Explaining the ruling on the greeting of the mosque and mentioning the disagreement regarding it.
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The Shaykh : These hadiths are regarding the ruling on the greeting of the mosque. The greeting of the mosque is a confirmed sunnah (recommended practice), and there is no doubt about this, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded it. In fact, he interrupted his sermon to command it. A man entered while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the Friday sermon and sat down, so he said to him: He said, "No." He said: , so he interrupted the sermon and ordered him to pray. This indicates its confirmation. In fact, this indicates its obligation. The point is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) interrupted the sermon and permitted speech during the sermon, then ordered this man to pray and be occupied. Yes, to pray, and it follows from that that he must be occupied with his prayer to the exclusion of listening to the sermon. Listening to the sermon is obligatory, and one is not occupied with an obligatory act except with an obligatory act of equal or greater weight. For this reason, many scholars held that it is obligatory, and this is a strong opinion, as you see. However, the majority of scholars held that it is a sunnah (recommended practice), as is indicated by the heading of this chapter, and that it is not obligatory. They cited as evidence for this that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Mu'adh to Yemen, and that was at the end of the life of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: Sahih Muslim 19a, and these prayers are known and do not include, what?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : They do not include the greeting of the mosque, which implies that the greeting of the mosque is not obligatory, based on this hadith. But this answer is not sound, because we say that the five prayers, which are obligatory, are restricted to times, and their obligation revolves around the revolving of these times. As for the greeting of the mosque and the eclipse prayer, they are for a cause, a sudden cause. For this reason, it is by consensus that if a man says, "I have vowed to Allah to pray two rak'ahs," it becomes obligatory for him.
The student: To pray.
The Shaykh : To pray two rak'ahs, even though this vowed prayer is not one of the five prayers. So the thing that has a cause is not like the thing that is permanent and continuous. Thus, this objection, which was raised by those who said that the two rak'ahs are not obligatory, is refuted. What is the point of refutation?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : That the five prayers.
The student: Have a time.
The Shaykh : They do not have a cause; they have specific times. As for the greeting of the mosque, it has a cause. But it may be said that the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would enter the mosque for the Friday prayer and not pray two rak'ahs, and that on one day he was talking to his Companions when three men entered. One entered the circle, the second was behind it, and the third turned away, and he did not order any of them to pray. But citing evidence from that is also questionable. The question is because this is a specific case; perhaps the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) saw them when they had prayed and then they came to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as the man who prayed poorly did. He prayed and then came and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So, repelling the obligation with this hadith leaves some doubt in the mind. But repelling the obligation in the case where the imam is present for the Friday prayer is strong. However, it can also be weakened by what? By the fact that the two sermons are among the preliminaries of the prayer, and among the conditions of the prayer. So even if he sits between the two sermons, it is not considered sitting without prayer, because he sat waiting for the second sermon, and then what? Then he prays. And it may be cited as evidence for the non-obligation that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he entered the Sacred Mosque for 'Umrah, would begin.
The student: Tawaf.
The Shaykh : With tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah) and not pray two rak'ahs, and this indicates the non-obligation of them. And this is undoubtedly a strong proof, because he could have prayed two rak'ahs and then.
The student: Circumambulate.
The Shaykh : Then circumambulate. So when he left them and began with tawaf, it indicated the non-obligation of them. And that was during the Farewell Pilgrimage. And this reassures the mind that the prayer of the greeting of the mosque is not obligatory. But despite this, we see what the translator said, that it is disliked for a person to leave the greeting of the mosque. And this is an addition to our saying that it is recommended. Pay attention to this, because leaving a recommended act does not imply.
The student: Dislike.
The Shaykh : Dislike, because dislike is an addition to leaving it. Otherwise, we would say that everyone who does not perform a recommended act has committed a disliked act, and no one says that. In any case, what appears to me is that the greeting of the mosque is not obligatory, but the person who leaves it is in danger of sin, because the opinion of obligation is strong. And if that is the case, then a person should not expose himself to danger.
The second issue: Does one pray the greeting of the mosque every time one enters, or does one not pray it if one enters during the times of prohibition? And how many are the times of prohibition?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Five or three. In brief, three; in detail, five. Does one pray it if one enters a time of prohibition?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Many scholars hold that one does not pray it, due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 1276Sahih (Al-Albani) and the like. And this is general. Pay attention. Sunan Abi Dawud 1276Sahih (Al-Albani) He said, and if one enters the mosque after 'Asr, one does not pray. Why?
The student: Because of the prohibition.
The Shaykh : Because of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Ibn Majah 1249Sahih (Darussalam). And many scholars held this view, including the followers of Imam Ahmad, in the well-known view among them, that it is not prayed in a time of prohibition.
The second opinion is that it is prayed in a time of prohibition. And this is the madhhab (school of jurisprudence) of al-Shafi'i and al-Nawawi, as you know, from the imams of the Shafi'is. For this reason, he said it is prayed at all times, and that there is no prohibition regarding the greeting of the mosque. If you enter the mosque at any time of night or day, you do not sit until you pray. And this is the stronger position. And the answer to the prohibition is that it is general, and the command to pray the greeting of the mosque is specific, because it is a specific prayer, so the specific is preferred over the general. But someone may say there is a question in this, because the greeting of the mosque is not absolutely more specific than the prohibition. Rather, the prohibition is broader in one aspect and more specific in another aspect, and its prayer inside the mosque is broader in one aspect and more specific in another aspect. So between them is generality and specificity, what?
The student: From two angles.
The Shaykh : From two angles. And in that case, it is not possible to rule with the generality of one over the generality of the other, or with the specificity of one over the specificity of the other. It is said that this is true, and that there is a conflict in that. But which is stronger in generality: the command to pray the greeting of the mosque, or the prohibition of prayer after the 'Asr prayer, for example? Yes?
The student: The first.
The Shaykh : The first is stronger in generality. How is it stronger in generality? Because no single sunnah (recommended practice) has come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) indicating that one who enters the mosque does not pray the greeting of the mosque, except what we mentioned regarding entering. Complete it?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : For the Friday sermon. For the Messenger used not to pray the greeting, and we have answered that with some of the answer. As for the prohibition of prayer in these times, this prohibition had its generality broken in several issues. And when the generality of a text is broken, its generality weakens. Is that so, Abdullah Awadh?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : ... .
Did you pray?
أصليت؟Get up and pray two rak'ahs (units of prayer)
قم فصل ركعتينtell them Allah has enjoined upon them five prayers during the day and the night
أعلمهم أن الله افترض عليهم خمس صلوات في كل يوم وليلةThe questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : They do not include the greeting of the mosque, which implies that the greeting of the mosque is not obligatory, based on this hadith. But this answer is not sound, because we say that the five prayers, which are obligatory, are restricted to times, and their obligation revolves around the revolving of these times. As for the greeting of the mosque and the eclipse prayer, they are for a cause, a sudden cause. For this reason, it is by consensus that if a man says, "I have vowed to Allah to pray two rak'ahs," it becomes obligatory for him.
The student: To pray.
The Shaykh : To pray two rak'ahs, even though this vowed prayer is not one of the five prayers. So the thing that has a cause is not like the thing that is permanent and continuous. Thus, this objection, which was raised by those who said that the two rak'ahs are not obligatory, is refuted. What is the point of refutation?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : That the five prayers.
The student: Have a time.
The Shaykh : They do not have a cause; they have specific times. As for the greeting of the mosque, it has a cause. But it may be said that the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would enter the mosque for the Friday prayer and not pray two rak'ahs, and that on one day he was talking to his Companions when three men entered. One entered the circle, the second was behind it, and the third turned away, and he did not order any of them to pray. But citing evidence from that is also questionable. The question is because this is a specific case; perhaps the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) saw them when they had prayed and then they came to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as the man who prayed poorly did. He prayed and then came and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So, repelling the obligation with this hadith leaves some doubt in the mind. But repelling the obligation in the case where the imam is present for the Friday prayer is strong. However, it can also be weakened by what? By the fact that the two sermons are among the preliminaries of the prayer, and among the conditions of the prayer. So even if he sits between the two sermons, it is not considered sitting without prayer, because he sat waiting for the second sermon, and then what? Then he prays. And it may be cited as evidence for the non-obligation that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he entered the Sacred Mosque for 'Umrah, would begin.
The student: Tawaf.
The Shaykh : With tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah) and not pray two rak'ahs, and this indicates the non-obligation of them. And this is undoubtedly a strong proof, because he could have prayed two rak'ahs and then.
The student: Circumambulate.
The Shaykh : Then circumambulate. So when he left them and began with tawaf, it indicated the non-obligation of them. And that was during the Farewell Pilgrimage. And this reassures the mind that the prayer of the greeting of the mosque is not obligatory. But despite this, we see what the translator said, that it is disliked for a person to leave the greeting of the mosque. And this is an addition to our saying that it is recommended. Pay attention to this, because leaving a recommended act does not imply.
The student: Dislike.
The Shaykh : Dislike, because dislike is an addition to leaving it. Otherwise, we would say that everyone who does not perform a recommended act has committed a disliked act, and no one says that. In any case, what appears to me is that the greeting of the mosque is not obligatory, but the person who leaves it is in danger of sin, because the opinion of obligation is strong. And if that is the case, then a person should not expose himself to danger.
The second issue: Does one pray the greeting of the mosque every time one enters, or does one not pray it if one enters during the times of prohibition? And how many are the times of prohibition?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Five or three. In brief, three; in detail, five. Does one pray it if one enters a time of prohibition?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Many scholars hold that one does not pray it, due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
there is no prayer after the 'Asr prayer until the sun sets
لا صلاة بعد صلاة العصر حتى تغرب الشمسthere is no prayer after the 'Asr prayer until the sun sets
لا صلاة بعد صلاة العصر حتى تغرب الشمسThe student: Because of the prohibition.
The Shaykh : Because of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
There is no prayer after the ‘Asr until the sun has set
لا صلاة بعد العصر حتى تغرب الشمسThe second opinion is that it is prayed in a time of prohibition. And this is the madhhab (school of jurisprudence) of al-Shafi'i and al-Nawawi, as you know, from the imams of the Shafi'is. For this reason, he said it is prayed at all times, and that there is no prohibition regarding the greeting of the mosque. If you enter the mosque at any time of night or day, you do not sit until you pray. And this is the stronger position. And the answer to the prohibition is that it is general, and the command to pray the greeting of the mosque is specific, because it is a specific prayer, so the specific is preferred over the general. But someone may say there is a question in this, because the greeting of the mosque is not absolutely more specific than the prohibition. Rather, the prohibition is broader in one aspect and more specific in another aspect, and its prayer inside the mosque is broader in one aspect and more specific in another aspect. So between them is generality and specificity, what?
The student: From two angles.
The Shaykh : From two angles. And in that case, it is not possible to rule with the generality of one over the generality of the other, or with the specificity of one over the specificity of the other. It is said that this is true, and that there is a conflict in that. But which is stronger in generality: the command to pray the greeting of the mosque, or the prohibition of prayer after the 'Asr prayer, for example? Yes?
The student: The first.
The Shaykh : The first is stronger in generality. How is it stronger in generality? Because no single sunnah (recommended practice) has come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) indicating that one who enters the mosque does not pray the greeting of the mosque, except what we mentioned regarding entering. Complete it?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : For the Friday sermon. For the Messenger used not to pray the greeting, and we have answered that with some of the answer. As for the prohibition of prayer in these times, this prohibition had its generality broken in several issues. And when the generality of a text is broken, its generality weakens. Is that so, Abdullah Awadh?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : ... .