Al-Adab al-Mufrad

A man's invitation is his permission

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, (ﷺ), said, "A man's messenger to another man is his permission to enter."

A man's invitation is his permission

Abu'l-'Alaniyya said, "I came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and greeted him, but he did not give me permission. Then I greeted him again and he did not give me permission. Then I greeted him a third time, raising my voice and said, 'Peace be upon you, people of the house,' and he did not give me permission. Then I went off to one side and sat down. A slave boy came out to me and said, 'Enter.' I entered and Abu Sa'id said to me, 'If you had said it any more times, I would not have given you permission.' I asked him about vessels (i.e. those used for wine) and other things. He said, 'Haram.' I asked him about an old milk-skin made into a bucket for fermentation purposes. 'Haram,' he said."

How does someone stand at a door

'Abdullah ibn Busr, the Companion of the Prophet, (ﷺ), said that when the Prophet, (ﷺ), came to a door when he wanted to ask permission to enter, he did not face it directly. He stood to the right or the left. If he was given permission, he went in. Otherwise he went away.

When someone asks permission to enter, he says,

Mu'awiya ibn Hudayj said, "I came to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, and asked him for permission to enter. They told me, 'Stay where you are until he comes to you.' I sat down near his door." He continued, "'Umar came out to me, called for water and did wudu'. Then he wiped over his leather socks. I said, 'O Amir al'-Mu'minin, is this on account of urine?' He replied, 'On account of urine or other things.'"

Knocking on a door

Anas ibn Malik reported that people knocked on the door of the Prophet, (ﷺ), using their fingernails.

When someone enters without having asked permission

Kalda ibn Hanbal reported that Safwan ibn Umayya sent him to the Prophet, (ﷺ), during the Conquest of Makka with some milk, gazelle, and cucumber. (Abu 'Asim said that the meant vegetables.) The Prophet, (ﷺ), was at the top of the valley and I did not give the greeting nor ask for permission. He said, "Go back and say, 'Peace be upon you. May I enter?' That was after Safwan had become Muslim."

When someone enters without having asked permission

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), said, "If someone looks inside, he should not be given permission to enter."

When someone says, "Can I come in?" and does not

'Ata' reported that Abu Hurayra said, "When someone says, "Can I come in?" and does not give the key.'" 'Ata' said, "Peace?" and Abu Hurayra replied, "Yes."

When someone says, "Can I come in?" and does not

Rib'i ibn Hirash reported that a man of the Banu 'Amir came to the Prophet, (ﷺ), and said, "Can I come in?" The Prophet, (ﷺ), told his slavegirl, "Go out and say to him,, 'Say, "Peace be upon you. Can I come in?" He is not good at asking permission to enter." The man said, "I heard that before the slavegirl came out to me and I said, 'Peace be upon you. Can I come in?' Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'And on you. Enter!'"

How to ask permission to enter

Ibn 'Abbas said, "'Umar asked permission to visit the Prophet, (ﷺ), and said, 'Peace be upon the Messenger of Allah! Peace be upon you! Can I come in?'"

The one who says, "Who is it?" and is answered,

Jabir said, "I came to the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), about a debt my father owed. I knocked at the door and he asked. 'Who is it?' 'Me,' I replied. He said, 'Me? Me?' as if he disliked that."

The one who says, "Who is it?" and is answered,

Burayda said, "The Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), went out to the mosque while Musa was reciting. He said, 'Who is it?' I said 'I am Burayda, may I be your ransom!' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'This man has been given one of the flutes of the family of Da'ud.'"

When someone asks permission, he is told, "Enter

'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn Ju'dan said, "I was with 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar and he asked permission from the people of the house to enter. He was told, 'Enter with peace,' and he refused to enter them.'"

Looking into houses

Abu Hurayra said, "The Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), said, "When the eye enters, permission to enter should not be given."

Looking into houses

Muslim ibn Nadhir said, "A man asked permission to enter from Hudhayfa. He looked in and said, 'May I come in?' Hudhayfa replied, 'As for you eye, it has already entered. As for your bottom, it has not entered.'"

Looking into houses

Anas ibn Malik reported that a bedouin came to the house of the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), and put his eye to the crack of the door. Therefore the Prophet (ﷺ) took an arrow or a sharp stick and aimed it at the bedouin as to gouge out his eye. The man left and the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If you had stayed, I would have gouged out your eye."

Looking into houses

'Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "Anyone who fills his eye with the contents of a house before he has been given permission has gone astray."

Looking into houses

Thawban, the mawla of the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), related that the Prophet, (ﷺ), said, "It is not lawful for a Muslim man to look inside a house until he has been given permission. If he does so, he has entered. He should not act as the imam of a people and then single himself out for supplication to the exclusion of others. He should not pray while he needs to urinate until he has relieved himself."

The excellence of someone who enters his house

Abu Umama reported that the Prophet, (ﷺ), said, Allah is responsible for three: if they live, they will have enough, and if they die, they will enter the Garden. Allah Almighty is responsible for whoever enters his house , saying 'Peace'. Allah is responsible for whoever goes out to the mosque. Allah is responsible for whoever goes out in the Way of Allah."

The excellence of someone who enters his house

Jabir said, "When you come in to your family, greet them with a greeting from Allah which is blessed and good." He added, "I only think that it is what is meant by His words, 'When you are greeted with a greeting, greet with one better than it or return it.' (4:86)"

When someone does not mention Allah when he enters

Jabir reported that the Prophet, (ﷺ), said, "When a man enters his house, he should Allah mention Allah Almighty, both when he enters and he eats. If he does so, Shaytan says (i.e. to the shayatin), 'You cannot spend the night or eat.' When he enters and does not mention Allah when he enters, Shaytan says, 'You have got your lodgings for the night and your supper.'"

What one is not given permission for

A'yan al-Khwarizmi said, "We came to Anas ibn Malik while he was sitting his foyer with anyone else with him. My companion greeted him and said, 'May I come in?' Anas said, 'Come in. This is a place where no one asks for permission.' He had food brought to us and we ate. Then a cup of sweet nabidh was brought and we drank and were full."

Asking permission in shops in the market

Mujahid said, "Ibn 'Umar did not ask permission to enter shops in the market."

Asking permission in shops in the market

'Ata' said, "Ibn 'Umar used to ask permission to enter market-stalls."

How to ask permission from Persians

Abu Abdul Malik, the mawla of Umm Miskin, the daughter of ('Umar) ibn 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, said, "My mistress sent me to Abu Hurayra and he came with me. When he was at the door, he asked in Persian, 'Can we come in?' 'Come in!' she replied.' Then she said, 'Abu Hurayra, if visitors come to me after 'Isha', should I enter into conversation with them?' He replied, 'Converse as long as you have not done the witr prayer. If you have done the witr, there is no conversation after it.'"