Which Salah should a traveler who delays combining the Maghrib and `Isha' Prayers start with?

Q 3: Someone travels the distance beyond which it is permissible to shorten Salah, and wants to combine (Part No. 6; Page No. 440) Maghrib (Sunset) Prayer with `Isha' (Night) Prayer. He delays them until after 12 pm. Must he offer `Isha' first then Maghrib, or make up for them? When he combines two Salahs at the time of the earlier one and reaches his country at the time of the second Salah, must he repeat the second Salah or not?

A: The basic principle is that a traveler is allowed to combine two Prayers at the time of the earlier or the latter. The Prophet (peace be upon him), while traveling before the time of Salah was due, used to postpone the first Salah and combine it with the second one at the time of the latter. When he traveled after the start of the time of the first Salah, he (peace be upon him) used to combine the second Salah with the first one at the time of the first Salah. Consequently, it is permissible for you to combine `Isha' with Maghrib Prayer at the time of the latter. In this case, you should offer Maghrib Prayer first and then `Isha' Prayer. However, it is impermissible for you to delay the two combined Salahs until the time of the second is over. If you reach your country at the time of the second Salah, which you combined with the first Salah at the time of the earlier one; this is enough and you do not need to repeat it, because you have already combined and performed the two Salahs.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.