When Can I Greet Others after Entering the Mosque?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question: Assalamu alaykum,

Should I delay greeting others in the mosque after praying the prayer of greeting the mosque?

Answer: walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and spirits.

There is nothing wrong with greeting others after entering the mosque—or even talking—as long as (1) one strives to pray the prayer of greeting the mosque without undue delay—as it is a sunna; and (2) one avoids unnecessary actions (e.g. casual conversation) that would delay or risk missing this sunna.

The prayer of greeting the mosque is an emphasied sunna to perform when one enters a mosque. Any prayer in the mosque (even another sunna or the congregational prayer) fulfills the sunna—though one should specifically intend it for full reward, and ideally perform two separate rakats for it when possible). [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

wassalam,

Faraz Rabbani