( ... Success is for the one who is truthful ) Is it used as evidence that the commands in the Sunnah are to be understood as recommended rather than obligatory, such as the greeting of the mosque, for example?

The questioner : ... Many of the jurists ... meaning they use the hadith to go beyond many, many of the hadiths that are ... from the legislative commands ... which obligate implementation, meaning because the original ruling for commands is obligation, so they use the hadith to argue for the recommendation, or the recommendation of that act?
Another questioner: And there is no doubt that ... also ... among the scholars, meaning those who respond to this matter by saying that he deviated with "Success is for the one who is truthful" and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the commands have ended, and also that the religion has been completed with other commands, so it is obligatory for the one who knows them, meaning to implement them, and they are to be considered obligatory, not recommended as they held, so what does that mean?

The Shaykh : An example?

The questioner : Meaning, for example ... the Sunnah is the greeting of the mosque, they say, meaning the greeting of the mosque when I enter is recommended, because although it was mentioned in the form of a command, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to this questioner who came with the known obligatory acts and he did not add to that, and so on ...?

The Shaykh : I do not believe that this is what the one who said what I quoted earlier means; I do not believe that a scholar says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) taught that questioner everything that Allah obligated upon him in that ... and in that case, the argumentation with this hadith is one of the weakest arguments. But if we assume the opposite, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught him what is individually obligatory in the life of the Muslim, then we say regarding this specific example, which is the greeting of the mosque, that the greeting of the mosque is only obligatory upon the one who enters the mosque first, and not upon the one who enters the prayer area or other places of prayer first. And secondly, the greeting is not obligatory only upon the one who enters the mosque, but rather upon the one who enters and sits in it. So if he entered and did not sit, he has no greeting; if he entered and left, he has no greeting, regardless of whether the command here is for obligation. This requires research, and perhaps I will address it because in my opinion it is very important. Regardless of whether this command is for obligation or recommendation, this command is directed to the one who enters the mosque and wants to sit. But if he does not want to sit, this command does not apply to him, because the hadith has two narrations: the first narration is and the other narration is . So if he does not want to sit for some reason, these workers who go back and forth to the workplace, to the mosque for some reason and not to sit in it, these people are not subject to the command mentioned in the hadith.
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) was sitting with some of his Companions around him, so he sat, and he said to him, "O so-and-so, have you prayed two rak'ahs?" He said, "No." He said, "Stand up and pray two rak'ahs." 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 in the mosque is for obligation, not for recommendation. That 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. He (peace be upon him) said to him . He said, "No." He said . Then he turned to the general assembly of those sitting in the mosque and said . This hadith confirms that the greeting of the mosque is obligatory, not just a recommended command. The point of argumentation in this hadith is to remember another hadith, which is his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying . And every one who is well-versed in the Shari'ah knows that the saying of the one who speaks on Friday while the imam is delivering the sermon, "Be silent," is only a command to enjoin good. And also, it is 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 on the contrary, he did not drop the obligation of the greeting while the imam is delivering the sermon, this is one of the strong and very strong indications that the greeting is not dropped and it is not permissible to leave it on the claim that it is recommended. No, this is one thing and another is another. And this is also an important matter: that the greeting is prescribed in the disliked times. That is because the absolute voluntary prayer, and the imam on Friday is delivering the sermon, is prohibited from it. So this time should be included with the five times that branched off, and it was from the three times. But the jurists followed the practice of making the times five regarding them 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 the absolute voluntary prayer in them, and in terms of the permissibility, indeed the obligation, of the greeting prayer in them. It should be included, and the imam is delivering the sermon on Friday, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered, as you heard earlier, 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 command is that the greeting of the mosque is obligatory, not just recommended. Then it is prayed in the disliked times, like much of what falls under the Shafi'is' expression of "voluntary prayers with causes." This is one of the voluntary prayers with causes, which is the greeting of the mosque. And now we proceed to the prayer, if Allah wills.

The questioner : ... regarding the specificity of Friday regarding the absolute voluntary prayer, meaning the specificity of Friday in not being disliked?

The Shaykh : Our discussion is not only about Friday!

The questioner : Yes...

The Shaykh : In the time of dislike, because this time is after the adhan.
Another questioner: O Shaykh, it was mentioned.

The Shaykh : After the time of dislike has passed.

The questioner : It is established in Sahih Muslim.

The Shaykh : Yes, let's proceed.