What are the manners of entering the house? What are the manners of leaving the house? What do muslims say when entering home?
Homes are places in which everyone lives in peace and comfort. Better or worse, our homes are the places in which we feel most comfortable. People are free at home; they eat, drink, walk around, rest and sleep however they please. At times, they also have their private moments which they do not want anyone else to see. There are therefore some rules that we must pay attention to when entering or leaving a house, be it our own, our friend’s or someone else’s
Allah the Exalted says:
“If you find no one in the house, enter not until permission is given to you: if you are asked to go back, go back: that makes for greater purity for yourselves: and Allah knows well all that you do.” (al-Nur, 24: 28)
“O you who believe! enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and saluted those in them: that is best for you, in order that you may heed (what is seemly).” (al-Nur, 24: 27)
Our beloved Prophet – upon him peace and blessings – said:
“Asking permission is thrice: If given permission you enter; if not, you turn back.” (al-Bukhari, Istidhan, 13)
What to pay attention to when entering or leaving a house?
When entering a house, we need to knock on the door and ask permission, even if the house be our own.
When about to enter someone else’s house, we do not knock on the door more than three times.
While waiting for permission to enter at the front of the door, we turn slightly to the side, so that once the door opens, we do not immediately see who/what is inside.
On being asked ‘Who is it?’, we respond by clearly stating our names and, if need be, our surnames.
If the door is already open, we still say ‘assalamu alaykum’ or ask permission to enter before stepping inside.
Whether it be our own home or somebody else’s, we should enter a house cheerfully and have nice things to say.
When leaving, we bid farewell to those who we leave behind, extending our best wishes and wishing upon them the protection of Allah, glory unto Him.
You Must Ask Permission (STORY)
At the age of eight, his mother left Anas ibn Malik -May Allah be well-pleased with him- to the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- so that her son could serve the Prophet –upon him blessings and peace. The little Anas served the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- up until the age of twenty. Receiving the special training of the Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- until he was twenty, Anas went on to live another seventy years after the passing away of the Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-. He loved the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- so much that he never kept him out of his mind. Anas -May Allah be well-pleased with him- would say:
“There has never been a night in which I have not seen the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- in my dream. Inshallah, when I reunite with him in the Hereafter, I will say, ‘Look, O Messenger of Allah…your little servant Anas has come’ and ask for his intercession.”
Anas -May Allah be well-pleased with him- passes on one of the fine wisdoms he learnt from the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-:
“The Messenger of Allah said to me, ‘Give your greetings to your family, my dear, when you enter home so that that your salam serves as blessings both for yourself and your family.’ (al-Tirmidhi, Istidhan, 10)
Another man once came to the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- and asked, ‘Am I supposed to ask permission even from my mother when I am entering home?’
‘Yes’, replied the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace-.
‘But I live with her’, said the man.
‘You must still ask her permission’, said the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace-.
‘But I am always in her service’, added the man.
‘You must still ask…Would you like to see her naked?’ asked the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace-.
‘No!’
‘In that case ask permission before you enter.’ (Muwatta, Istidhan, 1)
What not to do when entering or leaving a house?
One must never peep through the keyhole, the window or any other place before entering the house.
When at somebody else’s house, we do not meddle with or go through anything without the permission of the homeowner.
We do not look inquisitively at the merchandise or furniture inside the home -as if looking to buy them-.
We do not try to catch sight of people in other rooms from where we are sitting.
We do not lend an ear to the conversations taking place in other rooms.
After knocking on the door and asking permission to enter, we do not barge through the front door before actually the permission is given.
In the case of an emergency which requires us to leave immediately, we inform the homeowner, even if it be with a note.
Sahl ibn Saad -May Allah be well-pleased with him- explains:
A man was trying to peer inside the Prophet’s -upon him blessings and peace- through a hole on the door. At that moment, the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- had a comb in his hand. Becoming aware of the unwelcome behavior of the man, he said, “If I knew you were spying on me with malicious intent, I would have pierced your eyes with this comb. Asking permission before entering a house has been commanded only to ensure that the interior of the home is protected from sight.” (Muslim, Adab, 40, 41)
Source; Islamic Etiquette, Faruk KANGER – Lokman HELVACI, Erkam Publications
Good Manners Towards Allah Almighty
Good Manners Towards Our Prophet
