The Ruling on the Two Rak'ahs of Greeting the Mosque
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Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings. What is the ruling on the two rak'ahs of greeting the mosque, with mention of the evidence? And what is the evidence of the one who disagrees, to refute him? And are those who hold that the two rak'ahs of greeting the mosque are obligatory required to pray them when they enter the mosque during the prohibited times, or not? Please inform us, may Allah reward you!
Yes! May Allah bless you! First: Greeting when asking a question is not from the Sunnah, and we have pointed this out many times, because the Companions were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and they would sit without greeting when they wanted to ask a question. If a person comes to the circle and greets, then there is no harm in that.
As for greeting the mosque, the view that it is obligatory and that a person, when he enters the mosque, must not sit until he prays two rak'ahs as an obligation, this is a strong view without doubt, and whoever holds to it is not to be censured.The evidence for this: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit until he prays two rak'ahs" . The original ruling in a prohibition is that it is forbidden, and this is an act of worship, not a matter of etiquette; because in matters of etiquette, if a command comes, it is for recommendation unless there is evidence, but in matters of worship, the original ruling is that they are obligatory. This indicates the obligation of greeting the mosque.And this is supported by: That a man entered on Friday while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon, so he sat down,So he said to him: Did you pray?He said: No,He said: "Stand up and pray two rak'ahs, and be brief in them" . The indication of obligation is that the Messenger of Allah interrupted the sermon and asked this man.
Second: He ordered him to stand up and pray, and it is known that if he stands to pray, he will be occupied with his prayer and not listening to the sermon. Listening to the sermon is obligatory, and one is not occupied with something that takes precedence over an obligation unless that thing is itself obligatory.
Third: The Messenger said: "Be brief in them"; this is an indication that he is only doing what is necessary, and that doing them is a necessity.
This is the greatest evidence indicating the obligation, and it is a strong view.
As for those who said that it is not obligatory,So they argued with hadiths: Among their arguments: that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would enter on Friday and not pray two rak'ahs; he would be occupied with the sermon and not pray two rak'ahs until he died (peace and blessings be upon him).
And among them: The story of the three men who entered while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was with his companions; some of them sat behind the circle, some entered the circle, and some left, and it was not reported in the hadith that they prayed greeting the mosque.
But the argument from this hadith is weak. Why? Because it is known in this hadith that it was not reported that they prayed, and what is the non-reporting? It is not a report of non-existence.Meaning: It did not come in the hadith that they did not pray; but it appears that they did not pray, so the argument from this is weak.
Likewise: The story of Ka'b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) when he came and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he was with his companions after Allah had accepted his repentance. Talhah ibn 'Ubayd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up to him to congratulate him, and he came forward and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and there is nothing in the hadith indicating that he prayed.
But the argument from this hadith is also somewhat weak; because Ka'b ibn Malik may not have been in a state of wudu, and whoever enters the mosque without wudu does not pray, as it came in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Allah does not accept the prayer of any of you until he performs wudu" .
I used to say that greeting the mosque is obligatory; but after that, the view that it is not obligatory became stronger for me. And with this, if someone says it is obligatory, we do not rebuke him, and we do not censure him.
As for praying it during the prohibited times, the correct view is that it is prayed during the prohibited times, even if we say it is a recommended practice; because it is a prayer that has a cause, and every prayer that has a cause is performed even during the prohibited times. And on this basis, if you enter the mosque after you have prayed the 'Asr prayer, do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs, or after you have prayed the Fajr prayer, do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs, whether you entered to recite the Qur'an or to listen to knowledge or for something else; do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs.
Yes! May Allah bless you! First: Greeting when asking a question is not from the Sunnah, and we have pointed this out many times, because the Companions were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and they would sit without greeting when they wanted to ask a question. If a person comes to the circle and greets, then there is no harm in that.
As for greeting the mosque, the view that it is obligatory and that a person, when he enters the mosque, must not sit until he prays two rak'ahs as an obligation, this is a strong view without doubt, and whoever holds to it is not to be censured.The evidence for this: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit until he prays two rak'ahs" . The original ruling in a prohibition is that it is forbidden, and this is an act of worship, not a matter of etiquette; because in matters of etiquette, if a command comes, it is for recommendation unless there is evidence, but in matters of worship, the original ruling is that they are obligatory. This indicates the obligation of greeting the mosque.And this is supported by: That a man entered on Friday while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon, so he sat down,So he said to him: Did you pray?He said: No,He said: "Stand up and pray two rak'ahs, and be brief in them" . The indication of obligation is that the Messenger of Allah interrupted the sermon and asked this man.
Second: He ordered him to stand up and pray, and it is known that if he stands to pray, he will be occupied with his prayer and not listening to the sermon. Listening to the sermon is obligatory, and one is not occupied with something that takes precedence over an obligation unless that thing is itself obligatory.
Third: The Messenger said: "Be brief in them"; this is an indication that he is only doing what is necessary, and that doing them is a necessity.
This is the greatest evidence indicating the obligation, and it is a strong view.
As for those who said that it is not obligatory,So they argued with hadiths: Among their arguments: that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would enter on Friday and not pray two rak'ahs; he would be occupied with the sermon and not pray two rak'ahs until he died (peace and blessings be upon him).
And among them: The story of the three men who entered while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was with his companions; some of them sat behind the circle, some entered the circle, and some left, and it was not reported in the hadith that they prayed greeting the mosque.
But the argument from this hadith is weak. Why? Because it is known in this hadith that it was not reported that they prayed, and what is the non-reporting? It is not a report of non-existence.Meaning: It did not come in the hadith that they did not pray; but it appears that they did not pray, so the argument from this is weak.
Likewise: The story of Ka'b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) when he came and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he was with his companions after Allah had accepted his repentance. Talhah ibn 'Ubayd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up to him to congratulate him, and he came forward and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and there is nothing in the hadith indicating that he prayed.
But the argument from this hadith is also somewhat weak; because Ka'b ibn Malik may not have been in a state of wudu, and whoever enters the mosque without wudu does not pray, as it came in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Allah does not accept the prayer of any of you until he performs wudu" .
I used to say that greeting the mosque is obligatory; but after that, the view that it is not obligatory became stronger for me. And with this, if someone says it is obligatory, we do not rebuke him, and we do not censure him.
As for praying it during the prohibited times, the correct view is that it is prayed during the prohibited times, even if we say it is a recommended practice; because it is a prayer that has a cause, and every prayer that has a cause is performed even during the prohibited times. And on this basis, if you enter the mosque after you have prayed the 'Asr prayer, do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs, or after you have prayed the Fajr prayer, do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs, whether you entered to recite the Qur'an or to listen to knowledge or for something else; do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs.