Tahiyyat Al-Masjid

Does One make tahiyyat al masjid during the adhaan?

Posted by on Sep 23, 2010 in Featured, Tahiyyat Al-Masjid | 0 comments

Question:

As salamu alaykum,

What should a person do when he enters the masjid while the adhaan is being called out? Should he sit and wait, or should he start praying Tahiyaat al Masjid, or should he wait standing until the adhaan has finished and then start superagatory prayer?

Was salaam

Answer:

Wa‘Alaykum  al-Salam

All praise due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad.

Here there are two recommended acts that a person is required to do:

1.   reply to the words of adhan, and

2.   offer the two rakaah of Tahiyyatul masjid.

All scholars agree that when adhan is being called it is sunnah to reply to the words of the muadhdhin except in few conditions, though in most cases he or she will reply after s/he is free from that condition.

When a person enters the Masjid it is mustahabb/recommended to perform two rakaah before sitting down. The scholars call this supererogatory prayer: Tahiyyatul masjid which literally means: greeting the masjid. The Prophet (s.a.w) said, “When one enters the masjid he should not sit until he offers two rakaah.”

One fulfils this duty by offering any prayer be it fard or nafl – with the exception of one rakaah or janazah prayer – since the reason behind this supererogatory prayer is that the masjid should not be devoid of prayer at one’s entry. (Mughni al-Muhtaj vol. 1 p 456 Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah)

One misses this sunnah when he sits intentionally without offering it or without intending to perform it in the sitting position. (Ibid)

All scholars agree on this.

However, different opinions appear when one enters the masjid and stands for a longer period than what two rakaah can be performed in; so then, does he miss the virtue or he can still perform the two rakaah?

Shihab al-Din al-Ramli followed by his son Shams al-Din al-Ramli and Khatib al-Sharbini are of the opinion that the virtue of this nafl is missed.  (Mughni al-Muhtaj vol. 1 p 456, Nihayah al-Muhtaj vol.2 p 120 Mustafa al-Bab al-Halabi)
On the other hand, Ibn Hajar al-Haytami opined that the virtue of Tahiyyatul masjid is not missed even if one stands for longer period after entering the masjid. (Tuhfah al-Muhtaj with Hawashi vol. 2 p 257 Dar al-Fikr)

Taking Ibn Hajar’s view; if one enters the masjid while the adhan is being called, he should not sit down if he intends to offer Tahiyyatul masjid prayer. Rather, he should wait standing while replying to the words of adhan, thereafter, perform Tahiyyatul masjid if time allows him to do so, as to avoid missing one of these two virtues.

Allah knows best!

Answered by Shaykh Yaqub Yusuf of Dar Al-Ulum Al-Arabiyyah wal-Islamiyyah

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Tahiyyat Al-Masjid – The Prayer of Greeting the Masjid

Posted by on May 14, 2010 in Featured, Salah, Tahiyyat Al-Masjid | 2 comments

Introduction

الحمد لله رب العالمين ، وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين، وبالله التوفيق

Due to the modern constraints on time, the hustle and bustle of man’s day in ‘post-modernity’, or simply being heedless of the Sunnah, one finds that a very important Sunnah is often ignored. It is the Sunnah of تحية المسجد or the Prayer of Greeting the Masjid (mosque), a small prayer with an immense reward. Its purpose, according to the scholars, and voiced by Imam Al-Khatib Ash-Shirbini, is to “honor the masjid”1. Imam Muslim narrates an incident in his Sahih that shows the immense importance of this prayer:

حدثنا ‏ ‏أبو بكر بن أبي شيبة ‏ ‏حدثنا ‏ ‏حسين بن علي ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏زائدة ‏ ‏قال حدثني ‏ ‏عمرو بن يحيى الأنصاري ‏ ‏حدثني ‏ ‏محمد بن يحيى بن حبان ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏عمرو بن سليم بن خلدة الأنصاري ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏أبي قتادة ‏ ‏صاحب رسول الله ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏قال ‏

‏دخلت المسجد ورسول الله ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏جالس بين ظهراني الناس قال فجلست فقال رسول الله ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏ما منعك أن تركع ركعتين قبل أن تجلس قال فقلت يا رسول الله رأيتك جالسا والناس جلوس قال ‏ ‏إِذَا دَخَلَ أَحَدُكُمْ الْمَسْجِدَ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَجْلِسَ ‏

From Abi Qatadah, companion of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa salam) who said,

“I entered the masjid while Rasulullah was sitting amongst the people, and so I sat down. So Rasulullah (s) said, “What prevented you from making two units of prayer (raka’tayn) before sitting?” I said, “Oh Rasulullah! I saw you sitting, and I saw the people sitting [and so I sat too].” The Messenger of Allah said, “When one of you enters the Masjid do not sit until you have prayed two units of prayer!”2

In another hadith reported by the great Shafi’i Mujtahid, Ibn Khuzaymah in his Sahih the Prophet Muhammad told the people,

أعطوا المساجد حقها

“Give the Masjids their right!”

The people asked, “And what is the right of the masjids?”

He said:

أن تصلوا ركعتين قبل أن تجلسو

“It is that one pray two units of prayer (raka’tayn) before sitting down.”3

Imam An-Nawawi comments in his Sharh of Sahih Muslim upon the hadith of Abu Qatadah,

“[This hadith shows] that it is recommended to prayer the tahiyyat al-Masjid with two units of prayer (raka’tayn). It is a Sunnah according to the consensus (ijma’) of the Muslims, although Al-Qādī ‘Iyād reported from Dāwūd and his companions4 that it was obligatory. This hadīth also clarifies that it is Makrūh (hated) to sit without making [this] Salāh, and the karāha (hatedness) is only one of a suggestive nature (tanzīh i.e. it is not the type that is prohibited). Within this hadīth [is proof] that one can make this Salāh at any time of entering the masjid, this is the view of our Madhhab5 and is also the view of a group of the scholars…”

It should be noted here that Imām An-Nawawī continues by stating that the Hanafīs, Imām Al-Awzā’ī as well as Layth ibn Sa’ad (may Allāh have mercy upon them all) held the view that this Salāh was makrūh in the times where Salāh is considered prohibited, mainly the time after ‘Asr and Fajr while the sun is rising. Our school believes that it remains Sunnah at all times and the proofs mentioned for this by Imām An-Nawawī are several. From them is that there are ahadīth which state that the Prophet Muhammad ordered a man who came in during the Khutbah of Jumu’ah prayer, to prayer during the Khutbah of Jumu’ah, a time wherein it is considered prohibited (mamnū’) to pray any other prayer. So the Prophet Muhammad stopped in the middle of giving the Khutbah to tell this man he needed to Pray the Tahiyyatul Masjid. This act shows that the words of the Prophet “Do not sit until you have prayed two raka’ahs” is valid at all times.6

There is a time it is considered makruh to make Tahiyyat Al-Masjid according to Imam An-Nawawi in his most authoritative work “At-Tahqiq”. He says,

“It is disliked (makruh) to pray it at the time when the Imam is making the established [five] prayers, or when the Iqamah is called7, or when one enters Masjid Al-Haram as he is to do Tawaf (circumbulation around the Ka’bah). If one enters the masjid, and the Imam is giving the Khutbah it is Makruh to abandon the Tahiyyatul-Masjid…”8

Imam Ibn Naqib Al-Misri also stated that it was Makruh at the time when the obligatory prayers are being made. He said,

“It is makruh (offensive) to begin any non-obligatory (nafl) prayer, whether greeting the masjid, the sunnah raka’ahs before a prescribed prayer, or other, when the Imam has begun the prescribed prayer or the mu’adhdhin has begun the call to commence (iqamah).”9

The proof for our school on this issues is what is reported by Imam Muslim in his Sahih wherein the Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhis salam) states,

‏إِذَا أُقِيمَتْ الصَّلَاةُ فَلَا صَلَاةَ إِلَّا الْمَكْتُوبَةُ

“When the Iqamah of Salah is called, there is to be no Salah except the prescribed prayers.”

Imam An-Nawawi said in explanation of this hadith,

“This hadith is a clear proscription for starting a supererogatory Salah (other than the obligatory) once the Iqamah has been called, whether or not it is an established Sunnah, such as the two sunnahs before morning prayer, or Thuhr or ‘Asr or other than them. This is the madhhab of Imam Ash-Shafi’i and the majority (jumhur). ”10

It should also be noted that Imam An-Nawawi in his Kitab At-Tahqiq11, as well as in his Sharh of Sahih Muslim and elsewhere, states that Tahiyyat Al-Masjid is fulfilled by any two raka’ahs one prays. Ibn Naqib Al-Misri expresses this as well in his ‘Umdat As-Salik,

“It is accomplished anytime one enters a masjid and prays two raka’ahs, whether one intends merely performing two supererogatory raka’as, fulfilling a vow, the sunna raka’as before or after a prescribed prayer, the prescribed prayer alone, or the prescribed prayer together with the intention of greeting the mosque.”12

However, it should be noted that Imam An-Nawawi said,

وَلَوْ صَلَّى عَلَى جِنَازَة أَوْ سَجَدَ شُكْرًا أَوْ لِلتِّلَاوَةِ أَوْ صَلَّى رَكْعَة بِنِيَّةِ التَّحِيَّة لَمْ تَحْصُل التَّحِيَّة عَلَى الصَّحِيح مِنْ مَذْهَبنَا , وَقَالَ بَعْض أَصْحَابنَا : تَحْصُل وَهُوَ خِلَاف ظَاهِر الْحَدِيث

“And if one prays Janazah, or sajdat ash-shukr (prostration of thankfullness) or prostration for recitation (tilawah), or only prays one unit of prayer (raka’ah) with the intention of the Tahiyyat (greeting of the masjid), it does not result in having prayed the Tahiyyat ul Masjid according to the Sahih view of our Madh-hab. Some of our companions (of the school) have said that it does result in having prayed it, and this contradicts the apparent meaning of the hadith.”13

So if one prays less than two raka’ahs, it is not fulfilled according to the Sahih (correct view) of our Madhhab14.

How is Tahiyyat Al-Masjid not Obligatory?

Question: If the Prophet Muhammad commanded people to make this prayer, how is it not obligatory?

Answer:

The Thahiriyyah (literalists), a madhhab that is considered dead, believed this act to be wajib. However there is agreement of the scholars of the four schools that tahiyyat al-Masjid is a Sunnah, an act that is recommended and thus not obligatory.

Hafith Ibn Hajr Al-’Asqalani states in his Fat-hul-Bari,

“There is agreement of the Imams of Fatwa that the command for this act is one of a recommendation (للندب).”

The proof that it is not obligatory is what is reported in the two Sahihs as well as the Muwatta’ of Imam Malik ibn Anas from Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah:

جَاءَ ‏ ‏رَجُلٌ ‏ ‏إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ‏ ‏صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‏ ‏مِنْ أَهْلِ ‏ ‏نَجْدٍ ‏ ‏ثَائِرُ الرَّأْسِ نَسْمَعُ دَوِيَّ صَوْتِهِ وَلَا نَفْقَهُ مَا يَقُولُ حَتَّى دَنَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ‏ ‏صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‏ ‏فَإِذَا هُوَ يَسْأَلُ عَنْ الْإِسْلَامِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ‏ ‏صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‏ ‏خَمْسُ صَلَوَاتٍ فِي الْيَوْمِ وَاللَّيْلَةِ فَقَالَ هَلْ عَلَيَّ غَيْرُهُنَّ قَالَ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ تَطَّوَّعَ وَصِيَامُ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَقَالَ هَلْ عَلَيَّ غَيْرُهُ فَقَالَ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ تَطَّوَّعَ وَذَكَرَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ‏ ‏صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‏ ‏الزَّكَاةَ فَقَالَ هَلْ عَلَيَّ غَيْرُهَا قَالَ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ تَطَّوَّعَ قَالَ فَأَدْبَرَ ‏ ‏الرَّجُلُ ‏ ‏وَهُوَ يَقُولُ وَاللَّهِ لَا أَزِيدُ عَلَى هَذَا وَلَا أَنْقُصُ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ‏ ‏صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‏ ‏أَفْلَحَ إِنْ صَدَقَ ‏

“A Man came to the Rasulullah from the people of Najd, with disheveled hair. We heard his voice though could not understand what he was saying until he came to the Messenger of Allah (‘alayhis salam). It was then that he asked the Messenger of Allah (‘alayhis salam) about Islam. So Rasulullah (‘alayhis salam) said, “Five prayers throughout the day and the  night.” He asked, ‘Is there upon me any more than this?” He (‘alayhis salam) said, “No except supererogatory, and the fasting of Ramadan.” He asked, ‘Is there anything else?’ He said, “Zakah”. He said is there anything other than this? “He said no, except supererogatory acts.” Then the man said, “I swear by Allah I will not add to this, nor will I decrease anything from it!” The Prophet said, “He will be successful if he is truthful!”

The proof from this hadith is that the Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhis salam) did not oblige any other prayer upon him, so Tahiyyatul-Masjid is of the Tatawwu’ (supererogatory prayers).

Another proof comes by way Zayd ibn Aslam (radiya allahu ‘anhu) who said,

“The companions of Rasulullah (‘alayhis salam) would enter the Masjid, then leave it, while not having prayed.”15

This shows that the Sahabah (radiya Allahu ‘anhum) did not believe it to be obligatory, only praiseworthy. Yet another proof that it is recommended, and not an obligation, is that the Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhis salam) did not narrate a specific punishment for its abandonment, hence it cannot be considered forbidden to not pray it.

Conclusion

The importance in this act of sunnah can be seen in the fact that the Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhis salam) called the two raka’ahs a “haqq” or right of the Masjid upon the Muslims. We should strive to cling to the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhis salam) and not forget to make these two raka’ahs before we sit in the masjid. Now that we have learned these rulings insha’allah, let us follow the maxim of tasawwuf, “عمل بالعلم Action with knowledge” and implement the way of our beloved (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

وبالله التوفيق

Shafiifiqh.com’s Fatwa Dept.

Reviewed by Sidi Abdullah Marbuqi

  1. Mughni Al-Muhtaj, as well as Imam An-Nawawi in his Sharh Sahih Muslim [↩]
  2. Sahih Muslim electronic version 1167 , Sahih Al-Bukhari 1163, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah [↩]
  3. Ibn Khuzayma’s Sahih 1824, Ibn Abi Shaybah’s Musannaf 1/340, and Durr Al-Manthur 5/52 [↩]
  4. i.e. the dead school known as the Thāhiriyya [↩]
  5. i.e. the Shafi’ī school [↩]
  6. See his Sharh of Sahih Muslim [↩]
  7. as the Fard takes precedence over the Sunnah [↩]
  8. page 231 of Kitab At-Tahqiq, Dar Al-Jil, Beirut [↩]
  9. f10.11, page 161 of Reliance of the Traveller [↩]
  10. Sharh Sahih Muslim [↩]
  11. page 230 [↩]
  12. f10.10 page 160-161, Reliance of the Traveller [↩]
  13. Sharh Sahih Muslim [↩]
  14. Minhaj of Imam An-Nawawi [↩]
  15. Reported by Ibn Abi Shaybah 1/340 [↩]
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Sujud Al-Tilawah: Substituted by Dhikr or Not?

Posted by on May 3, 2010 in Featured, Sajdat Tilawah, Salah, Tahiyyat Al-Masjid | 0 comments

Sujūd At-Tilāwah1: Substituted by Dhikr or Not?

Written by Mawlana AbdurRagman Khan

Introduction

“With Allah’s Name, The Beneficent, the Merciful”


The substitution of sujūd at-Tilāwah with the formula:

has become a common practice in society. So much so, that in our local hifz schools many have left the prostration altogether, teacher and student alike. The forthcoming thus addresses this substitution; its legislation and basis.

The intended discourse, however, requires a discussion of the formula serving as a substitute for tahiyyat al-masjid2 since it was from this discussion that certain scholars would, eventually, deduct the permissibility of substituting sujūd at-tilāwah with the spoken formula. Further, living in a predominantly Shafi‘ī community, the author shall restrict himself to views expressed within the Shāfi‘ī school.

Substitution for tahiyyat al-masjid

The aforementioned formula acting as a substitution for tahiyyat al-masjid was first mentioned by al-Imām al-Ghazālī in his celebrated work Ihyā ‘Ulūm ad-Dīn, says al-Ghazālī3 :

… The person who enters (the masjid) with the intention of either passing through or sitting down4, should recite four times:

Subhan Allahi wal-Hamdulillahi wa La ilaha Illa Allahu waAllahu Akbar

as it is said that the recitation thereof equals the performance of two raka‘āt in virtue.

Jurists after al-Ghazālī would follow suit and document the formula as a substitution in their works. Among the more prominent jurist are: Khatīb ash-Shirbīnī in Mugnī al-Muhtāj5; ash-Shams ar-Ramlī in Nihāyah al-Muhtāj6; ash-Shabrāmallisī in his Hāshiyah ‘alā an-Nihāyah; ash-Shirwānī in his Hāshiyah ‘alā at-Tuhfah; and others7.

An addition and restriction was later contributed by two prominent jurists; the addition which reads

wa La Hawla wa La Quwwata illa Billah

by the erudite Egyptian scholar ibn ar-Rif‘ah8 and the restriction which states that the formula suffices only for he who is unable to perform wudū’ by ‘Alī ash-Shabrāmallisī9.

The eminent jurist of the ninth century, ibn Hajar al-Haytamī10 is on record for holding two opposing views, one in his magnum opus, tuhfah al-Muhtāj, and the other in his Fatāwā (a collection of legal verdicts issued by him).  In his Tuhfah11, ibn Hajar sides with all other jurists and questions not the basis upon which this substitution lays. When asked regarding an issue directly connected to the recitation of this formula in his Fatāwā12 he replied:

… And one should not consider what has been stated in Ihyā for three reasons: 1) it lacks of textual proof as al-Gazālī only stated: “it is said that the recitation thereof equals the performance of two raka‘āt in virtue”… 2) Had it authentically been proven from the Prophet sallahu ‘alayhi wasallam analogy will not be permissible13… 3) the formula سبحان الله والحمد لله … has special merits, absent in other forms of worship…

When faced with contradiction within the works of ibn Hajar, his Tuhfah and his Fatāwā in particular here, the widely accepted view among the Shāfi‘iyyah, as stated by Shaykh Muhammad Sulaymān al-Kurdī, holds that preponderance will be given to what has  been stated in his Tuhfah. Consequently, the preponderant view considers the recitation of the mentioned formula as a valid substitution. That being said, due effort should be made to uphold the practice of RasūlulAllah sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam whose life was ﴾…a beautiful example for he who desires Allah and the last day…﴿ [al-Ahzāb: 23: 21].

The author, however, believes that since ibn Hajar addressed the issue with detail in his Fatāwā, contrary to his briefness in his Tuhfah, a case for the contrary could be made. Thus, we conclude that the mentioned formula does not serve as a valid substitution, and Allah knows best. This does not mean that the recitation of the formula is reprehensible or impermissible. Rather, the recitation thereof will be permitted, not as a substitution, but as a mere dhikr. A dhikr which could be made at any time, whence entering the Masjid or elsewhere. The author, after consulting his shaykh, Mawlana Taha Karaan, feels that this was, in all probability, the intent of al-Imām an-Nawawī in his Adhkār14 when he stated: “there is no problem in its recitation”.

Substitution for sujūd at-Tilāwah

Of all the referred to sources the only jurist to have stated, by extension, that the recitation of the mentioned formula will form a substitute for sujūd at-Tilāwah is the 11th century jurist, Shihab ad-Din Ahmad al-Qalyūbī15. Says he:

As in the case of tahiyyah al-Masjid, the formula:

stands as a substitute for sujūd at-Tilāwah. This is so, as it is said that the recitation thereof equals two rak‘āt in virtue

Others after al-Qalyūbī, ad-Dimyātī in particular, would quote this from al-Qalyūbī in their works and eventually it (reciting the formula as a substitute for sujūd at-Tilāwah) would become the common practice of many. When faced with the question: Does the formula, equaling two rak‘āt in virtue, suffice as substantiation? I answer with the reasoning of ibn Hajar: even if we were to assume that the recitation of the formula does constitute the reward of performing two raka‘āt, it will not constitute a valid substitution for sujūd at-Tilāwah.

Consequently, as in the case of tahiyyah al-Masjid, the formula stands not as a substitution. Its recitation would however be permissible, not as a substitution, but as a mere dhikr. At this juncture one might ask: if the recitation of the formula is permissible, why differentiate between it being a substitution or not? The difference lies in the fulfillment of the original act, sujūd at-Tilāwah or tahiyyah al-Masjid. A substitution would fulfill the original act and obviate the need of performing it; just as how the performance of tayammum in the absence of water obviates the need for wudū’. This is not the case with mere dhikr; the original act will not be fulfilled and accordingly its performance remains desired.

Conclusion

The mentioned formula stands not as a substitute for both tahiyyah al-Masjid and sujūd at-Tilāwah. Consequently, the legal address that requests the performance of: 1) tahiyyat al-Masjid on entering the Masjid and 2) prostration when reciting one of the verses of prostration, remains standing even after the recitation of the formula.

And Allah knows best

Abdurragmaan Khan

Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah

Strand, Cape Town, South Africa

Originallay written: November 2006

Re-Edited: May 2010

  1. The prostration made after reciting one of the verses of sajdah [↩]
  2. A two raka’ah prayer performed on entering the Masjid. [↩]
  3. Ihyā ‘Ulūm ad-Dīn [↩]
  4. i.e. with no intention of performing tahiyyatul masjid [↩]
  5. Khatib ash-Shirbini, Mugnī al-Muhtāj, vol. pg. [↩]
  6. Ash-Shams ar-Ramli, Nihāyah al-Muhtaj, vol. 2 pg. 120 [↩]
  7. Such as: al-Qalyūbī, ad-Dimyātī, al-Jamal, etc. [↩]
  8. See Nihayah al-Muhtaj vol. 2 pg. 120 and others. [↩]
  9. See Hāshiyah ash-Shabrāmallisī ‘alā Nihāyah al-Muhtāj. This restriction has also received approval from others, worth mentioning here are Abū Bakr ad-Dimyātī and Yūsuf al-Malibārī in I‘ānah at-Tālibīn vol. 1 pp. 560-561  [↩]
  10. The views of ibn Hajar and his contemporary, ar-Ramlī, represents the final say or fatwā in the Shāfi‘ī school. [↩]
  11. Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Tuhfah al-Muhtāj, vol. pg.  [↩]
  12. Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Al-Fatāwā al-Kubrā al-Fiqhiyyah, vol. 1 pg. 194  [↩]
  13. i.e. if we were to assume that the recitation of the formula does constitute the reward of performing two raka‘āt, even then will it not be permissible to establish it as a substitution for sujūd at-Tilāwah. The reasoning here being that badl (substitution) in Islamic rituals has to be text based and not rationally deducted. And Allah knows best  [↩]
  14. An-Nawawi, Hilyah al-Abrār, pg. 76 [↩]
  15. See Hāshiyah al-Qalyūbī ‘alā Kanz ar-Rāgibīn vol. pg.  [↩]
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