When is the Tahiyyat al-Masjid prayer performed? Can the Tahiyyat al-Masjid prayer be performed during the time of zawāl (the zenith/noon time when the sun is at its highest)?

- When is the Tahiyyat al-Masjid prayer performed? Can the Tahiyyat al-Masjid prayer be performed during the time of zawāl (the zenith/noon time when the sun is at its highest)?

Dear Brother / Sister,

It is a mustahab prayer. A Muslim who enters a mosque to visit it, to read something or to teach something performs a two-rak’ah tahiyyatul-masjid prayer. It is enough to perform it once if he enters a mosque several times in a day. By doing so, a person is regarded to have shown respect to a place where Allah is worshipped.

Tahiyyatul-masjid is to be performed when one enters a mosque before sitting. It is more virtuous. It can also be performed after sitting. It is regarded mustahab for a person who goes to mosque and cannot perform tahiyyatul-masjid prayer due to being busy, being at the time of karahah or not having wudu says, "Subbanallahi wal-hamdu lil-lahi wa la ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar."

When a person enters the mosque if it is a prayer time, the prayer that is performed (whether it is fard or sunnah) replaces tahiyyatul-masjid prayer.

It is not permissible to perform tahiyyatul-masjid prayer at times of karahah. A person who goes to mosque and cannot perform tahiyyatul-masjid prayer due to being busy, being at the time of karahah or not having wudu says, "Subbanallahi wal-hamdu lil-lahi wa la ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar."

(Büyük İslam İlmihali, Ömer Nasuhi Bilmen)

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