Does Tawaf suffice as the greeting of the Sacred Mosque?

Question:
Our esteemed Shaykh, what is the greeting of the Sacred Mosque? And is it obligatory if it is Tawaf every time one enters the mosque?

Answer:
Tawaf is the greeting if it is facilitated. If Tawaf is facilitated, it is the greeting of the mosque, along with the two rak'ahs—the two rak'ahs of Tawaf. Whenever one performs Tawaf, the two rak'ahs of Tawaf are prescribed for him. If he does not intend to perform Tawaf, or if Tawaf is not facilitated when he enters, he prays two rak'ahs—the two rak'ahs of greeting—like the other mosques.
So Tawaf is not obligatory every time you enter. The obligatory Tawaf is the Tawaf of 'Umrah and the Tawaf of Hajj, which is the Tawaf al-Ifadah and the Tawaf al-Wada'. There are three obligatory Tawafs: the Tawaf of 'Umrah when you first arrive, the Tawaf al-Ifadah in Hajj after descending from 'Arafah, after the middle of the night of the Day of Sacrifice, and the third Tawaf is the Tawaf al-Wada' when leaving Makkah. These are the types of obligatory Tawaf. Everything else is voluntary. The Tawaf of arrival is voluntary according to the correct view, and likewise all the remaining Tawafs are voluntary.
So if you enter the Sacred Mosque and Tawaf is facilitated for you, this is a great blessing, and it is the greeting of the mosque. You pray two rak'ahs after it—the known two rak'ahs of Tawaf—especially in the case of a stranger, for it is recommended for him to perform much Tawaf, because he is a traveler and not a resident there. If Tawaf is not facilitated for you due to laziness, crowding, or something else, then you pray two rak'ahs, praise be to Allah, and you sit.