What is the ruling on greeting the person sitting to your right or left after the prayer? Is it an innovation introduced by some sects, as we have heard?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on greeting the person sitting to your right and left after the prayer? Is it an innovation introduced by some sects, as we have heard? And what is obligatory for me in this case, despite its prevalence among people? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : As for greeting the person to your right and left immediately after the taslim of the prayer, as some people do, starting with it before saying "I seek forgiveness from Allah" and before the dhikr of the prayer, this is undoubtedly not prescribed, and it is necessary to alert people to this. However, if one finishes the dhikr of the prayer and is done with it, then greets the person on his right and on his left for the sake of affection and endearment, not because he believes it is prescribed after the prayer, then there is nothing wrong with it and no blame on him. But if one believes that this is prescribed and does it as an act of worship and for the sake of its being prescribed, then that is a religious innovation from which one is forbidden. So there is a difference between one who does a thing for affection and endearment without believing it is prescribed, and one who does it for affection and endearment after doing what is prescribed after the prayer. The first is an innovation, and the second shows nothing wrong, or it does not appear that there is harm in it. But it appears from the action of some people that they believe it is a recommended practice, because they rush to do it immediately after the taslim, and because some of them may enter with his companions, and when he finishes the prayer he greets them. This indicates that he thinks or believes that it is part of the recommended practice, and it is not part of the recommended practice. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. We conclude this episode of the program Nur 'ala al-Darb with this question. We received it from the listener Khaled S. M. from Kuwait, who says.
The Shaykh : As for greeting the person to your right and left immediately after the taslim of the prayer, as some people do, starting with it before saying "I seek forgiveness from Allah" and before the dhikr of the prayer, this is undoubtedly not prescribed, and it is necessary to alert people to this. However, if one finishes the dhikr of the prayer and is done with it, then greets the person on his right and on his left for the sake of affection and endearment, not because he believes it is prescribed after the prayer, then there is nothing wrong with it and no blame on him. But if one believes that this is prescribed and does it as an act of worship and for the sake of its being prescribed, then that is a religious innovation from which one is forbidden. So there is a difference between one who does a thing for affection and endearment without believing it is prescribed, and one who does it for affection and endearment after doing what is prescribed after the prayer. The first is an innovation, and the second shows nothing wrong, or it does not appear that there is harm in it. But it appears from the action of some people that they believe it is a recommended practice, because they rush to do it immediately after the taslim, and because some of them may enter with his companions, and when he finishes the prayer he greets them. This indicates that he thinks or believes that it is part of the recommended practice, and it is not part of the recommended practice. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. We conclude this episode of the program Nur 'ala al-Darb with this question. We received it from the listener Khaled S. M. from Kuwait, who says.