May Allaah The Almighty preserve you. My question is about combining the prayer of Al-Maghrib and Al-‘Ishaa’ or Ath-Thuhr and Al-‘Asr. Is it a condition that they are not separated or one may separate them with a short period of time? Is there proof that the two prayers should be performed directly after each other?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

In principle, combined prayers should be performed consecutively because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, combined Al-Maghrib and Al-‘Ishaa’ and Ath-Thuhr and Al-‘Asr and he performed them consecutively. The Hadeeth that indicates this is mentioned in Saheeh Al-Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim. In case of advanced combination, they should be performed consecutively because this is the principle. If a long period of time separates them, combination is invalid according to the Maaliki scholars to the extent that some of them said that if he prayed the voluntary prayer between them, the combination would be invalid; however, the correct opinion is that it is valid.

In case of deferred combination, some scholars said that separation diminishes its validity while others said that it does not, even if it is a long time because whenever he prayed the first, the second is being prayed at its specified time. This is the correct opinion.

Allaah Knows best.