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Q&A · Prayer

What should you do when you enter the mosque — is there a prayer to greet it (tahiyyat al-masjid)?

Yes. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit down until he has prayed two rak'ahs," so it is a confirmed sunnah to pray two rak'ahs of tahiyyat al-masjid before sitting. This applies whenever you enter, even if you intend only to sit briefly; if you arrive and the obligatory or a regular sunnah prayer is due, that prayer suffices in place of it. Some scholars excuse it when the imam is already giving the khutbah on Friday — but the sounder view, and the Prophet's instruction to a man who entered during his Friday sermon, is that one still prays two brief rak'ahs.

Evidence — the daleel
Sahih al-Bukhari 444 ṢaḥīḥSahih Muslim 714 ṢaḥīḥSahih al-Bukhari 931 Ṣaḥīḥ
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Informational, not a personal fatwa. Consult a qualified scholar for rulings on your situation.

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