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jurisprudence, apparentlywithout much serious
thought, or for other reasons which I donot understand, have given unintelligible
explanations contradictingthese hadith. For instance, they say that perhaps these
hadithrefer to situations involving fear, danger, rains, or winds. Someof your older
scholars, like Imam Malik, Imam Shafi'i, and someother jurists of Medina gave the same
explanation. This, despitethe fact that the hadith of Ibn Abbas clearly says
that the twoprayers were offered without the constraint
of fear or the possibilityof rainfall.
Others have suggested that perhaps the sky was overcast, and thoseoffering prayers did
not know the time.
Perhaps, when they finishedtheir Zuhr prayers, the clouds dispersed, and they saw
that itwas time for Asr prayers.
So they had to offer Zuhr and Asr prayerstogether.
I don't think a more unlikely explanation could be found.
Perhaps these interpreters did not care to think that the personoffering prayers was
the Holy Prophet of Islam. Clouds did notmean to him what they might to others.
He understood all causesand effects.
Apart from the fact that this explanation is unconvincing,the combining of Maghrib
and Isha prayers rejects their explanation.
At that time clouds have no relevance to this question.
As we said: the hadith of Ibn Abbas clearly states that his addresscontinued so long
that the audience repeatedly cried, " prayers,prayers." They reminded
him that the stars had appeared andthat it was time for prayers.
But he purposely delayed the Maghribprayer so that he might offer both Maghrib
and Isha prayers together.Abu Huraira also verified this action, saying that the
Prophetalso acted in the same manner.
Such spurious explanations, inlight of clear guidance, are regrettable.
Your own learned menreject them.
Sheikhu'l-Islam Ansari, in his Tuhfatu'l-Bari fiSharhe Sahihu'l-Bukhari in the
Chapter "Salatu'z-zuhr ma'l-Asrwa'l-Maghrib ma'al Isha,"
page 292, Part II, and similarly,Allama Qastalani, on page 293, Part II of
Irshadu's-Sari fi SharheSahihu'l-Bukhari, as well as other exponents of
Sahih Bukhariadmit that this kind of explanation is against the obvious meaningof the
hadith and that to insist that every ritual prayer be offeredseparately is a groundless
requirement.
Nawab: Then how did this controversyarise so that the
two sects of Muslims are after the blood ofeach other and condemn each other's actions?
Well-Wisher: You say that thetwo sects of Muslims are
inimical to each other, but I disagree. We Shias do not look down upon any of
the learned men or commonpeople of our brothers, the Sunnis. We regret that
propagandaof the Kharijis, the Nasibis, and the Umayyads have