If you enter the mosque before the Zuhr prayer and you want to pray the rawatib before Zuhr, do you pray first, or do you pray the greeting of the mosque and then the rawatib, or is the greeting of the mosque considered part of the rawatib?

The questioner : If you enter the mosque before the Zuhr prayer and you want to pray the rawatib before Zuhr, which is four rak'ahs, do you pray the greeting of the mosque first and then the four, or is the greeting of the mosque considered part of those four?

The Shaykh : The greeting of the mosque is considered part of those four, meaning that if you pray the rawatib, it suffices for you in place of the greeting of the mosque. Just as if you entered while the imam is praying the obligatory prayer and you joined him, it suffices for the greeting of the mosque, because the purpose of the two rak'ahs of the greeting is that a person does not sit until he prays two rak'ahs, whether they are voluntary, rawatib, or obligatory.

The questioner : May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : But he said: It should be known that these four are with two taslims, meaning that every two rak'ahs have their own tashahhud and taslim. Yes.

The questioner : May Allah reward you and the Muslims with the best reward. This questioner, A M M, says.