85: The obligatory prayers are five and have their stated times and a traveller may shorten and combine his prayers

Know that the obligatory prayers are five; there being no increase in them nor decrease when prayed in their stated times. On a journey, they are two raka’ahs, except for the Maghrib prayer. Anyone who says that there are more than five (prayers) has innovated [1]. Allah will not accept any of them (i.e. the prayers) except within their times, except for one who forgets [2]; he is excused and must pray when he remembers, or the traveller who may combine the two prayers [3], if he wishes.

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NOTES

[1] If the author means innovation that amounts to disbelief, that is what is correct, since adding an extra prayer, for example, is to prescribe an action within the Sharee’ah and this is the right of Allah alone. Anyone who competes with Allah in that is a disbeliever by the agreement of the scholars.

[2] Likewise, one who is asleep, as occurs in the hadeeth, “Whoever forgets a prayer, or sleeps through it, its expiation is that he prays it when he remembers.” Reported by Muslim (Eng. trans. 1/335/no.1456).

[3] That is, he may combine the two daytime prayers (Dhuhr and Asr) together. Likewise, he may combine the two night prayers, Maghrib and ‘Ishaa.

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