Sunnats and Aadaab of the Home – Part 1

1. When entering the home, then enter the home with making salaam. This will be a means of engendering love among the inmates of the home and a means of barakah entering the home.

عن أنس بن مالك، قال: قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: يا بني إذا دخلت على أهلك فسلم يكون بركة عليك وعلى أهل بيتك. (سنن الترمذي، الرقم: 2698، وقال: هذا حديث حسن غريب)

Hazrat Anas (radhiyallahu anhu) reports: Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) once said to me, “O my beloved son, upon entering your home, greet your family (i.e. the inmates of the home) with salaam. This will be a means of earning blessings for yourself and your family.”

2. When entering the home, one should make salaam even if there is no one present in the home. The salaam which one will make at this time is:

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلٰى عِبَادِ اللهِ الصَّالِحِيْنَ

Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah Ta’ala

عن عبد الله بن عمر قال: إذا دخل البيت غير المسكون فليقل: السلام علينا وعلى عباد الله الصالحين (الأدب المفرد، الرقم: 1055)

It is reported that Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (radhiyallahu anhuma) said, “When a person enters a home wherein no one is present, he should make salaam by saying:

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلٰى عِبَادِ اللهِ الصَّالِحِيْنَ

3. When one enters his home, he should make salaam loudly and make his presence known.

Through making his presence known, if there are people present in his home with whom he should make purdah (e.g. non-mahram women sitting with his wife), then they will know that he is present in the home and they will be able to make purdah from him.

Regarding the importance of making salaam when entering the home, Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahimahullah) mentioned:

Some people enter their homes without greeting the household (e.g. with salaam) and making their presence known to their families. This manner of entering the home is incorrect. It is part of the etiquette of Islam that at the time of entering the home, one enters with making salaam aloud.

The benefit of this teaching is that the wife and the inmates of the house will be able to make themselves presentable if they are not in a state in which they wish to be seen.

Similarly, it is possible that there could be non-mahram women of the locality present in the home, and without informing them of one’s presence, one’s sight could fall on them.

It is for this reason that Shari’ah teaches us to make our presence known at the time of entering the home. (i.e. through salaam).

(Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 1/210)

4. Recite the masnoon dua when entering the home:

Dua One

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّى أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ الْمَوْلِجِ وَخَيْرَ الْمَخْرَجِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَلَجْنَا وَبِسْمِ اللَّهِ خَرَجْنَا وَعَلَى الله رَبِّنَا تَوَكَّلْنَا

O Allah! I ask You for a good entry and a good exit (i.e. to make my entry in my home be a good entry and my exiting my home be a good exit). With the name of Allah Ta’ala do we enter, and with the name of Allah Ta’ala do we exit, and only upon Allah Ta’ala, who is our Lord, do we place our complete trust.

عن أبى مالك الأشعرى قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا ولج الرجل فى بيته فليقل اللهم إنى أسألك خير المولج وخير المخرج بسم الله ولجنا وبسم الله خرجنا وعلى الله ربنا توكلنا ثم ليسلم على أهله. (سنن أبي داود، الرقم: 5098)

Hazrat Abu Maalik Ashari (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “When one enters his home, he should recite the following dua and thereafter he should make salaam to his household:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّى أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ الْمَوْلِجِ وَخَيْرَ الْمَخْرَجِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَلَجْنَا وَبِسْمِ اللَّهِ خَرَجْنَا وَعَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّنَا تَوَكَّلْنَا

عن جابر بن عبد الله أنه سمع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول إذا دخل الرجل بيته فذكر الله عند دخوله وعند طعامه قال الشيطان لا مبيت لكم ولا عشاء وإذا دخل فلم يذكر الله عند دخوله قال الشيطان أدركتم المبيت وإذا لم يذكر الله عند طعامه قال أدركتم المبيت والعشاء (صحيح مسلم، الرقم: 2018)

Hazrat Jaabir (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that he heard Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) saying: “When a person enters his home and takes the name of Allah Ta’ala at the time of entering and the time of eating, then Shaytaan says (to the other Shayaateen), ‘There is no place here for you to spend the night, nor any food.’ If he enters and did not take the name of Allah Ta’ala at the time of entering, Shaytaan says, ‘You have found a place to spend the night’, and if he did not take the name of Allah Ta’ala at the time of eating, he says ‘You have found a place to spend the night and you have found your food (meal).”

Dua Two

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِي كَفَانِي وَآوَانِي، الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي وَسَقَانِي، الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِي مَنَّ عَلَيَّ فَأَفْضَلَ، أَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تُجِيرَنِي مِنَ النَّارِ

All praise is due to Allah Ta’ala who has sufficed me (and taken care of all my needs) and granted me shelter (and a place to reside). All praise is due to Allah Ta’ala who has fed me and provided me with drink. All praise is due to Allah Ta’ala who has favoured me with bounties and granted me bounties in abundance (more than the bounties he granted to many of His other servants). (O Allah), I ask You to save me from the fire of Jahannum (i.e. just as You have favoured me in this world, also favour me in the Hereafter by granting me Jannah and saving me from the fire of Jahannum).

عن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص، رضي الله عنهما قال: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا رجع من النهار إلى بيته يقول: الحمد لله الذي كفاني وآواني، الحمد لله الذي أطعمني وسقاني، الحمد لله الذي من علي فأفضل، أسألك أن تجيرني من النار (عمل اليوم والليلة لابن السني، الرقم: 158)

Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr bin Aas (radhiyallahu anhuma) reports that when Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) would return home during the day, he would recite the following dua:

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِي كَفَانِي وَآوَانِي، الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي وَسَقَانِي، الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِي مَنَّ عَلَيَّ فَأَفْضَلَ، أَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تُجِيرَنِي مِنَ النَّارِ

5. It is reported in the Hadith that the one who upon entering his home makes salaam, then recites durood upon Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), and recites Surah Ikhlaas once, Allah Ta’ala will cause barakah to enter his home and Allah Ta’ala will remove poverty from his home.

عن سهل بن سعد رضي الله عنه قال: جاء رجل إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فشكا إليه الفقر وضيق العيش أو المعاش فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا دخلت منزلك فسلم إن كان فيه أحد أو لم يكن فيه أحد ثم سلم علي واقرأ قل هو الله أحد مرة واحدة ففعل الرجل فأدَرَّ الله عليه الرزق حتى أفاض على جيرانه وقراباته (أبو موسى المديني وسنده ضعيف كما في القول البديع صـ 279)

Hazrat Sahl bin Sa’d (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that on one occasion, a Sahaabi came to Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and complained of poverty and difficulty in earning a livelihood. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said to this Sahaabi, “When you enter your home then make salaam, regardless of whether there is anyone in the home or not. Thereafter, send salaam upon me and recite Qul-Huwallah (Surah Ikhlaas) once.” The Sahaabi did as instructed by Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), and Allah Ta’ala blessed him with such abundant sustenance that he even began to spend upon his neighbours and relatives.