Is the pre-Zuhr sunnah a substitute for the greeting of the mosque, and what is the ruling on combining the two intentions?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : ... If a man enters and prays the two rak'ahs of the pre-Zuhr sunnah, for example, but did not intend to combine the sunnah of the greeting of the mosque with the pre-Zuhr sunnah, do these two rak'ahs suffice to fulfill the obligation of the greeting of the mosque?
The Shaykh : No.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Why are you looking at me? This has a meaning...
The questioner : ... .
Another questioner: What I understand is that the greeting of the mosque has an intention that stands on its own.
The Shaykh : Of course.
Another questioner: So what is the evidence for that?
The Shaykh : The evidence is that it is obligatory, and that the intention of a sunnah does not drop the obligatory. As for the reverse, yes.
Another questioner: ... The hadithSahih al-Bukhari 1167 means that what is intended or prescribed here is prayer before sitting. If it is for a regular sunnah or an obligatory prayer, the greeting of the mosque is dropped, so this obligation is dropped!
The Shaykh : Good.
Another questioner: Does one need to combine two intentions in this prayer?
The Shaykh : No, we are telling you now, no two intentions, just to clarify the ruling: one intention. A man enters the mosque and intends the sunnah of the time, or intends the recommended sunnah, like the sunnah of Maghrib, for example. Does this intention suffice for the intention of the obligation?
Another questioner: No, then, but this greeting... is this term from the jurists?
The Shaykh : No problem, we stand with you at the text of the hadith and we develop the question now: he prayed two rak'ahs. If you asked him at that moment, "What is your intention now?"
Another questioner: ...
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you "The believer does not enter the hole twice" and he wanted to answer you frankly and said to you, "By Allah, I do not know if this prayer is valid?"
Another questioner: No, the intention is necessary!
The Shaykh : The intention is necessary. Okay, he told you this is the intention of an obligatory prayer, and he does not want to pray with the intention of an obligatory prayer, because the obligatory prayer will be prayed later with the congregation. Is this an explicit intention?
Another questioner: No.
The Shaykh : So then? The intention is necessary, meaning, okay, if he wants to pray, meaning two acts of worship, he prays the greeting of the mosque and he wants to pray the sunnah of the time, and naturally, as the hadith you mentioned indicates, the greeting of the mosque must be preceded over the sunnah of the time, is that not so?
Another questioner: ...
The Shaykh : May Allah make you understand why you do not understand, ... I know ... The one who wants to pray, we said, two acts of worship, he wants to pray the greeting of the mosque and then the sunnah of the time. Is this permissible for you or not permissible?
Another questioner: I do not understand this!
The Shaykh : I am not asking you to understand.
Another questioner: It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : How is it not permissible?
Another questioner: ...
The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah, I want to pray the sunnah of the time, four rak'ahs, good, but I want to separate between every two rak'ahs. I want to pray two rak'ahs and say the taslim, and pray two rak'ahs and say the taslim. This is, of course, permissible.
Another questioner: Permissible, yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so if I intended in the first two rak'ahs only the greeting of the mosque, is it permissible or not?
Another questioner: It is permissible.
The Shaykh : Okay.
Another questioner: But I do not see the greeting of the mosque as a sunnah that stands on its own; rather, it becomes obligatory when one wants to sit. If you want to sit, pray these two rak'ahs, whatever they are, whether they are a sunnah or an obligatory prayer, they suffice for sitting. As for the greeting of the mosque standing on its own, this... between two intentions, it is also necessary to distinguish between two prayers, because this greeting of the mosque is a sunnah that stands on its own, and the obligatory one also stands on its own, so one does not combine two prayers?
The Shaykh : Okay, we are telling you now, we do not combine, and you refuse us. I told you, we pray two rak'ahs for the greeting of the mosque and we pray two rak'ahs for the sunnah of the time. Here we did not combine. Why did you say no?
Another questioner: ... I say that the greeting of the mosque, this term itself, did not come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, it is from the terminology of the jurists?
The Shaykh : Correct.
Another questioner: The hadithSahih al-Bukhari 1167 We tell him, these two rak'ahs are not obligatory on you unless you want to sit. If you do not want to sit, the two rak'ahs are not obligatory on you. You passed by the mosque, we tell him, if you prayed the regular sunnah, it sufficed for you for the greeting of the mosque.
The Shaykh : And if he did not intend?
Another questioner: ... I intended the regular sunnah.
The Shaykh : I mean, I am not saying, and if he did not intend the greeting?
Another questioner: Yes, because we do not see the greeting as a prayer that stands on its own.
The Shaykh : How, my brother? If a prayer from the prayers does not have a pre-sunnah, does he not want the greeting of the mosque!
Another questioner: Here we say, if you want to sit, pray two rak'ahs!
The Shaykh : Your saying "if you want to sit," does he not need to bring to mind the intention?
Another questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is the desire present without an intention?
Another questioner: No.
The Shaykh : So then, if there is a prayer—may Allah bless you—before the obligatory prayer, as the Hanafis say, for example, that in the Maghrib prayer there is no sunnah with them; they dislike it and state that explicitly. If he wants to pray the greeting of the mosque, the word "wants," can we imagine it not accompanied by an intention?
Another questioner: It does not work.
The Shaykh : So then, the intention must be accompanied for the act of worship to be achieved. This is from one aspect. From another aspect, I do not know if you are with us in distinguishing in the ruling between the regular sunnahs and the voluntary prayers, and the greeting of the mosque?
Another questioner: The latter is obligatory and the former is recommended.
The Shaykh : Good, so how can the intention of a voluntary prayer take the place of the intention of an obligatory one?
Another questioner: This is not obligatory on me unless I want to sit. If there is a regular sunnah before the prayer...
The Shaykh : I understood you, may Allah bless you, because this repetition has no benefit. Let us circle around the point of disagreement. That is, when I want to sit, I want to bring to mind the Prophetic command in my mind. How is this if I do not bring it to mind as you say?
Another questioner: The act is not valid.
The Shaykh : So then, bringing the intention to mind is necessary.
The questioner : Another scenario, for example, a man missed the Fajr obligatory prayer in the mosque with the congregation. He entered the mosque and did not pray two rak'ahs for the greeting of the mosque, and the adhan and iqamah were called, and he prayed Fajr. Was it dropped from him?
The Shaykh : He entered the mosque and the adhan and iqamah were called?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : He prayed the obligatory prayer?
The questioner : He prayed the obligatory prayer.
The Shaykh : Of course.
The questioner : Why was it dropped?
The Shaykh : Because this is stronger than the greeting itself. Our topic with you is completely reversed. This is an obligatory prayer. This came with the obligatory and more. And this is specifically for those who distinguish between the obligatory (fard) and the mandatory (wajib), because where were we to distinguish? Because this is a terminological matter. But we believe that just as we believe that it is a sin, meaning sinful, from a sin, we also believe that it is an obligatory prayer more emphasized than an obligatory prayer, like the obligatoriness of the Friday prayer is more emphasized than the obligatoriness of the Zuhr prayer. And even though we do not distinguish between the obligatory (fard) and the mandatory (wajib), because this is a terminology in the Hanafi school and not the others, we believe that the obligatoriness of one of the five prayers is not like the obligatoriness of the greeting of the mosque. So this entered into that.
The questioner : This obligation is dropped from him.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Does this obligation suffice for him?
The Shaykh : With the intention, it suffices, and this is what we were talking about: the intention is necessary.
Another questioner: O Shaykh, so if one prays the greeting of the mosque, he prays it... and then follows it with a regular sunnah, is his action valid?
The Shaykh : Naturally, his action is valid, and this is the best. I am describing to you now the image of a man who performed wudu. In this case, it is prescribed for him to perform the sunnah of wudu, and we do not divert our attention from the mosque. If he performed wudu at home, it is prescribed for him to pray two rak'ahs as the sunnah of wudu, then pray two rak'ahs as the sunnah of the time, for example, and then pray the obligatory prayer. This same man performed wudu and entered the mosque. Now he wants to pray three things. That man prayed two things, but here he wants to pray three things: the greeting of the mosque, the sunnah of wudu, and the sunnah of what? The time. We are now describing several images or several people. A man who is content with the view of al-A'rabi, or slightly better, said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I do not add to them or subtract from them". This man is slightly better than him, but he will not pray the greeting of the mosque, the sunnah of wudu, and the sunnah of the time. He wants to shoot three birds with one stone. We tell him: It is permissible for you to intend the prayer of the greeting of the mosque plus the sunnah of wudu plus the sunnah of the time. He will be recorded with at least ten good deeds: the reward of the greeting of the mosque, which is obligatory upon him, plus one good deed for his good intention, plus a second good deed for the sunnah of the time. This is one image. The second image is a man who prays the greeting of the mosque, then prays two rak'ahs, either making them the sunnah of wudu or the sunnah of the time. This is better than that, and this is the one who prays with every intention: he prays the greeting and says the taslim, stands up, prays the sunnah of wudu and says the taslim, stands up, prays the sunnah of the time and says the taslim. This is the best. Our intention is to observe, as came in some hadiths from Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), that he passed by his son on a Friday while he was bathing and said: "Is this your bath for janabah or your bath for Friday?" He said: "It is a bath for janabah." He said: "Repeat the bath with another one." And perhaps he mentioned the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the command to bathe on Friday. The point is that one of us today on Friday wants to apply his saying (peace and blessings be upon him)Sunan an-Nasa'i 1381Sahih (Darussalam) according to one of the known interpretations: whoever bathes another...
The Shaykh : No.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Why are you looking at me? This has a meaning...
The questioner : ... .
Another questioner: What I understand is that the greeting of the mosque has an intention that stands on its own.
The Shaykh : Of course.
Another questioner: So what is the evidence for that?
The Shaykh : The evidence is that it is obligatory, and that the intention of a sunnah does not drop the obligatory. As for the reverse, yes.
Another questioner: ... The hadith
If anyone of you enters a Mosque, he should not sit until he has offered a tworak` at prayer.
من دخل المسجد فلا يجلس حتى يصلي ركعتينThe Shaykh : Good.
Another questioner: Does one need to combine two intentions in this prayer?
The Shaykh : No, we are telling you now, no two intentions, just to clarify the ruling: one intention. A man enters the mosque and intends the sunnah of the time, or intends the recommended sunnah, like the sunnah of Maghrib, for example. Does this intention suffice for the intention of the obligation?
Another questioner: No, then, but this greeting... is this term from the jurists?
The Shaykh : No problem, we stand with you at the text of the hadith and we develop the question now: he prayed two rak'ahs. If you asked him at that moment, "What is your intention now?"
Another questioner: ...
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you "The believer does not enter the hole twice" and he wanted to answer you frankly and said to you, "By Allah, I do not know if this prayer is valid?"
Another questioner: No, the intention is necessary!
The Shaykh : The intention is necessary. Okay, he told you this is the intention of an obligatory prayer, and he does not want to pray with the intention of an obligatory prayer, because the obligatory prayer will be prayed later with the congregation. Is this an explicit intention?
Another questioner: No.
The Shaykh : So then? The intention is necessary, meaning, okay, if he wants to pray, meaning two acts of worship, he prays the greeting of the mosque and he wants to pray the sunnah of the time, and naturally, as the hadith you mentioned indicates, the greeting of the mosque must be preceded over the sunnah of the time, is that not so?
Another questioner: ...
The Shaykh : May Allah make you understand why you do not understand, ... I know ... The one who wants to pray, we said, two acts of worship, he wants to pray the greeting of the mosque and then the sunnah of the time. Is this permissible for you or not permissible?
Another questioner: I do not understand this!
The Shaykh : I am not asking you to understand.
Another questioner: It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : How is it not permissible?
Another questioner: ...
The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah, I want to pray the sunnah of the time, four rak'ahs, good, but I want to separate between every two rak'ahs. I want to pray two rak'ahs and say the taslim, and pray two rak'ahs and say the taslim. This is, of course, permissible.
Another questioner: Permissible, yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so if I intended in the first two rak'ahs only the greeting of the mosque, is it permissible or not?
Another questioner: It is permissible.
The Shaykh : Okay.
Another questioner: But I do not see the greeting of the mosque as a sunnah that stands on its own; rather, it becomes obligatory when one wants to sit. If you want to sit, pray these two rak'ahs, whatever they are, whether they are a sunnah or an obligatory prayer, they suffice for sitting. As for the greeting of the mosque standing on its own, this... between two intentions, it is also necessary to distinguish between two prayers, because this greeting of the mosque is a sunnah that stands on its own, and the obligatory one also stands on its own, so one does not combine two prayers?
The Shaykh : Okay, we are telling you now, we do not combine, and you refuse us. I told you, we pray two rak'ahs for the greeting of the mosque and we pray two rak'ahs for the sunnah of the time. Here we did not combine. Why did you say no?
Another questioner: ... I say that the greeting of the mosque, this term itself, did not come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, it is from the terminology of the jurists?
The Shaykh : Correct.
Another questioner: The hadith
If anyone of you enters a Mosque, he should not sit until he has offered a tworak` at prayer.
إذا دخل أحدكم المسجد فلا يجلس حتى يصلي ركعتينThe Shaykh : And if he did not intend?
Another questioner: ... I intended the regular sunnah.
The Shaykh : I mean, I am not saying, and if he did not intend the greeting?
Another questioner: Yes, because we do not see the greeting as a prayer that stands on its own.
The Shaykh : How, my brother? If a prayer from the prayers does not have a pre-sunnah, does he not want the greeting of the mosque!
Another questioner: Here we say, if you want to sit, pray two rak'ahs!
The Shaykh : Your saying "if you want to sit," does he not need to bring to mind the intention?
Another questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is the desire present without an intention?
Another questioner: No.
The Shaykh : So then, if there is a prayer—may Allah bless you—before the obligatory prayer, as the Hanafis say, for example, that in the Maghrib prayer there is no sunnah with them; they dislike it and state that explicitly. If he wants to pray the greeting of the mosque, the word "wants," can we imagine it not accompanied by an intention?
Another questioner: It does not work.
The Shaykh : So then, the intention must be accompanied for the act of worship to be achieved. This is from one aspect. From another aspect, I do not know if you are with us in distinguishing in the ruling between the regular sunnahs and the voluntary prayers, and the greeting of the mosque?
Another questioner: The latter is obligatory and the former is recommended.
The Shaykh : Good, so how can the intention of a voluntary prayer take the place of the intention of an obligatory one?
Another questioner: This is not obligatory on me unless I want to sit. If there is a regular sunnah before the prayer...
The Shaykh : I understood you, may Allah bless you, because this repetition has no benefit. Let us circle around the point of disagreement. That is, when I want to sit, I want to bring to mind the Prophetic command in my mind. How is this if I do not bring it to mind as you say?
Another questioner: The act is not valid.
The Shaykh : So then, bringing the intention to mind is necessary.
The questioner : Another scenario, for example, a man missed the Fajr obligatory prayer in the mosque with the congregation. He entered the mosque and did not pray two rak'ahs for the greeting of the mosque, and the adhan and iqamah were called, and he prayed Fajr. Was it dropped from him?
The Shaykh : He entered the mosque and the adhan and iqamah were called?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : He prayed the obligatory prayer?
The questioner : He prayed the obligatory prayer.
The Shaykh : Of course.
The questioner : Why was it dropped?
The Shaykh : Because this is stronger than the greeting itself. Our topic with you is completely reversed. This is an obligatory prayer. This came with the obligatory and more. And this is specifically for those who distinguish between the obligatory (fard) and the mandatory (wajib), because where were we to distinguish? Because this is a terminological matter. But we believe that just as we believe that it is a sin, meaning sinful, from a sin, we also believe that it is an obligatory prayer more emphasized than an obligatory prayer, like the obligatoriness of the Friday prayer is more emphasized than the obligatoriness of the Zuhr prayer. And even though we do not distinguish between the obligatory (fard) and the mandatory (wajib), because this is a terminology in the Hanafi school and not the others, we believe that the obligatoriness of one of the five prayers is not like the obligatoriness of the greeting of the mosque. So this entered into that.
The questioner : This obligation is dropped from him.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Does this obligation suffice for him?
The Shaykh : With the intention, it suffices, and this is what we were talking about: the intention is necessary.
Another questioner: O Shaykh, so if one prays the greeting of the mosque, he prays it... and then follows it with a regular sunnah, is his action valid?
The Shaykh : Naturally, his action is valid, and this is the best. I am describing to you now the image of a man who performed wudu. In this case, it is prescribed for him to perform the sunnah of wudu, and we do not divert our attention from the mosque. If he performed wudu at home, it is prescribed for him to pray two rak'ahs as the sunnah of wudu, then pray two rak'ahs as the sunnah of the time, for example, and then pray the obligatory prayer. This same man performed wudu and entered the mosque. Now he wants to pray three things. That man prayed two things, but here he wants to pray three things: the greeting of the mosque, the sunnah of wudu, and the sunnah of what? The time. We are now describing several images or several people. A man who is content with the view of al-A'rabi, or slightly better, said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I do not add to them or subtract from them". This man is slightly better than him, but he will not pray the greeting of the mosque, the sunnah of wudu, and the sunnah of the time. He wants to shoot three birds with one stone. We tell him: It is permissible for you to intend the prayer of the greeting of the mosque plus the sunnah of wudu plus the sunnah of the time. He will be recorded with at least ten good deeds: the reward of the greeting of the mosque, which is obligatory upon him, plus one good deed for his good intention, plus a second good deed for the sunnah of the time. This is one image. The second image is a man who prays the greeting of the mosque, then prays two rak'ahs, either making them the sunnah of wudu or the sunnah of the time. This is better than that, and this is the one who prays with every intention: he prays the greeting and says the taslim, stands up, prays the sunnah of wudu and says the taslim, stands up, prays the sunnah of the time and says the taslim. This is the best. Our intention is to observe, as came in some hadiths from Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), that he passed by his son on a Friday while he was bathing and said: "Is this your bath for janabah or your bath for Friday?" He said: "It is a bath for janabah." He said: "Repeat the bath with another one." And perhaps he mentioned the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the command to bathe on Friday. The point is that one of us today on Friday wants to apply his saying (peace and blessings be upon him)