Nasai

731. Commentary:

➊ The legitimacy of these two units (rak‘ahs) is clear. This prayer is called Tahiyyat al-Masjid. Since the mosque is built for prayer, therefore, the person entering the mosque should first perform prayer. If one enters during the disliked times (awqat makruhah), Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah still considers it permissible to perform these two units. He considers Salat Sababiyyah (any prayer that has a specific cause) permissible during the disliked times. Unrestricted voluntary prayers (nafl mutlaq) are prohibited; the majority of the hadith scholars hold this view, whereas the scholars of the Hanafi school, in view of the general prohibition, consider every kind of voluntary prayer prohibited during these times. The apparent wording supports their view, but by acting upon the statement of Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah, all the hadiths become actionable, and the contradiction and differences found in various narrations are also resolved. And Allah knows best.

➋ “Before sitting”—this does not mean that after sitting one should not perform it, but the real objective is that one should perform it immediately upon entering. Since the purpose is that upon entering the mosque one should perform prayer, it is not necessary that it be a specific voluntary prayer; rather, obligatory (fard), Sunnah, or voluntary (nafl)—whichever is performed will suffice. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to enter the mosque at the time of congregation. Nowhere is it reported that he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed a separate Tahiyyat al-Masjid.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
The background of this hadith is as follows: Once, Abu Qatadah radi Allahu anhu came to the mosque while the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was sitting with his noble companions radi Allahu anhum ajma'in. Abu Qatadah radi Allahu anhu also sat down with them. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to Abu Qatadah radi Allahu anhu:
“What prevented you from performing two rak‘ahs before sitting?” He replied:
“I saw you and the other people sitting, so I also sat down.”
After this, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“When any of you enters the mosque, he should not sit until he has performed two rak‘ahs.”
(Sahih Muslim, Salat al-Musafirin, Hadith 1654(714);
Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah (2/245))
It is mentioned that he (the Prophet) said:
“Give the mosques their due right.”
It was asked:
“What is their right?” He said:
“Performing two rak‘ahs before sitting.”
(Fath al-Bari 1/696)

➋
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says:
The imams of fatwa are unanimous that the command of the Prophet in the aforementioned narration is to be understood as recommending (mustahabb), because the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw a man who was stepping over people’s necks in the mosque to go forward, so he said to him:
“Sit down, you have harmed others.”
He did not command him to perform the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid).
From this, it is understood that the prophetic command is not for obligation (wujub) but for recommendation (istihbab).
Some people think that if someone sits before performing the two rak‘ahs, it is not necessary to make up for it, because its time has passed.
But the correct position is that sitting does not cause the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid) to lapse, because once Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu entered the mosque and the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to him:
“Have you performed two rak‘ahs?” He replied:
“No.”
He said:
“Stand up and perform two rak‘ahs.”
Imam Ibn Hibban rahimahullah titled this hadith as follows:
“The greeting of the mosque is not missed by sitting before performing it.”
Muhibb al-Tabari said that performing it before sitting is the time of virtue (afdaliyya), and performing it after sitting is the time of permissibility (jawaz).
Some have said that before sitting is the time of performance (ada), and after that is the time of making up (qada).
(Fath al-Bari 1/696)
And Allah knows best.

➌
In prohibited times, prayers that have a specific cause (sababi) can be performed, but performing unrestricted voluntary prayers (nafl) is prohibited, because the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam commanded a person who came and sat during the sermon (khutbah) to perform two rak‘ahs.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Jumu‘ah, Hadith 930)
Even though it is commanded to listen to the sermon silently.
In reality, there is a difference of opinion between the Hanafis and the Shafi‘is regarding performing prayers during prohibited times.
The Hanafis, considering the generality of the prohibition, say that even the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid) is not allowed at these times, but the Shafi‘is do not apply this prohibition generally; rather, in their view, due to the generality of the prophetic command, the greeting of the mosque should be performed even during prohibited times.
They say that for those prayers and voluntary acts whose causes are known, there is no prohibited time for them.
The cause for the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid) is entering the mosque, so as long as this cause exists, there is no restriction or limitation of time.
(Fath al-Bari 1/696)
In summary, if someone sits without performing the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid), it does not become void; rather, he should stand up and perform it, and there is no prohibited time for its performance, because it is a prayer with a specific cause (sababi).

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: (1)
The mosque has a special association with Allah Ta'ala, due to which it is called Baytullah (the House of Allah). Therefore, its rights, the etiquette of entering it, and its reverence and honor require that a person should perform two units (rak‘ahs) before sitting in it. This is, in a sense, a greeting to the Divine Court, which is why it is called Tahiyyat al-Masjid. According to the majority of the scholars, since this act is due to the etiquette and reverence of the mosque, it is considered a recommended (mustahabb) act. However, according to the Zahiri school, it is obligatory (fard). It should be clear that after entering the mosque, if one performs an obligatory (fard), Sunnah, or voluntary (nafl) prayer, the right of Tahiyyat al-Masjid is fulfilled, because the objective is the reverence and honor of the mosque, which has been achieved.

(2)
There is a difference of opinion regarding performing prayers with a specific cause (sababi) during the prohibited times (awqat al-nahy). Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik rahimahullah, and according to one opinion, Imam Ahmad rahimahullah, do not consider any prayer—whether sababi or non-sababi—permissible during the prohibited times. However, Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah, and according to one opinion which Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah has adopted, Imam Ahmad rahimahullah consider sababi prayers permissible during the prohibited times, because: (إِذَا دَخَلَ أَحَدُكُمْ الْمَسْجِدَ) (“When one of you enters the mosque...”) is general, and the prohibition pertains to absolute prayers, i.e., those without a specific cause. Therefore, it is permissible to repeat the Fajr and ‘Asr prayers with the imam, to perform the funeral prayer after ‘Asr, and to perform the circumambulation (tawaf) units of prayer. This proves that performing sababi prayers during the prohibited times is correct, but one should not create a cause without necessity.

(3)
Among the etiquettes and rights of entering the mosque is that a person should enter in a state of ablution (wudu), so that he can perform Tahiyyat al-Masjid before sitting. If one forgets and sits before performing Tahiyyat al-Masjid, he should stand up and perform it.

(4)
When the sun is rising, at its zenith (zawal), or setting, then one should wait for the completion of the rising, setting, or zenith, because there is a specific prohibition regarding these times.

(5)
The Tahiyyat of Masjid al-Haram is tawaf (circumambulation). If, for some reason, this is not possible, then at the very least, one should perform two units (rak‘ahs) of prayer.

Benefits and Issues:

➊
This prayer is called Tahiyyat al-Masjid.

➋
If, upon entering the mosque, one performs any other prayer, such as Sunnah or obligatory (fard) prayer before sitting, then the Tahiyyat al-Masjid is also fulfilled. There is no need to perform it separately.

➌
Some scholars hold the view that Tahiyyat al-Masjid should be performed even during disliked (makruh) times. Their evidence is the generality of the hadith: that whenever a person enters the mosque, he should perform two rak‘ahs. This generality includes the times of dislike as well. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not make any exception for any time. However, other scholars do not include the times of dislike within this generality. Therefore, according to them, it is not permissible to perform the two rak‘ahs of Tahiyyat al-Masjid during the times of dislike, just as it is not permissible to perform other voluntary (nafl) prayers at those times. A third opinion is that it is permissible to perform it, but it is better to avoid it. And Allah knows best.

Hadith Authentication (Takhrij al-Hadith):
[وأخرجه البخاري 444، ومسلم 714، من حديث مالك به]

Jurisprudential Understanding (Tafaqquh):
➊ It is recommended (mustahabb) to perform two units (rak‘ahs) of prayer before sitting after entering the mosque.
➋ Sayyiduna Ka‘b ibn Malik radi Allahu anhu entered the Prophet’s Mosque and sat down in front of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. From this hadith, Imam al-Nasa’i rahimahullah has deduced that it is permissible to sit without performing two rak‘ahs. See [سنن النسائي ج2 ص53-55 ح732 وسنده صحيح، وهو متفق عليه]
➌ ‘Umar ibn ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ma‘mar al-Tamimi used to sit in the mosque without performing two rak‘ahs, so Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf rahimahullah would object to this. At the end of this narration, Imam Malik rahimahullah said: «و ذالك حسن و ليس بواجب» And this (performing two rak‘ahs) is recommended (mustahabb) and not obligatory (wajib). [المؤطا 162/1 ح 388 و سنده صحيح]
◄ Abu Hafs ‘Umar ibn ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ma‘mar rahimahullah was mentioned by Hafiz Ibn Hibban in Kitab al-Thiqat. Hafiz Ibn ‘Asakir said: «أحد وجوه قريش وكرمائها، كان جوادًا ممدحًا وولي فتوحًا كثيرة وولي البصرة لعبدالله بن الزبير» [تاريخ دمشق 48/190]

209 Benefits and Issues:
➊ The voluntary prayers that are commanded in the hadith are called «تحية المسجد».
➋ According to some scholars, these are obligatory, whereas the majority of scholars consider them recommended (mustahabb).
➌ Based on the apparent wording of the hadith, some scholars have permitted performing these voluntary prayers even during the disliked times, but other scholars declare them prohibited during the forbidden times.
➍ This also proves that even if the preacher (khatib) is delivering the sermon (khutbah) on the pulpit (minbar), the person entering the mosque should perform two units (rak‘ah) before sitting down.

Benefit:
This hadith proves that among the etiquettes of the mosque is that when a person enters the mosque, he should not sit down without performing two units (rak‘ahs) of prayer. However, this command is not obligatory, rather it is to be understood as recommended (mustahabb). The evidence for this is the hadith of Sayyiduna Ka‘b ibn Malik radi Allahu anhu, which is found in Sahih al-Bukhari (2/636). From this hadith, it is understood that the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid) is not necessary; if it were necessary, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would certainly have commanded Sayyiduna Ka‘b radi Allahu anhu to perform the greeting of the mosque.

In Nayl al-Awtar (3/68), it is stated that performing tahiyyat al-masjid is a Sunnah, not obligatory, as some have thought. Imam Nawawi rahimahullah has transmitted consensus (ijma‘) on its being Sunnah. Imam Nawawi rahimahullah has established a chapter on the hadith of Qatadah regarding the greeting of the mosque being a voluntary (nafl) prayer. (Sahih Muslim: 1/248)

Ibn Battal also said: The leading jurists (a’immah al-futya) have agreed in this chapter that the imperative form «فليركع ركعتين» is to be understood as recommendation (istihbab). [فتـــح البــــــاري : 1/ 537]

Furthermore, Imam al-Nasa’i rahimahullah has also deduced from the incident of Sayyiduna Ka‘b ibn Malik radi Allahu anhu that tahiyyat al-masjid is recommended (mustahabb). In this hadith as well, it is mentioned: “I came to the mosque, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ‘Come,’ so I sat down in front of him.” [سـنـن الـنـسـائـي بـاب الـرخصة فى الجلوس فيه والخروج منه بغير صلاة : 54 حديث : 732]

SG Definition of Tahiyyat al-Masjid: EG This is a two-unit (rak‘ah) prayer which the worshipper performs upon entering the mosque, and this prayer is, by consensus, Sunnah for every person entering the mosque. [فتح البــاري : 407/2]

A few important issues regarding tahiyyat al-masjid are as follows:
① The greeting of the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) according to the scholars is circumambulation (tawaf). Imam Nawawi rahimahullah says: «تحية الـمـسـجـد الـحـرام الطواف فى حق القادم أما المقيم فحكم المسجد الحرام وغيره فى ذلك سواء» For one coming from outside, the greeting of Masjid al-Haram is tawaf, whereas for a resident, the ruling for Masjid al-Haram and all other mosques is the same. [فتح الباري : 2/ 412]

② The Sunnah and voluntary (nafl) prayers performed before the obligatory prayers suffice for tahiyyat al-masjid. Explaining this issue, the hadith scholar of the era, Hafiz ‘Abd al-Mannan Nurpuri rahimahullah writes: Tahiyyat al-wudu and tahiyyat al-masjid are not independent prayers. They can be performed within any obligatory or non-obligatory prayer. Sometimes a person performs only two units, but they fulfill the purpose of four prayers. For example, a person arrives at the mosque while the call to prayer (adhan) for Fajr is being given, he performs ablution (wudu), then performs the two Sunnah units of Fajr, and after that recites the supplication of istikhara. Thus, he performed the two Sunnah units of Fajr, but within them, three prayers were also performed: one tahiyyat al-wudu, the second tahiyyat al-masjid, and the third salat al-istikhara. In this way, these two units serve the purpose of four prayers. [احكام ومسائل :164/2]

Similarly, if someone wishes to suffice with the obligatory prayer for tahiyyat al-masjid due to the time of the obligatory prayer having arrived, then this will be sufficient for him.

③ This hadith is general; it includes both the imam and the follower (muqtadi). Whenever the imam or the follower intends to sit in the mosque, he should first perform tahiyyat al-masjid.