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 [↩]