Does the hadith (If he had been truthful, he would have succeeded) indicate that the greeting of the mosque and other things are not obligatory?

The questioner : Many jurists and muftis cite the hadith to override many hadiths that contain divine and Prophetic commands requiring implementation, because the default ruling for commands is obligation. They cite the hadith to argue for the recommendation (mandub) of that act, or the recommendation of that specific action. There is no doubt that many scholars also respond to this by saying that what "he who succeeded if he was truthful" meant, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, was that he had reached the limit of the commands, and that the religion was completed with other commands. Therefore, whoever knows them must implement them, and they are obligatory, not recommended as they claimed. What do you say about that?

The Shaykh : For example?

The questioner : For example, Shaykh, let us take the greeting of the mosque. They say the greeting of the mosque is a recommended practice (sunnah) because, although it was reported in the form of a command, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the one who came with the known obligatory acts: and he would not add to that. And so it is in many other issues.

The Shaykh : I do not believe that a scholar would say what I just quoted, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught him thatThe questioner : everything Allah made obligatory upon him in that session. In that case, citing this hadith is one of the weakest forms of argumentation. However, if we assume the opposite, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught him what is individually obligatory in the life of a Muslim, then regarding this specific example, which is the greeting of the mosque, the greeting of the mosque is only obligatory for one who enters the mosque first, not for one who enters the prayer area or other places of prayer first. Secondly, the greeting is not obligatory for one who merely enters the mosque, but only for one who enters and sits in it. If he enters and does not sit, he owes no greeting. If he enters and leaves, he owes no greeting, regardless of whether the command here is for obligation. This requires research, and I may address it because I believe it is very important. Regardless of whether this command is for obligation or for recommendation, this command is directed at the one who enters the mosque and intends to sit. If he does not intend to sit, this command does not apply to him, because the hadith has two narrations. The first narration is The other narration is So, if he does not intend to sit for some reason, like these workers who go to the mosque for work or for some matter, and not to sit in it, then the command mentioned in the hadith does not apply to them. This is confirmed by the hadith of Abu Qatadah al-Ansari, when he entered the mosque and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was sitting with some of his Companions around him. He sat down, and the Prophet said to him: Then he (peace be upon him) said the hadith mentioned earlier. The story of Abu Qatadah is different from the story of Salik al-Ghatafani, and the story of Salik, which we will mention, confirms that the command mentioned in the hadith of the greeting prayer of the mosque confirms that it is for obligation, not for recommendation. This is because the hadith of Salik, as in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim, states that he entered on a Friday while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was delivering the sermon, so he sat down. He (peace be upon him) said to him: Then he turned to the general assembly of those sitting in the mosque and said: Let him pray two rak'ahs for Allah and be brief in them. This hadith confirms that the greeting of the assembly is obligatory, not just a recommended act. The point of argumentation in this hadith is to recall another hadith, which is his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: And every jurist knows that the statement of the one who says to the person speaking on Friday while the imam is delivering the sermon, "Be silent," is enjoining good. It is also known that enjoining good is obligatory. So, if we know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) dropped this obligation, which is enjoining good, because the imam is delivering the sermon, and conversely, did not drop the obligation of the greeting while the imam is delivering the sermon, this is a very strong indication that the greeting is not dropped and it is not permissible to leave it on the claim that it is recommended. No, that is one thing. Another thing, and this is also important, is that the greeting is prescribed and commanded at all times; we do not exclude the disliked times from this. This is because the absolute voluntary prayer, and the voluntary prayer while the imam is delivering the Friday sermon, is prohibited. So this time should be included with the five times, two of which are derived from the three times. But the jurists followed the practice of making the times five because they relate to the times of prayer. But the truth is that it should be included with these times in terms of the impermissibility of absolute voluntary prayer in them, and in terms of the permissibility, indeed the obligation, of the greeting prayer in them. It should be included, while the imam is delivering the sermon on Friday, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded, as you just heard, Salik al-Ghatafani to pray two rak'ahs while the imam is delivering the sermon, while he prohibited saying to your companion, "Be silent." This confirms two things: the first is that the greeting of the mosque is obligatory, not just recommended. Then, it is prayed in the disliked times. Much of what falls under the Shafi'i expression of "voluntary prayers with causes" includes this, which is the greeting of the mosque. And now we stand for the prayer, if Allah wills.