What is the ruling on the greeting prayer of the mosque, and what are the times when prayer is prohibited?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the ruling on the greeting of the mosque? And what are the times when prayer is prohibited?
The Shaykh : The greeting of the mosque is, according to the majority of scholars, a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah muakkadah) and not obligatory.
Some scholars, or some people of knowledge, held the view that it is obligatory and that a person sins by leaving it. The evidence is the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 1167 They said that he prohibited sitting before praying the two rak'ahs. However, this is not obligatory because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Mu'adh ibn Jabal when he sent him to Yemen: Sahih Muslim 19a And the greeting of the mosque is not one of these five.
Some scholars said that it is obligatory and cited as evidence for this that a man entered on Friday while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon, so he sat down. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: The aspect of obligation in this hadith is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to pray two rak'ahs at a time when he was obligated to listen to the sermon. Listening to the sermon is obligatory, and one does not occupy oneself with something other than an obligation except with another obligation, because the one who prays two rak'ahs will be occupied from listening to the sermon. They said that this is evidence for the obligation of the two rak'ahs. There is no doubt that the one who does not pray the greeting of the mosque has exposed himself to sin. The view that it is obligatory is a very strong view, and were it not for some hadiths, I would have affirmed its obligation. However, there are hadiths whose apparent meaning indicates that it is not obligatory, among which is:
That the imam comes on Friday, ascends the pulpit, and delivers the first sermon, then sits between the two sermons. This is sitting before he has prayed the two rak'ahs.
Also among them is the story of the three men who entered the mosque; one of them sat in the circle, one sat behind it, and the third turned away. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order them to pray in any case. I say that the view that it is obligatory is strong, and that the one who does not pray it has exposed himself to sin. As for affirming its obligation, I hesitate due to the evidence I have mentioned to you. It remains to consider what are the times when voluntary prayer is not permissible? We say they are: from the Fajr prayer until the sun has risen the height of a spear, meaning about one meter, which is approximately ten minutes to a quarter of an hour.
And when it is standing, until it moves, meaning in the middle of the day, about ten minutes before the sun reaches its zenith.
And from the 'Asr prayer until sunset.
These are the times of prohibition. However, the stronger view is that voluntary prayers that have a cause are not prohibited. The greeting of the mosque has a cause, which is entering the mosque. Accordingly, if you enter the mosque at any time, do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs, even if you enter a quarter of an hour before sunset; do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs. Yes.
The Shaykh : The greeting of the mosque is, according to the majority of scholars, a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah muakkadah) and not obligatory.
Some scholars, or some people of knowledge, held the view that it is obligatory and that a person sins by leaving it. The evidence is the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him):
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 ركعتينtell them Allah has enjoined upon them five prayers during the day and the night
أعلمهم بأن الله افترض عليهم خمس صلوات في كل يوم وليلةSome scholars said that it is obligatory and cited as evidence for this that a man entered on Friday while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon, so he sat down. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him:
Have you prayed? Or did he say: Did you pray? He said: No. He said: Get up and pray two rak'ahs.
هل صليت ؟ أو قال : أصليت ؟ قال لا قال : قم فصل ركعتينThat the imam comes on Friday, ascends the pulpit, and delivers the first sermon, then sits between the two sermons. This is sitting before he has prayed the two rak'ahs.
Also among them is the story of the three men who entered the mosque; one of them sat in the circle, one sat behind it, and the third turned away. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order them to pray in any case. I say that the view that it is obligatory is strong, and that the one who does not pray it has exposed himself to sin. As for affirming its obligation, I hesitate due to the evidence I have mentioned to you. It remains to consider what are the times when voluntary prayer is not permissible? We say they are: from the Fajr prayer until the sun has risen the height of a spear, meaning about one meter, which is approximately ten minutes to a quarter of an hour.
And when it is standing, until it moves, meaning in the middle of the day, about ten minutes before the sun reaches its zenith.
And from the 'Asr prayer until sunset.
These are the times of prohibition. However, the stronger view is that voluntary prayers that have a cause are not prohibited. The greeting of the mosque has a cause, which is entering the mosque. Accordingly, if you enter the mosque at any time, do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs, even if you enter a quarter of an hour before sunset; do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs. Yes.