1- Is the pilgrim's farewell to himself before heading to the Holy Lands, by gathering family and neighbors and reciting the Qur'an as if in mourning, permissible under the claim that life is in God's hands and the pilgrim might pass away there? 2- Is it permissible to combine the Dhuhr and Asr prayers by advancing them, and the Maghrib and Isha prayers by delaying them, on school days when the Asr, Maghrib, and sometimes Isha prayers are missed due to studying and delayed transportation?

1- Your gathering to recite the Quran as a condolence for a traveler departing for Hajj is an innovation (bid'ah). What is prescribed is to bid him farewell with what has been authentically reported in the Sunnah (definition).

2- According to the Malikis, combining two prayers in a settled (non-traveling) state is not permissible except for six reasons: travel, rain, mud accompanied by darkness, illness, Arafah, and Muzdalifah. Ashhab, however, permitted combining prayers in a settled state without an excuse when there is a need or necessity. To avoid disagreement and to act cautiously, it is preferable for one who needs to combine prayers to do so in a "figurative" manner (jam'an suriyyan) by delaying the first prayer until the end of its time and performing the second prayer at the beginning of its time.