Tahiyyatul-Masjid takes precedence over joining learning sessions in the Masjid
13-1-2014 | IslamWeb
Question:
Is it obligatory to listen to the Quran when it is recited? Is one no longer obliged to perform the Tahiyyat-ul-Masjid prayer if the Quran is being recited in the Masjid? When one enters the Masjid while a religious lecture is being delivered, should he join it or perform the Tahiyyat-ul-Masjid prayer first?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Scholars provided three different opinions with regards to listening to the Quran when it is recited:
The first opinion: It is recommended to listen to it. This is the opinion of the majority of scholars and Ibn Al-Munthir 
transmitted their consensus in this regard.
The second opinion: It is a communal obligation. This is the adopted opinion by the majority of Hanafi scholars.
The third opinion: It is an individual obligation. This is the opinion of some Hanafi scholars. To support their opinion, they quoted the command mentioned in the verse where Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {So when the Quran is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.}[Quran 7: 204]
But the majority of scholars argue that this command is specific to prayer, as is reported from Abu Hurayrah, Mu‘aawiyah ibn Qarrah, Mujaahid, Al-Hasan, An-Nakh‘i and Adh-Dhahhaak 
. [‘Abdur-Razaaq]
According to the majority of scholars, the Tahiyyatul-Masjid prayer is recommended. When one enters the Masjid while a learning session or recitation of the Quran is being held, he should perform a two-Rak‘ah prayer before sitting down. It was narrated that Sulayk Al-Ghatafaani 
entered the Masjid while the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was delivering the Khutbah and sat down without praying. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to him: "O Sulayk, stand up and observe two Rak’ahs and make them short." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
The Tahiyyatul-Masjid prayer takes precedence over joining learning sessions in the Masjid. This is derived from the incident when a man came and imperfectly prayed before the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and thus he commanded him to repeat the prayer. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
The point is that a man would perform a two-Rak‘ah prayer and then come to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and his Companions 
and greet them.