What is the ruling on delaying Dhuhr and Maghrib prayers and hastening Asr and Isha prayers on a cloudy day?
Chapter on Prayer Times
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
It is recommended to delay the Dhuhr and Maghrib prayers and hasten the Asr and Isha prayers on a cloudy day. Imam Ahmad, according to the narration of the group including Al-Marwadhi, explicitly stated this ruling. The rationale provided by Al-Qadi is that such weather raises the possibility of obstacles like rain, wind, or cold, making it difficult to go out for each prayer. Delaying the first of the two combined prayers and hastening the second removes this hardship by allowing one exit for both prayers, thus providing ease, similar to combining prayers within the time of one of them.
Supporting text
The view of Abu Hanifa and Al-Awza'i aligns with this recommendation. A similar action was reported from Umar concerning Dhuhr and Asr. Ibn Mas'ud held the view that Dhuhr and Asr should be hastened, and Maghrib should be delayed. Al-Hasan stated that Dhuhr should be delayed. The apparent meaning of Al-Khiraqi's words suggests that hastening Dhuhr (when not extremely hot) and Maghrib in all circumstances is recommended. This is the position of Al-Shafi'i, who stated that if one believes the time has entered through Ijtihad (independent reasoning), hastening is recommended.