Bismillahi Al-Rahmani Al-Rahim
Joining Prayers Because Of Nursing
Q
In Reliance of the Traveller - f15.18 (3), it seems to say
that in Hanbali fiqh, nursing mothers can join prayers (like a traveller
can). Has that ever been dicussed on the Hanbali fiqh list?
A
The Hanbali madhhab allows prayers to be joined for reasons
other than travel. A previous message (titled: Joining Prayers Out Of
Hardship) discussed the general cases in which this is possible. One of the
cases where it permissible to join between Zuhr & `Asr or Maghrib &
`Isha' is when a woman breast feeds. The reason for this is the difficulty
of making sure that the clothes are clean, which is one of the basic
excuses for joining between prayers.
This ruling can be found in the following books: Al-Mubdi`
(2:118), Al-Furu` (2:57), Kashshaf Al-Qina` (2:6),
Al-Raud Al-Murbi` (278), and Al-Muharar (1:134), and
Kutub Wa Rasa'il Wa Fatawa Ibn Taymiyyah Fi Al-Fiqh (24:28) to
name a few.
The same ruling applies to women who have irregular vaginal bleeding and
anyone who cannot keep ablution long enough to pray.
And Allah knows best.
wa al-salamu `alaykum
--musa