The questioner asks: Is the greeting of the mosque obligatory? If I leave it, is there a sin on me? And if I come in while the imam is standing for prayer, do I perform it after the prayer or not?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : This message is from the sender, Waleed Sulayman. He asks: Is the greeting of the mosque obligatory? If I leave it, is there a sin on me? And if I come in while the imam is standing for prayer, do I perform it after the prayer or not?
The Shaykh : What appears is that the greeting of the mosque is not obligatory, but rather a confirmed sunnah (recommended practice). Some scholars have held it to be obligatory, arguing that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and in a wording in Muslim . They say that if the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) interrupted his khutbah (sermon) to speak to this seated man and order him to pray two rak'ahs, it is known that he would be occupied with them and thus neglect listening to the khutbah. Listening to the khutbah is obligatory, and one does not occupy oneself with a recommended act at the expense of an obligatory one. This indicates its obligation. However, there are other hadiths indicating that it is not obligatory.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The most apparent view is that it is a confirmed sunnah (recommended practice). It is not befitting for one who enters the mosque to leave it, whether after 'Asr, after Fajr, or at any time he enters the mosque to sit. He should not sit until he prays two rak'ahs, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 1167.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for if he comes in while the imam is praying and he prays with the imam, he does not perform them after the imam finishes the prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because the purpose is to perform a prayer before sitting, whatever that prayer may be. For this reason, the rawatib (regular voluntary prayers) of the obligatory prayer suffice in place of them. They are not two rak'ahs intended for their own sake; rather, the purpose is for a person to begin with prayer when sitting in the mosque, whatever that prayer is.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Accordingly, he does not repeat it after finishing the obligatory prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : ... a paragraph, or otherwise?
The questioner : No, he asks: Do I perform it after the prayer? And have you answered that?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He says: The Fajr prayer, and he also intends...
The Shaykh : No, it is included. It is also included. He asks: And do I sin by doing so?
The questioner : No, he is asking: Is the greeting of the mosque obligatory? And if I leave it, is there a sin on me?
The Shaykh : There is no sin on you if you leave it, since we have said that it is not obligatory.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : What appears is that the greeting of the mosque is not obligatory, but rather a confirmed sunnah (recommended practice). Some scholars have held it to be obligatory, arguing that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
He was delivering the Friday sermon when a man entered and sat down. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Have you prayed two rak'ahs?" He said: "No." He said: "Stand up and pray two rak'ahs." So the man stood up and prayed.
كان يخطب يوم الجمعة فدخل رجل فجلس فقال له النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أصليت ركعتين قال لا قال قم فصلّ ركعتين فقام الرجل فصلىand he was lenient with them
وتجوّز فيهماThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The most apparent view is that it is a confirmed sunnah (recommended practice). It is not befitting for one who enters the mosque to leave it, whether after 'Asr, after Fajr, or at any time he enters the mosque to sit. He should not sit until he prays two rak'ahs, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
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 questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for if he comes in while the imam is praying and he prays with the imam, he does not perform them after the imam finishes the prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because the purpose is to perform a prayer before sitting, whatever that prayer may be. For this reason, the rawatib (regular voluntary prayers) of the obligatory prayer suffice in place of them. They are not two rak'ahs intended for their own sake; rather, the purpose is for a person to begin with prayer when sitting in the mosque, whatever that prayer is.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Accordingly, he does not repeat it after finishing the obligatory prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : ... a paragraph, or otherwise?
The questioner : No, he asks: Do I perform it after the prayer? And have you answered that?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He says: The Fajr prayer, and he also intends...
The Shaykh : No, it is included. It is also included. He asks: And do I sin by doing so?
The questioner : No, he is asking: Is the greeting of the mosque obligatory? And if I leave it, is there a sin on me?
The Shaykh : There is no sin on you if you leave it, since we have said that it is not obligatory.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.