around the House, nor are the two rak‘ahs of circumambulation offered while the imam is delivering the sermon. This shows that the prohibition here is more emphatic and restrictive than the prohibition after Fajr and ‘Asr. Thus, if he commanded the prayer of greeting the mosque here, there is all the more reason for that command to apply there. This is clear and evident. There is neither might nor power except through Allah.

The third argument:

It may be said that certain prayers have been established as exceptions to the prohibition, such as the current ‘Asr prayer, the two rak‘ahs of Fajr, a missed prayer, the two rak‘ahs of circumambulation, and a prayer repeated in the mosque. It is therefore established that prayers offered during the prohibited times fall into two categories: those that are prohibited and those that are prescribed and not prohibited. There must therefore be a distinction between them, since the Lawgiver does not treat like cases differently, making one commanded and the other forbidden.

The distinction may be that the permitted prayer has a specific cause. Whoever offers such a prayer does so because of that cause, rather than simply offering an unrestricted voluntary prayer. Were he not to offer it, he would miss its benefit—just as someone entering the mosque would miss the reward of the prayer of greeting the mosque. Likewise, he would miss the benefit of the eclipse prayer, the prostration of recitation, and all other prayers tied to specific causes.

Alternatively, the distinction may be something else. If the former is true, the intended distinction between prayers tied to specific causes and other prayers is established.

If the latter is true, they should be told:

You do not know what the distinction is. You know only that he prohibited some prayers and permitted others, without knowing the distinction between them. You therefore have no right to pronounce on the remaining cases of