The Ruling on the Greeting Prayer of the Mosque in Times of Dislike — and the Ruling on the Greeting Prayer of the Mosque While the Imam Is Delivering the Sermon?

The Shaykh : I say that there are two well-known opinions among the scholars on this matter, and one opinion that is a recent innovation. As for the two well-known opinions, one is that it is not permissible to perform the greeting prayer in the times of dislike, and this is the position of the Hanafi school. The other school holds that the greeting prayer is permissible in the disliked times, as well as all voluntary prayers that have a specific cause. This second opinion is the correct one, in accordance with the authentic Sunnah. It is not appropriate to lengthen the discussion of this issue now; it suffices for us to mention a general hadith and a specific hadith that pertains to our subject, the specific one being even more applicable. The general hadith is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): "When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit until he prays two rak'ahs." In another wording, "Let him pray two rak'ahs and then sit." This means there are two narrations: one prohibits sitting until he prays, and the other commands him to pray and then... allows him to sit. The... is one.
This hadith, by its generality, includes every time, because "when" is a temporal particle; so at whatever time you enter the mosque, do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs. As for the specific evidence that pertains to our subject, it is even more applicable: his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): "If you say to your companion on Friday, 'Be quiet,' while the imam is delivering the sermon, you have spoken in vain." In this time, when it is not permissible to enjoin good and forbid evil, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the one who entered the mosque on Friday while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was on the pulpit delivering the sermon: When that man entered and sat down, he said to him, "Did you pray two rak'ahs?" He said, "No." He said, "Stand up and pray two rak'ahs." Then he turned to all the people present and said to them, "When one of you comes on Friday and the imam is delivering the sermon, let him pray two rak'ahs and then sit." This hadith is specific to the greeting prayer on Friday during the imam's sermon. If you understand that in this time, the time of the imam's sermon, it is not valid for a person to enjoin good and forbid evil, yet he commanded the greeting prayer, then it is even more appropriate to command the greeting prayer in a time where there is no specific prohibition, but only a general prohibition. For example, no prayer after 'Asr until the sun sets, no prayer after Fajr until the sun rises, and so on.
In summary, his command (peace and blessings be upon him) for the greeting prayer while the imam is delivering the sermon, which is a time of dislike, means that it is also a command for the greeting prayer in any time of dislike. This is the second opinion, and it is the stronger one, for the reasons we have mentioned.
As for the third opinion, which I have called a recent innovation, it is what Imam al-Shawkani adopted, where he was unable to reconcile the hadiths that appear to contradict each other. The reason for permissibility has become clear to you by applying the general to the specific, or in other words, by excluding the specific from the general, and by excluding the lesser from the greater. It is said: No prayer after 'Asr, no prayer after Fajr, except the greeting prayer of the mosque. The evidence is what you have heard. Since al-Shawkani was unable to reconcile the hadiths and was perplexed by them, he said: If one enters the mosque, he remains standing until the time of dislike passes. In this manner, he did not fall into contradiction. This is correct, and it can be said: Do not enter the mosque, my brother, why would you? Because this is further from the problem. But a person may enter the mosque, and it may be difficult for him to remain standing until the time of dislike passes. However, the solution is what Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) and those who followed him from the people of hadith adopted: that all voluntary prayers with a specific cause are excluded from the prohibition and from prayer in the disliked times. This is the answer to the previous question.

The questioner : What about the obligation of prayer in the time of dislike?

The Shaykh : As for obligation, we have neither affirmed nor denied it, because the discussion was not about this. However, you may ask: Is the greeting prayer of the mosque obligatory or not? The answer is that it is obligatory, due to his command (peace and blessings be upon him): "When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit until he prays," or "Let him pray two rak'ahs and then sit." And because he commanded the greeting prayer in a place where enjoining good and forbidding evil was prohibited. It is obligatory. Yes.