Tahiyyat al-Wudu and Tahiyyat al-Masjid: When to Pray and How to Combine

Understanding the Etiquette of Mosque Greetings: Tahiyyat al-Wudu and Tahiyyat al-Masjid

Question: When I go to the mosque, I pray two rak’ahs of Tahiyyat al-Wudu (greeting of ablution) before sitting. Is it necessary to also pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid (greeting of the mosque) if there is still a lot of time before the obligatory prayer?

Answer: When someone goes to the mosque and the call to prayer (Adhan) for an obligatory prayer has been given, and there are Sunnah prayers for that obligatory prayer (e.g., the Adhan for Dhuhr has been given), the person entering the mosque should not pray Tahiyyat al-Wudu or Tahiyyat al-Masjid. Instead, they should directly perform the Sunnah prayers of Dhuhr. However, if the Adhan has been given for a prayer that does not have Sunnah prayers (e.g., Asr), then the person entering the mosque should pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid. Tahiyyat al-Wudu should not be prayed; rather, Tahiyyat al-Masjid should be prayed because it is a greeting to the mosque. After praying Tahiyyat al-Masjid, one should sit. Tahiyyat al-Wudu can be prayed at another time, at home, or elsewhere. Alternatively, one can combine the intention of Tahiyyat al-Masjid and Tahiyyat al-Wudu in the same prayer, and there is no harm in that. However, when there are Sunnah prayers for a specific obligatory prayer, then Tahiyyat al-Masjid should not be prayed; instead, one should directly perform the Sunnah prayers.

Answered by: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi

Jeddah Dawah Center, Saudi Arabia