Etiquettes Of Entering And Leaving The House

Remember Allah when entering the house

Jabir Ibn. Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

When a person enters his house and mentions the name of Allah at the time of entering it and while eating the food, Satan says (addressing himself: You have no place to spend the night and no evening meal; but when he enters without mentioning the name of Allah, the Satan says: You have found a place to spend the night, and when he does not mention the name of Allah while eating food, he (the Satan) says: You have found a place to spend the night and evening meal. (Muslim)

Note: The Hadith above mentions to say بِسْمِ اللهِ Bismillah (in the name of Allah) when entering one’s house and eating. Doing so will prevent the Devil from entering the house and eating the food. If the individual does not mention the name of Allah when entering and eating, the Devil will have a place to stay and food to eat.

Recite the following supplication when entering the house

Narrated AbuMalik Al-Ash'ari: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When a man goes into his house, he should say:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ الْمَوْلِجِ وَخَيْرَ الْمَخْرَجِ بِسْمِ اللهِ وَلَجْنَا وَبِسْمِ اللهِ خَرَجْنَا وَعَلَى اللهِ رَبِّنَا تَوَكَّلْنَا 

“O Allah! I ask you for good both when entering and when going out; in the name of Allah we have entered, and in the name of Allah we have gone out, and in Allah our Lord do we trust."

He should then greet (give Salaam) his family. Narrated by Abi Dawud

Or you can recite the one bellow:

بِسْمِ اللهِ وَلَجْنَا وَبِسْمِ اللهِ خَرَجْنَا وَعَلَى اللهِ رَبِّنَا تَوَكَّلْنَ

Give Salam when entering the house

Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala said:

“...But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah (i.e As-Salamu Alaikum (Peace be on you)),  blessed and good…” (24:61)

It is narrated by Anas in At-Tirmidhi that: 

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: 'O my little son! When you enter upon your family then give the Salam, it will be a blessing for you and upon the inhabitants of your house.” 

When entering the house, enter with the right foot

It was narrated in Muslim and Bukhari by Aisha (RA) that “The Prophet (ﷺ) used to start everything from the right (for good things) whenever it was possible in all his affairs; for example: in washing, combing or wearing shoes.” 

Note: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is our true role model, and we should strive to follow his Sunnah (teachings and practices) and avoid what he prohibited.

Use a Siwak

According to the narrations in Muslim and Abi Dawud, Aisha (RA), the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), was asked about the Prophet's (ﷺ) routine upon entering his home. She replied that he would begin by using a siwak (tooth-stick).

When leaving the house recite the following supplication

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْـتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُـوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ

“In the Name of Allah, I have placed my trust in Allah, there is no might and no power except by Allah.”

Whoever say the supplication above when leaving his house, it will be said to him “You have been sufficed and protected, and Shaitan will become distant from him” (At-Tirmidhi)

Another narrated in Abi Dawud

اَللَّهُـمَّ إِنِّي أَعُـوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَضِـلَّ أَوْ أُضَـلَّ، أَوْ أَزِلَّ أَوْ أُزَلَّ، أَوْ أَظْلِـمَ أَوْ أَُظْلَـمَ، أَوْ أَجْهَلَ أَوْ يُـجْهَلَ عَلَـيَّ

“O Allah, I seek refuge in You lest I misguide others, or I am misguided by others, lest I cause others to err or I am caused to err, lest I abuse others or be abused, and lest I behave foolishly or meet with the foolishness of others.” 

Some practical tips:

As Muslims, we enter our homes multiple times each day. Let us make a conscious effort to practice the Sunnah associated with entering and leaving our dwellings. By incorporating these practices into our daily lives, we invite barakah (blessings), guidance, and protection into our homes. I have placed the dua (supplication) for leaving the house on the inside of my door and the dua for entering on the outside. This visual reminder helps me to recite these supplications each time I leave or enter, and it also serves as a reminder for guests.

• When leaving or entering the house, gently close or lock the door. Do not slam it. Be mindful of those around you and your neighbors.
• When entering the house, make your presence known by giving salam, announcing your presence, clearing your throat, or even tapping your shoes.
• When you ask permission to enter a house and you are asked who is-it? Do not just say it is me, say your name. Narrated Jabir: “I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) in order to consult him regarding my father's debt. When I knocked on the door, he asked, "Who is that?" I replied, "I" He said, "I, I?" He repeated it as if he disliked it.” (Bukhari)
• When knocking on someone's door, be respectful of their privacy. Knock gently and wait a reasonable amount of time before knocking again. They may be busy, praying, using the restroom, or even sleeping. If there's no response after a few knocks, simply leave. Avoid peeking through the door or windows. If you live in the house, give the person some time or call them on the phone. Avoid banging on the door aggressively, as this can disturb others. It is narrated in Bukhari by Anas that “Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) asked permission to enter, he knocked the door thrice with greeting and whenever he spoke a sentence (said a thing) he used to repeat it thrice.”