What is the ruling on praying the greeting of the mosque after 'Asr and during the Friday sermon?

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, we have an imam of a mosque who, when we enter after 'Asr, does not let us pray the greeting of the mosque, and likewise when he is on the pulpit. He says that this is a time of prohibition. What is the correct position? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
As for preventing one who enters during the time of the sermon from praying two rak'ahs, this is contrary to the Sunnah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the man who entered while the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon and sat down to stand up and pray two rak'ahs. So if a person enters and the imam is delivering the sermon, he prays two rak'ahs by the command of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). As for this imam, he is ignorant of this Sunnah.
As for the voluntary prayer after 'Asr, this is a matter of disagreement among the scholars. Whoever prays the greeting of the mosque, there is no harm; and whoever leaves it after 'Asr, there is no harm. This is because each of the two opinions has what supports it, and the issue is easy. The greeting of the mosque is an easy matter because it is a recommended practice (sunnah), not an obligation. If he leaves it, he owes nothing, and if he does it, he has a reward. Yes.
But the prayer for the one who enters while the imam is delivering the sermon is a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah) established from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So the one who forbids it is ignorant.