Which Prayers Should Be Recited When Entering a Mosque/Masjid?
The mosque (masjid) is an important place of worship for Muslims. Praying when entering the mosque is of great importance in terms of making spiritual preparation and benefiting from Allah’s blessings. In this article, we will examine the hadiths related to the supplications recited by our Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) when entering a mosque or those he recommended.
Narrated on the authority of Abu Humayd or Abu Useyd (may Allah be pleased with them):
“Whenever one of you enters a mosque, let him greet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and then say: ‘O Allah, open for me the doors of mercy. And when he exits from the mosque, let him say: ‘I ask you for your grace.’
(Abu Dawood, Salat, 18/465; Muslim, Salat-ul Musafirin b. 10, n. 713, s. 494, v. 1; Nasa’i, Kitab-ul Masacid, b. Elkavi İnde duhul-ül-Mescid, b. 732, s. 53, v. 2; Ibn Majah, Kitab-ul Masacid, b. 13, n. 772, s. 254, v. 1)
Asking for mercy in this prayer and asking for His grace upon exiting shows the importance of making supplication when entering a mosque.
Hayy ibn Shurayh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
One day I met Ukba bin Muslim and told him that I had heard from Abdullah bin Amr bin As that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would say when entering the Masjid:
“I seek refuge in Allah, the Eternal Sovereign, and His generous mercy, from the rejected one.”
Ukba said: Did this complete report reach you?
I replied: Yes.
Ukba said: (The continuation of the hadith) When a person enters the mosque and says it, Satan says, ‘He has protected himself from me for the rest of the day.’
(Abu Dawood, Salat, 18/466)
Explanation of the Hadith
This hadith emphasizes the importance of seeking refuge in Allah to protect oneself from the effects of Satan when entering a mosque. The word “Ekad” in the hadith indicates that the entire hadith was not transmitted.
Ukba bin Muslim reminded Hayy ibn Shurayh about the continuation of the hadith and stated that this supplication could even render Satan powerless. This is an indication of the power and importance of supplications.