the prayers at home
for the reason mentioned, that is not permissible because it is not narrated in sharee’ah and there is no excuse that would permit joining the
prayers.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah
li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’, 8/134.