"O you who have believed, do not enter houses other than your own houses until you ascertain welcome and greet their inhabitants. That is best for you; perhaps you will be reminded."
[Al-Nur 24:27]
The meaning of the former part of the verse is; Do not enter other people’s houses until you are sure of their affection and regard for yourself. In other words, you should make sure that your entry in the house is not disagreeable to the inmates and you are sure of a welcome.
According to the Arab custom of the pre-Islamic days, people would enter each other’s house freely without permission just by pronouncing good morning or good evening. This unannounced entry sometimes violated the privacy of the people and their women folk. Allah enjoined the principle that everybody has a right to privacy in his own house and no one is entitled to force his entry unannounced and without permission of the inmates. The rules and regulations enforced by the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) in society on receipt of the above commandment are given below serially.
(1) The right of privacy was not merely confined to the question of entry in the houses, but it was declared as a common right according to which it is forbidden to peep into a house, glance from outside, or even read the other person’s letter without his permission. According to Thauban, who was a freed slave of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam), the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) said: When you have already cast a look into a house, what is then the sense in seeking permission for entry? (Abu Daud).
Huzail bin Shurahbil has reported that a man came to see the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) and sought permission for entry while standing just in front of the door. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) said to him: Stand aside: the object of the commandment for seeking permission is to prevent casting of looks inside the house. (Abu Daud).
The practice of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) was that whenever he went to see somebody, he would stand aside, to the right or the left of the door, and seek permission as it was not then usual to hang curtains on the doors. (Abu Daud).
According to Abdullah bin Abbas, the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) said: Whoever glances through the letter of his brother without his permission, glances into fire. (Abu Daud).
According to Muslim and Bukhari, the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) is reported to have said: If someone peeps into your house, it will be no sin if you injure his eye with a piece of stone. This expression shows the strict prhibition of glancing into other's house without seeking permission. The jurists have included hearing also under glancing. For instance, if a blind man enters a house without permission, he will not be able to see anybody, but he will certainly be able to hear whatever is going on in the house. This also amounts to violation of the other person’s right of privacy.
(3) The command to seek permission is not only applicable in cases where a person wants to enter the other people's houses, but it also applies to entry in the house of one’s own mother or sister. A man asked the Prophet: Should I seek permission to enter my mother’s house also? The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) replied that he should. It is related by the wife of Abdullah Bin Masud (RA) Zainab that Abdullah bin Masud would always announce his arrival by coughing, etc. and never liked that he should enter the house unannounced all of a sudden. (Ibn Jarir).
(4) The only exception to the general rule is that no permission is needed in case of an emergency or a calamity like theft, fire, etc. One can go for help without permission in such cases.
(5) In the beginning when the system of seeking permission was introduced, people did not know the exact procedure to be followed. Once a man came to the Prophet’s (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) house and shouted at the door: Should I be in? The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) said to his maid servant, Roudah: Go and instruct him about the correct way. He should say: Assalam-o-alaikum (salAllahu alayhi wasallam): May I come in? (Ibn Jarir, Abu Daud).
Jabir bin Abdullah says that once he went to the Prophet’s (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) house in connection with certain liabilities of his father and knocked at the door. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) asked: Who is it? I replied: It’s me. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) thereupon repeated twice or thrice: It’s me, it’s me! That is, how can one understand from this, who you are? (Abu Daud).
A man named Kaladah bin Hanbal went to see the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) and got seated without the customary salutation. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) told him to go out and come in again after calling: Assalamo- alaikum (salAllahu alayhi wasallam). (Abu Daud).
Thus, the correct method of seeking permission was to disclose one’s identity first and then ask for permission. It is related that whenever Umar went to see the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam), he would say: Assalam-o-alaikum ya Rasul-Allah, I am Umar: May I enter! (Abu Daud).
The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) enjoined that permission should be asked thrice at the most. If there is no reply even at the third call, one should go back. (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dud).
The same was his own practice. Once he went to the house of Saad bin Ubadah and sought permission twice after greeting with: Assalam-o-alaikum wa Rahmatullah (peace be upon you and mercy of Allah), but there was no response. After calling for the third time when he received no response, he turned back. Saad came out running from the house, and said: O Messenger of Allah, I was hearing you all right, but I desired to have Allah’s peace and mercy invoked upon me through your sacred tongue as often as possible; therefore, I was replying to you in a low voice. (Abu Dud, Ahmad).
The three calls as enjoined above should not be made in quick succession, but at suitable intervals so as to allow sufficient time to the inmates to make the response in case they are not free to do so.
(6) The permission for entry should come from the master of the house himself or from some other reliable inmate like a servant or a responsible person, who gives permission on behalf of the master. One should not enter the house on the word of a mere child.
(7) Undue insistence for permission to enter or to keep standing at the door obstinately even after refusal, is not permissible. If no entry is permitted even after three calls, or the master refuses to see, one should go back.
At the end of the verse, Allah calls this command a reminder. In another verse, Allah says,
"And remind. For indeed, the reminder benefits the believers."
[Qur'an 51:55]
Things we learnt:
> It is not permissible for a believer to enter a house which is not his own until the inhabitants allow and acknowledge it.
> It is not allowed to take a glance in someone's house unless invited inside and same goes for hearing i.e one should not eavesdrop.
> To enter someone's house, one should first say greetings, then introduce himself and do so three times in case of no reply. If there is still no reply, he should go back. Or if the owner of the house refuses to let the person in, he should go back as well without causing a tantrum.
> While saying greeting (knocking and introducing by name), one should stand beside the door and not next to the door.
> Such are the measures of privacy in Islam which purify the heart and prevent evil from entering in.
May Allah guide us to the right path.
Ameen.
Wama alayna illal balaghul mubeen.
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O You Who Believe
SpiritualIn the name of Allah, The Most Beneficient, The Most Merciful. Here, we will discuss the number of times Allah has directly referred to the Believers in the Qur'an and the orders He has directly betided upon us.
