Question:
When I combine prayers while travelling—for example, Dhuhr and ʿAsr, I may return home before Maghrib, but it is not guaranteed. Would I still have to pray ʿAsr again if I already prayed it?
Answer:
Firstly: The permissibility of combining prayers while travelling
Combining Dhuhr and ʿAsr, or Maghrib and ʿIshā’, is permissible for the traveler according to all four madhāhib under certain conditions. The Prophet ﷺ combined prayers during travel, as reported in numerous authentic hadiths. This allowance is a rukhṣah (concession) to make things easier for the traveler.
You may combine:
Dhuhr and ʿAsr at the time of either (early—jamʿ taqdīm—or late—jamʿ ta’khīr),
Maghrib and ʿIshā’ in the same way.
This concession remains valid so long as you are still considered a traveler at the time of prayer.
Secondly: The ruling if you prayed combined while travelling, but returned home before the second prayer’s time
If you combined Dhuhr and ʿAsr while still travelling, and then returned home after having already prayed ʿAsr, the scholars agree that you do not need to repeat ʿAsr. Your combined prayer was valid because you fulfilled the condition of being a traveler when you prayed.
Even if you return before ʿAsr enters—or before its time finishes—the prayer that you offered as a traveler remains valid and complete. There is no requirement to repeat the prayer just because your status changed later in the day.
If you already prayed both prayers as a traveler, and later return home: no need to repeat anything.
And Allah knows best.