346. Greeting The Masjid

By Asma Bint Shameem

Masjid al-Haraam is after all a masjid so you should pray the two rakaat of greeting the Masjid every time you enter it.

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

"When one of you enters the masjid, let him not sit down until he has prayed two rak'ahs." 

(al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

This applies all the time except when your intention is to do  tawaaf.

Aaishah radhi Allaahu anhaa said:

"When the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam 

came to Makkah, he did wudoo', then he circumambulated the House. And the two rak'ahs for greeting the masjid are replaced by the two rak'ahs following tawaaf."

Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said: 

“Masjid al-Haraam is like any other masjid: the one who enters it to pray, listen to a reminder and so on should pray two rak’ahs, as in any other masjid, because of the general meaning of the words of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam: 

“When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit until he prays two rak’ahs.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1167). 

But if he enters the masjid to do tawaaf, such as a person who is doing ‘umrah and enters the masjid to do the tawaaf of ‘umrah, or to do a voluntary tawaaf, then in this case the tawaaf replaces the two rak’ahs  for greeting the masjid, because when he does tawaaf he is going to pray two rak’ahs after tawaaf.”

[Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (22/286)]

So if you’re going to enter Masjid al-Haraam for umrah, or for nafl Tawaaf, you should proceed to do your Tawaaf WITHOUT reading Tahiyyatul masjid. 

But if you’re going to WAIT in the masjid and DELAY your Tawaaf due to any reason such as it’s time for Salaah or there’s too much crowd etc, then you should read Tahiyyatul masjid in that situation. 

And Allaah knows best