Q: When entering my local masjid shortly before fard salat starts, some people avoid sitting down before the fard prayer. They say this is so that they will be able to include the intention of tahiyyatul masjid in their fard prayer (they say that according to their madhab which I think is Shafie, the opportunity of tahiyatul masjid disappears when you sit down). I know that the opportunity of tahiyatul masjid is not nullified for us Hanafis by sitting down, but is it still recommendable for us to stand together with the others (i.e. not sit) even if we are Hanafis, to be on the safe side and to avoid ikhtilaf? I mean just as our books of fiqh says that it is mustahabb for us to redo wudhu after having touched a person of the opposite gender in order to avoid ikhtilaf.
A: If it is not makrooh time then you may perform the tahiyyatul musjid and then sit down. However, sitting down does not nullify the tahiyyatul musjid according to us.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)