Title

Do you know of being Tahiyyatul Masjid prayer to be Fardh?

Question

Do you know of being Tahiyyatul Masjid prayer to be Fardh? 

I was in a cling with a Salafi and he claimed it to be Fardh, when i said to him Fardh prayers are only 5 and not 6 he encountered me with that Janazah salah is also Fardh. He said that Shawkani has also said and proved it (Tahiyyatul Mascid) to be Fardh and that nobody could and has refuted this view of him.

Please advise me how to answer him.

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful  

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

1.Tahiyyatul Musjid is a nafl salaat and not a fardh salaat. Consider the following :

• When the prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) was taken on the journey of Mi’raaj, he was granted the gift of five obligatory salaat. Tahiyyatul Musjid was not included in that.(Sahih Al-Bukhaari, vol 1, pg 549,Maktabah Bilaal Deoband )
• Allaamah Ayni (rahimahullah) has recorded a hadith : “The Sahaba (radhiyallaahu anhum) would enter and leave the Musjid without performing any salaat”. ( Umdat Al-Qaari, vol 4, pg 202, Rasheediyya)
• If Tahiyyatil Musjid was fardh, the sahaba would not leave the Musjid without performing Tahiyyatul Musjid.
• Talha(radhiyallaahu anhu) reports: “A man came to the prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) and asked : Which salaat Allah made obligatory ? The prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) replied: The five daily salaat. The man enquired: Is there any other obligatory salaat ? The prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) replied: No, except if you perform nafl salaat”. ( Sahih Al-Bukhaari #1794 / Umdat Al-Qaari, vol 4, pg 202, Rasheediyya )
• If Tahiyyatul Musjid was fardh, the prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) would have replied that there are six obligatory salaat!!
• ·Ibn Hajar states that there is unanimity amongst the Ulamaa that                                          Tahiyyatul Musjid is mustahab.(Fath Al-Baari, vol1,pg 707, Qadeemi)

             A similar statement is recorded by Imaam Nawawi (Al-Minhaaj, vol 5, pg 232)

2. To claim that Salaatul Janaazah is fardh just as the five daily salaat is incorrect.

There are two types of fardh : (1)Fardh Ayn        (2)Fardh Kifaaya

• Fardh Ayn : That duty which is obligatory on every individual. This obligation has to be fulfilled by each and every individual. e.g.: the five daily salaat.
• Fardh Kifaaya: That duty which is obligatory on every individual. However, if a few individuals discharge this duty, the others will be absolved of it. e.g. : salaatul janaazah.(Al-Madhhab al-Hanafiyya, vol 1, pg 310, Al-Rushd)

Since, salaatul janaazah and the five daily salaat differ in there classification, they will obviously differ in there ruling. Therefore, salaatul janaazah is Fardh, but Fardh Kifaaya and not Fardh Ayn as the five daily salaat. 

3. Shaykh Shawkaani’s (rahimahullah) claim that Tahiyyatul Musjid is Fardh, goes against the general verdict of Fuqahaa, Muhaditheen and ulamaa. There is a general consensus of the Ulamaa from the first century up to the twelfth century that Tahiyyatul Musjid is Nafl and not Fardh. Shaykh Shawkaani(rahimahullah) is only from the thirteenth century. The unanimous view of the Ulamaa for twelve centuries cannot be ignored.

أن أعرابيا جاء إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثائر الرأس فقال يا رسول الله أخبرني ماذا فرض الله علي من الصلاة فقال ( الصلوات الخمس إلا أن تطوع شيئا )(صحيح البخاري#1794)

 لا يجمع امتي علي ضلال(مشكاة المصابيح  ص 30)

يدخلون ثم يخرجون و لا يصلون(عمدة القاري707\1)

اتفق ائمة الفتوي علي ان الامر في ذالك للندب (فتح الباري 1\707 )

فيه استحباب تحية المسجد بركعتين و هي سنة باجماع المسلمين (المنهاج  دار المعرفة5\232)

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa