Is it permissible to combine the Dhuhr and Asr prayers by performing them earlier (jama’ taqdim) at school due to the long commute and the fear of missing the congregational Asr prayer?

If it is possible to pray Asr in congregation without combining it with Dhuhr, then it is not permissible to combine Dhuhr and Asr merely to attain the congregational prayer. However, if it is not possible to achieve the congregation except by combining the prayers, the majority of jurists do not permit combining them; rather, each prayer should be performed at its appointed time. Some scholars, including Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, allowed combining prayers to achieve the virtue of congregational prayer, by analogy with the permissibility of combining prayers for a worldly need. Adhering to the first opinion is more cautious. If a Muslim prays Dhuhr and Asr individually at their workplace, it is not prescribed for them to combine the prayers; rather, the Asr prayer should be performed at its appointed time.