weather, and according to one ḥadīth this combination may be effected even when there is neither journey nor rain. Thus Ibn ‘Abbās says: “The Holy Prophet (may peace and the blessings of Allāh be upon him) combined the Ẓuhr and ‘Aṣr prayers, eight rak‘ahs, and the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers, seven rak‘ahs, and this was in Madīnah. Ayyub said, “It may have been on a rainy night.” He replied “Maybe” (Bu. 9:12). The Holy Prophet was in this case in Madīnah, and therefore not journeying, and as to rain, the narrator was not sure. The same ḥadīth appearing in Muslim is clearer on this point. Ibn ‘Abbās’ report, there, is in the following words: “The Holy Prophet (may peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him) combined the Ẓuhr and ‘Aṣr prayers and the Maghrib and ‘Isha’ prayers when there was neither journey nor fear,” and being asked why he did it, the reply was, “so that his followers may not be in difficulty” (M. 6:8). According to another report, the words are that combination was effected in Madīnah when there was neither fear nor rain (M. 6:5). This combination is called jam‘ bain al-ṣalātain or the combination of two prayers, and both prayers may be said at the time of the earlier prayer, which is called jam‘ taqdīm, or an early combination, or at the time of the later prayer, which is called jam‘ ta’khīr, or a late combination.
The only voluntary prayer spoken of in the Holy Qur’ān is Tahajjud29 (17:79). This night prayer finds frequent mention in the Holy Qur’ān and, while it is voluntary for the Muslims generally, the Holy Prophet, in one of the earliest revelations, was commanded to observe it: “O thou who hast wrapped up thyself! Rise to pray by night except a little, half of it, or lessen it a little, or add to it, and recite the Holy Qur’ān in a leisurely manner” (73:1-4). And in the same chapter, we are told further on, that this prayer was regularly observed by the Holy Prophet and even by his Companions: “Thy Lord knows indeed that thou passest in prayer nearly two-thirds of the night and (sometimes) half of it, and (sometimes) a third of it, and also a party of those with thee” (73:20). Still, as 17:79 shows, it is called a voluntary prayer (nāfilah). It is said after midnight, after one has had some sleep.30
29 Tahajjud is derived from hajada meaning he was wakeful in the night (LL.).
30 In some ḥadīth another voluntary prayer, the Ḍuḥā, is mentioned. Dzuḥā is the time before noon, when the sun is high on the horizon, and the prayer said at this time is called Ḍuḥā.