Asking permission to enter

Anas said that he was ten years old when the Messenger of Allah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Madina. He said, "My mothersdecided that I would serve him and I served him for ten years. He diedwhen I was twenty. I am the person who knows best about the business ofthe veil. The first instance that was revealed occurred when the Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, built a room for Zaynabbint Jahsh. He celebrated the wedding there, invited the people who came,ate and then left. A group remained with the Prophet, may Allah bless himand grant him peace. They stayed for a long time and then the Prophet wentout and I went out hoping that they would leave. He walked and I walkedwith him until he came to the threshold of 'A'isha's room. Then, thinkingthat they would have left, he returned and I returned with him. He wentto Zaynab but they were still sitting there. He left again and I left withhim until he once more reached the threshold of 'A'isha's room. When hethought that they would have gone, he went back again and I went back withhim. This time they had indeed left. The Prophet, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, then put up a curtain between me and him, and the veilwas revealed."

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

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

Umm Habiba bint Qays (Khawla) was heard to say, "My hand and thatof the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mixedtogether in the same vessel."

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "When someone enters a house which isnot lived in, he should say, 'Peace be upon the righteous slaves of Allah.'"

Ibn 'Abbas said, "The verse, 'Do not enter houses other thanyour own until you have asked permission and greeted their inhabitants'(24:
27) has an exception made to it when Allah says, 'There is nothingwrong in your entering houses where no one lives where there is some servicefor you. Allah knows what you divulge and what you conceal.'"

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

Ibn 'Umar reported that when his children had reached pubertyand he had withdrawn to his room, none of them entered where he was exceptwith his permission.

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

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

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 sothat I fell on my bottom. Then he said, 'Will you enter without permission!'"

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

'Ata' said, "I asked Ibn 'Abbas, 'Does one ask permission of one'ssister?' He replied, 'Yes.' I repeated it and said, 'My two sisters livein my room and I provide for them and spend on them, so do I ask them forpermission?' He said, 'Yes. Do you want to see them naked?' Then he recited,'Oyou who believe! Those you own as slaves and those of you who have notas 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 theNight Prayer - three times of nakedness for you.' (24:56) Ibn 'Abbassaid, 'He did not command these individuals to ask permission other thanat these three times of nakedness.' Then he went on to say, 'The versein Surat an-Nur:57 is: 'Once your children have reached puberty, they shouldask your permission to enter as those before them also asked permission.'"

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

'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr reported that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari asked permissionof 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, but he did not grant him permission. It seemedthat he was busy. Abu Musa came back and 'Umar had finished. He said, "Didn'tI 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, "Wewere commanded to behave like that (i.e. to go away after having askedpermission to enter three times)." 'Umar said, "Bring me a clear proofof 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'idal-Khudri." He went with Abu Sa'id. 'Umar said, "Is something of what themay Allah bless him and grant him peace,, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, commanded hidden from me? Doing business in the markets distractedme," i.e. going out to trade.

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

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

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, said, "If a man looks into your house and you take somepebbles and gouge out his eye, there is no fault in you."

Anas said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,was standing in prayer and a man looked into his room. He took an arrowfrom his quiver and aimed it at his eyes."

Sahl ibn Sa'd told him that a man looked from a room through thedoor of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while theProphet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had a comb with whichhe was scratching his hair. When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, saw him, he said, "If I had known that you were looking at me,I would have stabbed you in the eye with this!"

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Theear is put in the place of the eye."

Anas said, "A man looked through a gap into the room of the Prophet,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah aimedan arrow-head at him, and the man withdrew his head."

'Ubayd ibn Hunayn related to him that Abu Musa said, "I askedpermission three times to come in to 'Umar, but he did not give me permissionand so I went away. He said, ''Abdullah, is it hard on you to be kept waitingat your door.' I said, 'I asked permission from you three times and youdid not give me permission, so I went away (and we were commanded to dothat).' 'Umar said, 'From whom did you hear this?' I replied, 'I heardit from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' 'Umar said,'Did you hear something from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, 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 whowere sitting in the mosque. I asked them and they said, 'Does anyone doubtthis?' I told them what 'Umar had said. They said, 'Only the youngest ofus 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, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, when he was going to Sa'd ibn 'Ubada. Hegave the greeting, but Sa'd did not give permission. Then he greeted hima second time and then a third time, but Sa'd did not give him permission.So the Prophet said, 'We have done what we must.' Then he went back andSa'd caught up to him and said, 'Messenger of Allah! By the One who sentyou 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 thepeople of my house.'" Abu Musa said, "By Allah, I am a guardian of thehadith of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."'Umar said, "Yes, but I wanted to make sure."

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

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, said, "When one of you gives someone an invitation andthe person you invited comes with your messenger, that is his permissionto enter."

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, said, "A man's messenger to another man is his permissionto enter."

Abu'l-'Alaniyya said, "I came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and greetedhim, but he did not give me permission. Then I greeted him again and hedid not give me permission. Then I greeted him a third time, raising myvoice and said, 'Peace be upon you, people of the house,' and he did notgive me permission. Then I went off to one side and sat down. A slave boycame out to me and said, 'Enter.' I entered and Abu Sa'id said to me, 'Ifyou 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 bucketfor fermentation purposes. 'Haram,' he said."

'Abdullah ibn Busr, the Companion of the Prophet, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, said that when the Prophet, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, came to a door when he wanted to ask permission toenter, 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.

Mu'awiya ibn Hudayj said, "I came to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, mayAllah be pleased with him, and asked him for permission to enter. Theytold me, 'Stay where you are until he comes to you.' I sat down near hisdoor." 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, isthis on account of urine?' He replied, 'On account of urine or other things.'"

Anas ibn Malik reported that people knocked on the door of theProphet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, using their fingernails.

Kalda ibn Hanbal reported that Safwan ibn Umayya sent him to theProphet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, during the Conquest ofMakka with some milk, gazelle, and cucumber. (Abu 'Asim said that the meantvegetables.) The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wasat 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 afterSafwan had become Muslim."

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, said, "If someone looks inside, he should notbe given permission to enter."

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

Rib'i ibn Hirash reported that a man of the Banu 'Amir came tothe Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, "Can Icome in?" The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told hisslavegirl, "Go out and say to him,, 'Say, "Peace be upon you. Can I comein?" He is not good at asking permission to enter." The man said, "I heardthat before the slavegirl came out to me and I said, 'Peace be upon you.Can I come in?' Then the Prophet said, 'And on you. Enter!'"

Ibn 'Abbas said, "'Umar asked permission to visit the Prophet,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'Peace be upon the Messengerof Allah! Peace be upon you! Can I come in?'"

Jabir said, "I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, about a debt my father owed. I knocked at thedoor and he asked. 'Who is it?' 'Me,' I replied. He said, 'Me? Me?' asif he disliked that."

Burayda said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, 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 said,'This man has been given one of the flutes of the family of Da'ud.'"

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

Abu Hurayra said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, said, "When the eye enters, permission to enter shouldnot be given."

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

Anas ibn Malik reported that a bedouin came to the house of theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and put hiseye to the crack of the door. Therefore the Prophet took an arrow or asharp stick and aimed it at the bedouin as to gouge out his eye. The manleft and the Prophet said, "If you had stayed, I would have gouged outyour eye."

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

Thawban, the mawla of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, related that the Prophet, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, said, "It is not lawful for a Muslim man to look insidea 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 forsupplication to the exclusion of others. He should not pray while he needsto urinate until he has relieved himself."

Abu Umama reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, Allah is responsible for three:
if they live, they willhave enough, and if they die, they will enter the Garden. Allah Almightyis responsible for whoever enters his house , saying 'Peace'. Allah isresponsible for whoever goes out to the mosque. Allah is responsible forwhoever goes out in the Way of Allah."

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

Jabir reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "When a man enters his house, he should Allah mentionAllah Almighty, both when he enters and he eats. If he does so, Shaytansays (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.'"

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

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

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

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 Hurayraand he came with me. When he was at the door, he asked in Persian, 'Canwe come in?' 'Come in!' she replied.' Then she said, 'Abu Hurayra, if visitorscome to me after 'Isha', should I enter into conversation with them?' Hereplied, 'Converse as long as you have not done the witr prayer. If youhave done the witr, there is no conversation after it.'"