Combining Prayers: Valid Reasons
Prayers cannot be combined until there is some valid reason as stated by the Quran. This principle stance of Quran cannot be altered by a Hadith. Moreover the stated Hadith is no direct narration from the prophet himself. He did not tell people that they could combine the prayers without a valid reason. it is the onlooker, the companion who assumed from the circumstances that the prophet did it without a valid excuse and to provide ease to his Ummah. The assumption of the companion can’t invalidate the principle stance of Quran. The ease of combing prayers is if the performer faces hardship in taking out separate time for each prayer. In the cases cited above, if the person really feels it is difficult for her, she can decide to combine the prayers and also can shorten the prayers, i.e, saying two rakat for 4 rakat prayers.