’ Ath?n and then he ( - رضي الله عنه -) stands to deliver his two Khutbahs, at this moment no one speaks till he finishes them’. (1)
‘This indicates that the Im?m’s ascent on the pulpit does not prevent one from speaking or doing Tahiyyatul Masjid but his delivering the Khutbahs does regarding the former. So the had?th under discussion is false. May All?h ( - عز وجل -) guide us to the right path’. (2)
Al-H?fith Ibn Hajar said: ‘Our reverend Shaikh Abul Fadl said in “Sharh Al-Tirmith?”: ‘All the Sah?bah who prohibited that one does Sal?t while the Im?m is delivering his speech, their prohibition is addressed to those who are already present in the mosque [and want to do N?filah Sal?t]. None of them prohibited doing Tahiyyatul Masjid. Besides, the order of doing it is clearly stated in an independent had?th that should not be abandoned for just a probable interpretation of other narrations’. (3)
Im?m Ash-Sh?fi‘? said: ‘Whoever enters the mosque while the Im?m is delivering his speech or while the ’Ath?n is being called
(1) Narrated by: M?lik in his “Muwatta’” (vol. 1 / p. 126), Ash-Sh?fi‘? in “Al-’Umm” (vol. 1 / p. 175), At-Tah?w? (vol. 1 / p. 217) and Ibn Ab? H?tim in “Al-‘Ilal” (vol. 1 / p. 201).
In “Al-Majm?‘” (vol. 4 / p. 220), An-Nawaw? said: ‘Tha‘labah’s narration is authentic; it was narrated by Ash-Sh?fi‘? in “Al-’Umm” through two authentic ways’!! An-Nawaw? means the way traced back to both Ibn Ab? Fudaik and M?lik from Ibn Shih?b. This expression [i.e. two ways] is only used by An-Nawaw? and which Al-‘Asqal?n? and others criticized for, for it means that there are two different chains of narrators and both are traced back to Tha‘labah and this is not true. Both narrations are traced back to Ibn Shih?b alone.
From the same chain of narrators Yaz?d Ibn Abdill?h narrated the same had?th, as Ibn Ab? Shaibah mentioned in his “Musannaf” (vol. 2 / p. 124). The chain of narration is authentic.
See also: “Tam?mul Minnah” (pp. 339 - 40) and “At-Talkh?s Al-Hab?r” (vol. 2 / p. 61).
(2) Adopted from “Silsilat Al-Ah?d?th Ad-Da‘?fah Wal Mawd?‘?h” (vol. 1 / pp. 123 - 4).
(3) “Fathul B?r?” (vol. 2 / p. 411).