Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As salam alaikum very much pleased to receive answer to my question.My name is Mahmooda,age 29 I am Indian presently living in Jeddah Saudi Arabia n i am a housewife.I have few more questions to ask.hope by the Grace of almighty Allah you will help me.1.Should we offer 2 rakah Tahyitul Masjid when we enter Masjid al haram in Makkah {Baitul Allah} 2.If I have offered Isha prayer and Witr prayer,can i offer Salatul Hajjah or salatul istikhara or anyother nafil salah after that as it is said that witr is the last prayer of the night.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Tahiyat ul masjid and witr

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: Should we offer 2 rakah Tahyitul Masjid when we enter Masjid al haram in Makkah {Baitul Allah}

Al-Muwatta Hadith 9.60

Yahya related from Malik, from Amir ibn Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, from Amr ibn Sulaymaz-Zuraqi, from Abu Qatadaal-Ansari that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Whenever you enter the masjid, you should pray two rakahs before you sit down."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.52 Narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah

A person entered the mosque (and sat down) while the Prophet (saws) was delivering the Khutba on a Friday. The Prophet said to him, "Have you prayed?" The man replied in the negative. The Prophet (saws) said, "Get up and pray two Rakat."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) guided the believers to offer a two-rakah ‘tahiyat-ul-masjid’ whenever they enter a masjid and intend to sit down.

If one is blessed to enter the ‘Masjid-al-Haraam’ in Makkah, it would be better and preferred that, if they can, they should perform the ‘tawaaf’ immediately upon entering the ‘Haram’. If for any reason one is unable to perform the ‘tawaaf’ upon entering the ‘Haram’, then they should offer the ‘two-rakah’ ‘tahiyatul-masjid’ before they sit down.

Your Question: If I have offered Isha prayer and Witr prayer,can i offer Salatul Hajjah or salatul istikhara or anyother nafil salah after that as it is said that witr is the last prayer of the night.

It is reported that Hadrat Ali (r.a.) said: "The ‘witr’ prayer is not required like your obligatory prayers, but the Prophet (saws) would perform the ‘witr’ prayer and say: 'O you people [followers] of the Qur'an, perform the ‘witr’ prayer, for Allah is One and He loves the ‘witr’.'"

The Prophet (saws) said: 'The night prayer is sets of two rak'at. If one fears the coming of the dawn, he should perform one rak'ah, thereby making all of them odd [witr].'

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.112 Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar

The Prophet (saws) said, "Make ‘Witr’ as your last prayer at night."

The ‘witr’ prayers are not obligatory, but an extremely preferred Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and he (saws) time and again exhorted the believers to offer the ‘witr’ prayers and make it the last prayer of the night.

One should strive their utmost to make the ‘witr’ the last prayers of the night. If one intends to offer any Sunnah, or Nafl, or Tahajjud prayers at night, it would obviously be best to delay the offering of the ‘witr’ prayers until one has completed all their optional prayers and then offer the ‘witr’ as the last prayer of the night.

But if one has already offered the ‘witr’ prayers, and then perchance wakes up and/or makes intention to offer some additional optional prayers, there is absolutely no harm, but one should not offer the ‘witr’ prayer again.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan