Fatwa ID: 06419

Answered by: Maulana Abdul Malik

Question:

So when I went to Jummah on Friday before I sit I prayed 2 rakaat sunnah of Tahiyyat al-masjid – I do this all the time and find it necessary as it brings ease for me, however this week after I finished praying the person next to me asked me what you doing and what did you pray  I then told him 2 sunnah of when you enter the mosque before you sit down and he then replied its haraam and you can’t do that as its the time of zawal, so could you please help me in this matter,

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Upon entering the mosque, it is sunnah to greet the mosque by performing two rakats of salah named; Tahiyyatul-Masjid (prayer of greeting the mosque). It comes in the authentic Ahadith that Abu Qatadah ( may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah ( May peace be upon him) as saying; when any one of you enters the mosque, he should pray two rakats before sitting down. (Sunan Abi Dawood, book 2, hadith 77)[1]

It is permissible to perform these two rakats of salah at Zawal, which is the beginning time of zhur prayer.

However, according to the scholars of the Hanafi school, it is disliked (prohibitively) to perform these prayers in the times salah is not permitted, such as; after the fard of Fajr until the sun has risen, when the sun is at its peak (zenith) just before zuhr time comes in, after the fard of Asr until the fard of Maghrib. (Raddul Muhtar, pg 458, vol 2)[2]

It is important to differentiate between the time of Zawal and when the sun is at its peak (zenith). It is not allowed to perform salah when the sun is at its peak, which is called; Istiwa. But, when the sun moves away from its peak, this is known as Zawal. This is when Zuhr time begins, thus salah is permitted during this time.(Raddul Muhtar, pg 31, vol 2)[3]

In conclusion, it is sunnah to perform two rakats of salah upon entering the mosque. It is permissible to perform these prayers at the time of Zawal. However, it is not allowed to perform them during times when salah is not permitted. Care should be taken to discern between Istiwa and Zawal times.

References:

[1] عن أبي قتادة، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سام قال ” إذا جاء أحدكم المسجد فليصل سجدتين من قبل أن يجلس “

[2] وقد حكي الإجماع على سنيتها، غير أن أصحابنا يكرهونها في الأوقات المكروهة تقديما لعموم الحاظر على عموم المبيح.

[3] (واستواء) التعبير به أولى من التعبير بوقت الزوال، لأن وقت الزوال لا تكره فيه الصلاة إجماعا.

Only Allah knows best.

Written by: Maulana Abdul Malik

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham