The Shaykh’s response to “Salman al-Oudah” regarding his claim that the greeting of the mosque during the prohibited times is a recommended practice

Salman al-Oudah: For example, the rest sitting, or like the two rak'ahs of the greeting of the mosque during the prohibited times; that is, the young man who prays them disapproves of the one who did not pray them, or the one who does not pray them disapproves of the one who did pray them. I said: It is a recommended practice, and the matter is broad in it; we should focus on issues.

The Shaykh : His statement that the greeting of the mosque is a recommended practice is evidence that he has not studied the issue with a substantive jurisprudential study, otherwise he would not have said that it is a recommended practice. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as is well known in Sahih al-Bukhari, when Sulayk al-Ghatafani entered and sat down, the Messenger (peace be upon him) interrupted his sermon and said to him: . He said: No. He said: Stand up and pray two rak'ahs , then he directed his address to the masses of the seated listeners of his sermon and said (peace be upon him): , or: . Here we observe a very strong point that confirms that the greeting of the mosque is among the obligations and not among the recommended practices, as is the opinion of the majority. He mentioned in a lecture we heard, I do not know if in this tape or another, that the opinion of the majority is generally correct. So it appears that in this issue he is a follower of the majority. And I am as certain as I am that if this man were to declare his war on following scholars without knowing their evidence, and declare strong disapproval of those who cling to the practical Sunnahs, and attribute to them what you heard of some words that should not be uttered, because it has not come from their hearts.
At the same time, he is a follower of scholars without knowing their evidence, and I believe he is excused in this following; because he is directed toward an aspect that I believe is among the obligations that some students of knowledge or scholars must perform, which is knowing the conditions of the Islamic world and the calamities they suffer and what they should be alert to, and so on. So he is afflicted now with following scholars without knowing their evidence; because time is too short to allow him to fight, as they say, on two fronts: to be an independent legal reasoner in every issue he adopts, and to be a researcher and examiner in the various sciences called sociology, politics, and the like. Therefore, he falls into what he disapproves of in others; he falls into pitfalls he should not have fallen into, among which is his strong disapproval of those who are enthusiastic about the greeting prayer in the disliked times, and that they may disapprove of those who do not pray the greeting, and so on. What is his argument? That it is a recommended practice, so one should not be strict. But when we return to the hadith of Sulayk al-Ghatafani and find that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to stand up after he sat and pray the greeting, interrupting the sermon in which it is not permissible for him, while preaching, to enjoin good and forbid evil; nevertheless, he ordered the one who entered to stand up and pray the greeting of the mosque. This is evidence that the greeting of the mosque is classified among the obligations and not among the recommended practices.
So, personally, I return to draw the attention of this brother “Sulayman” that before he disapproves of others, he should clarify the ruling on the greeting. If he has evidence that supports his claim of it being a recommended practice rather than an obligation, then he should advise these young men and tell them: that this act of worship does not exceed being a recommended practice, and in that case, whoever wishes may do it and whoever wishes may leave it, as we say regarding that Bedouin who said: “By Allah – O Messenger of Allah – I do not add to them or subtract from them.” But for the matter to come with this haste and this obscuring that it is only a recommended practice, this is a recommended practice for you by following scholars without knowing their evidence and not by independent legal reasoning! Because if it were independent legal reasoning from him, he would have advised those students and said to them: your opinion contradicts such and such evidence. But he does not do any of that; he passes over the issues and establishes them according to what he sees, then he attributes to others that they are fanatical about acts of worship for which they should not be fanatical; because they are from the recommended practices. This is an observation.
Salman al-Oudah: Before we engage with these issues, and our engagement with these issues – also – must exist, but with wisdom, deliberation, and insight, and we teach people the Sunnah in a calm manner, and the student of knowledge should generally beware of pitfalls.

The Shaykh : With this haste and this obscuring that it is only a recommended practice, this is a recommended practice for you by following scholars without knowing their evidence and not by independent legal reasoning! Because if it were independent legal reasoning from him, he would have advised those students and said to them: your opinion contradicts such and such evidence. But he does not do any of that; he passes over the issues and establishes them according to what he sees, then he attributes to others that they are fanatical about acts of worship for which they should not be fanatical; because they are from the recommended practices. This is an observation.
Salman al-Oudah: Before we engage with these issues, and our engagement with these issues – also – must exist, but with wisdom, deliberation, and insight, and we teach people the Sunnah in a calm manner, and the student of knowledge should generally beware of pitfalls, big and small, and be as “Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak” said:
“Leave the sins, small and big, that is mindfulness of Allah
And act as a walker on the ground of thorns, he fears what he sees
Do not belittle a small thing, for the mountains are from pebbles”
The student : ... because now they need to summarize the points or ... .
Another student: Later, don’t forget to give it to Abu Layla so he can take the clip he wants.
Another student : I hope to Allah.
My Shaykh,Abu Layla : His request says: he wants to extract some clips from it, so perhaps we can give it to him on Friday, if Allah wills. This is “al-Ighraq”.