Al-Adab al-Mufrad

How was the Ayat of Veiling revealed?

Anas said that he was ten years old when the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), came to Madina. He said, "My mothers decided that I would serve him and I served him for ten years. He died when I was twenty. I am the person who knows best about the business of the veil. The first instance that was revealed occurred when the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), built a room for Zaynab bint Jahsh. He celebrated the wedding there, invited the people who came, ate and then left. A group remained with the Prophet, (ﷺ). They stayed for a long time and then the Prophet (ﷺ) went out and I went out hoping that they would leave. He walked and I walked with him until he came to the threshold of 'A'isha's room. Then, thinking that they would have left, he returned and I returned with him. He went to Zaynab but they were still sitting there. He left again and I left with him until he once more reached the threshold of 'A'isha's room. When he thought that they would have gone, he went back again and I went back with him. This time they had indeed left. The Prophet, (ﷺ), then put up a curtain between me and him, and the veil was revealed."

Three times of nakedness

Tha'laba ibn Abi Malik al-Qurazi reported that he rode to 'Abdullah ibn Suwayd, one of the Banu Haritha ibn al-Harith, to ask him about the three times of nakedness. 'Abdullah used to observe these times. Tha'laba said, "'Abdullah asked, 'What do you want?' I replied, 'I want to observe them.' He said, 'When I take off my garment at midday, none of my family who have reached puberty comes to me without my permission unless I call them. Nor do they do that when it is Fajr until people know that I have prayed, nor when I have prayed 'Isha' and removed my clothes so that I can sleep.'"

A man eating with his wife

'A'isha said, "I used to eat date and butter mixture with the Prophet, (ﷺ). 'Umar visited and the Prophet (ﷺ) invited him and he ate. 'Umar's hand touched my fingers and he said, 'Oh! If I were to be obeyed about you, no eye would ever see you!' Then the veil was revealed."

A man eating with his wife

Umm Habiba bint Qays (Khawla) was heard to say, "My hand and that of the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), mixed together in the same vessel."

When someone enters a house which is uninhabited

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "When someone enters a house which is not lived in, he should say, 'Peace be upon the righteous slaves of Allah.'"

When someone enters a house which is uninhabited

Ibn 'Abbas said, "The verse, 'Do not enter houses other than your own until you have asked permission and greeted their inhabitants' (24:27) has an exception made to it when Allah says, 'There is nothing wrong in your entering houses where no one lives where there is some service for you. Allah knows what you divulge and what you conceal.'"

<i>"Those you own as slaves should ask your permission to enter"</i> (24:56)

Regarding the ayat, "Those you own as slaves should ask your permission to enter" (24:56), Ibn 'Umar said, "That applies to men rather than women."

The words of Allah, <i>"Once your children have reached puberty"</i> (24:57)

Ibn 'Umar reported that when his children had reached puberty and he had withdrawn to his room, none of them entered where he was except with his permission.

Someone asking permission to come in to visit

'Alqama said, "A man came to 'Abdullah and said, 'Should I ask permission to go in where my mother is?' He said, 'At all times. Do you want to see her (exposed)?'"

Someone asking permission to come in to visit

Muslim ibn Nadhir said, "A man asked Hudhayfa, 'Should I ask permission to enter where my mother is?' He replied, 'If you were not to ask her permission, you would see what you dislike.'"

Asking permission to enter where one's father

Musa ibn Talha said, "I entered where my mother was with my father. He went in and I followed him. He turned and pushed me in the chest so that I fell on my bottom. Then he said, 'Will you enter without permission!'"

Asking permission to go in to one's father and

Jabir said, "A man should ask permission from his son and his mother, even if she is old, his brother, his sister and his father."

Asking a sister's permission to enter

'Ata' said, "I asked Ibn 'Abbas, 'Does one ask permission of one's sister?' He replied, 'Yes.' I repeated it and said, 'My two sisters live in my room and I provide for them and spend on them, so do I ask them for permission?' He said, 'Yes. Do you want to see them naked?' Then he recited, 'O you who believe! Those you own as slaves and those of you who have not as yet reached puberty should ask your permission to enter at three times: before the Dawn Prayer and when you have undressed at noon and after the Night Prayer - three times of nakedness for you.' (24:56) Ibn 'Abbas said, 'He did not command these individuals to ask permission other than at these three times of nakedness.' Then he went on to say, 'The verse in Surat an-Nur:57 is: 'Once your children have reached puberty, they should ask your permission to enter as those before them also asked permission.'"

Asking your brother for permission to enter

'Abdullah said, "A man asks permission of his father, his mother, his brother and his sister."

Asking permission three times

'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr reported that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari asked permission of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, but he did not grant him permission. It seemed that he was busy. Abu Musa came back and 'Umar had finished. He said, "Didn't I hear the voice of 'Abdullah ibn Qays? Give him permission to enter." He was told, "He has gone away," so he sent after him. Abu Musa said, "We were commanded to behave like that (i.e. to go away after having asked permission to enter three times)." 'Umar said, "Bring me a clear proof of it." He then went to the gathering of the Ansar and questioned them. They said, "Only the youngest of us will attest to that - Abu Sa'id al-Khudri." He went with Abu Sa'id. 'Umar said, "Is something of what the (ﷺ),, (ﷺ), commanded hidden from me? Doing business in the markets distracted me," i.e. going out to trade.

Asking permission to enter is not a greeting

Regarding the person who asks for permission to enter before he gives the greeting, Abu Hurayra said, "He is not given permission until he has first given the greeting."

Asking permission to enter is not a greeting

Abu Hurayra said, "When someone comes in and does not say, 'Peace be upon you,' then say, 'No,' until he brings the key which is the greeting (salam)."

When someone looks without permission, his eye

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, (ﷺ), said, "If a man looks into your house and you take some pebbles and gouge out his eye, there is no fault in you."

When someone looks without permission, his eye

Anas said, "The Prophet, (ﷺ), was standing in prayer and a man looked into his room. He took an arrow from his quiver and aimed it at his eyes."

Asking permission without looking

Sahl ibn Sa'd told him that a man looked from a room through the door of the Prophet, (ﷺ), while the Prophet, (ﷺ), had a comb with which he was scratching his hair. When the Prophet, (ﷺ), saw him, he said, "If I had known that you were looking at me, I would have stabbed you in the eye with this!"

Asking permission without looking

The Prophet, (ﷺ), said, "The ear is put in the place of the eye."

Asking permission without looking

Anas said, "A man looked through a gap into the room of the Prophet, (ﷺ), and the Messenger of Allah aimed an arrow-head at him, and the man withdrew his head."

When a man greets another man in his room

'Ubayd ibn Hunayn related to him that Abu Musa said, "I asked permission three times to come in to 'Umar, but he did not give me permission and so I went away. He said, ''Abdullah, is it hard on you to be kept waiting at your door.' I said, 'I asked permission from you three times and you did not give me permission, so I went away (and we were commanded to do that).' 'Umar said, 'From whom did you hear this?' I replied, 'I heard it from the Prophet, (ﷺ).' 'Umar said, 'Did you hear something from the Prophet, (ﷺ), which I did not hear? If you do not bring me a clear proof, I will make an example of you!' Therefore I went to a group of Ansar who were sitting in the mosque. I asked them and they said, 'Does anyone doubt this?' I told them what 'Umar had said. They said, 'Only the youngest of us will go with you.' So Abu Sa'id al-Khudri - or Abu Mas'ud - went with me to 'Umar. He said, 'We went out with the Prophet, (ﷺ), when he was going to Sa'd ibn 'Ubada. He gave the greeting, but Sa'd did not give permission. Then he greeted him a second time and then a third time, but Sa'd did not give him permission. So the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'We have done what we must.' Then he went back and Sa'd caught up to him and said, 'Messenger of Allah! By the One who sent you with the Truth, every time you greeted me, I heard and answered you, but I wanted to have a lot of greeting (peace) from you for me and the people of my house.'" Abu Musa said, "By Allah, I am a guardian of the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ)." 'Umar said, "Yes, but I wanted to make sure."

A man's invitation is his permission

'Abdullah said, "When a man is given an invitation, that is his permission to enter."

A man's invitation is his permission

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, (ﷺ), said, "When one of you gives someone an invitation and the person you invited comes with your messenger, that is his permission to enter."