Is it permissible for my sick mother to combine the Maghrib and Isha prayers – by praying Isha early – due to her illness and the hardship of waiting for the Isha prayer, knowing that she is a resident, and what is the ruling on delaying the Isha prayer until just before Fajr?

It is permissible for a sick person to combine the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, and the Maghrib and Isha prayers. This is the view of the Maliki and Hanbali schools, and a saying among some Shafi'is. Their argument is that illness is an excuse that permits combining prayers, by analogy with travel. The Malikis are of the opinion that the permissible combining for the sick person is only Jumu' Taqdeem (combining by bringing the later prayer forward). As for delaying the Isha prayer until after midnight, it is not permissible, because its latest time is midnight, according to the preponderant opinion of the scholars. It is important to note that midnight is not necessarily 12:00, but rather varies depending on times and countries.