Asking Permission

كتاب الاستئذان

Chapter 14: If a man is invited, should he ask permission to enter

Said said on the authority of Qatada, on the authority of Abu Rafi, on the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the authority of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, who said, “He is his permission.”
Narrated Abu Huraira

I entered (the house) along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . There he found milk in a basin. He said, "O Abu Hirr! Go and call the people of Suffa to me." I went to them and invited them. They came and asked permission to enter, and when it was given, they entered. (See Hadith No. 459 for details)

Chapter 15: To greet the boys

Narrated Anas bin Malik

that he passed by a group of boys and greeted them and said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) used to do so."

Chapter 16: Greeting of men to women, and women to men

Narrated Abu Hazim

Sahl said, "We used to feel happy on Fridays." I asked Sahl, "Why?" He said, "There was an old woman of our acquaintance who used to send somebody to Buda'a (Ibn Maslama said, "Buda'a was a garden of date-palms at Medina). She used to pull out the silq (a kind of vegetable) from its roots and put it in a cooking pot, adding some powdered barley over it (and cook it). After finishing the Jumua (Friday) prayer we used to (pass by her and) greet her, whereupon she would present us with that meal, so we used to feel happy because of that. We used to have neither a midday nap, nor meals, except after the Friday prayer." (See Hadith No. 60, Vol.2)

Narrated `Aisha

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O `Aisha! This is Gabriel sending his greetings to you." I said, "Peace, and Allah's Mercy be on him (Gabriel). You see what we do not see." (She was addressing Allah's Apostle).

Chapter 17: Asking, "Who is that?"

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.

Chapter 18: To reply a greeting saying, "Alaikas-Salam"

Aisha said to him the peace and mercy of God and his blessing. And the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “The angels respond to Adam Al -Salam, and the mercy of God.”
Narrated Abu Huraira

A man entered the mosque while Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was sitting in one side of the mosque. The man prayed, came, and greeted the Prophet. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to him, "Wa 'Alaikas Salam (returned his greeting). Go back and pray as you have not prayed (properly)." The man returned, repeated his prayer, came back and greeted the Prophet. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Wa alaika-s-Salam (returned his greeting). Go back and pray again as you have not prayed (properly)." The man said at the second or third time, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Kindly teach me how to pray". The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When you stand for prayer, perform ablution properly and then face the Qibla and say Takbir (Allahu-Akbar), and then recite what you know from the Qur'an, and then bow with calmness till you feel at ease then rise from bowing, till you stand straight, and then prostrate calmly (and remain in prostration) till you feel at ease, and then raise (your head) and sit with calmness till you feel at ease and then prostrate with calmness (and remain in prostration) till you feel at ease, and then raise (your head) and sit with calmness till you feel at ease in the sitting position, and do likewise in whole of your prayer." And Abu Usama added, "Till you stand straight." (See Hadith No. 759, Vol.1)

Narrated Abu Huraira

The Prophet (ﷺ) said (in the above narration No. 268), "And then raise your head till you feel at ease while sitting. "

Chapter 19: If one says, "So-and-so sends Salam to you"

Narrated `Aisha

That the Prophet (ﷺ) said to her, "Gabriel sends Salam (greetings) to you." She replied, "Wa 'alaihi-s- Salam Wa Rahmatu-l-lah." (Peace and Allah's Mercy be on him).

Chapter 20: Greeting a mix-up gathering

Narrated `Urwa-bin Az-Zubair

Usama bin Zaid said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) rode over a donkey with a saddle underneath which there was a thick soft Fadakiya velvet sheet. Usama bin Zaid was his companion rider, and he was going to pay a visit to Sa`d bin Ubada (who was sick) at the dwelling place of Bani Al-Harith bin Al-Khazraj, and this incident happened before the battle of Badr. The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by a gathering in which there were Muslims and pagan idolators and Jews, and among them there was `Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul, and there was `Abdullah bin Rawaha too. When a cloud of dust raised by the animal covered that gathering, `Abdullah bin Ubai covered his nose with his Rida (sheet) and said (to the Prophet), "Don't cover us with dust." The Prophet (ﷺ) greeted them and then stopped, dismounted and invited them to Allah (i.e., to embrace Islam) and also recited to them the Holy Qur'an. `Abdullah bin Ubai' bin Salul said, "O man! There is nothing better than what you say, if what you say is the truth. So do not trouble us in our gatherings. Go back to your mount (or house,) and if anyone of us comes to you, tell (your tales) to him." On that `Abdullah bin Rawaha said, "(O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!) Come to us and bring it(what you want to say) in our gatherings, for we love that." So the Muslims, the pagans and the Jews started quarreling till they were about to fight and clash with one another. The Prophet (ﷺ) kept on quietening them (till they all became quiet). He then rode his animal, and proceeded till he entered upon Sa`d bin 'Ubada, he said, "O Sa`d, didn't you hear what Abu Habbab said? (He meant `Abdullah bin Ubai). He said so-and-so." Sa`d bin 'Ubada said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Excuse and forgive him, for by Allah, Allah has given you what He has given you. The people of this town decided to crown him (as their chief) and make him their king. But when Allah prevented that with the Truth which He had given you, it choked him, and that was what made him behave in the way you saw him behaving." So the Prophet excused him.

Chapter 21: He who does not greet a person who has committed a sin

Abdullah bin Amr said, "Do not surrender to the drink of wine."
Narrated `Abdullah bin Ka`b

I heard Ka`b bin Malik narrating (when he did not join the battle of Tabuk): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade all the Muslims to speak to us. I would come to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and greet him, and I would wonder whether the Prophet (ﷺ) did move his lips to return to my greetings or not till fifty nights passed away. The Prophet (ﷺ) then announced (to the people) Allah's forgiveness for us (acceptance of our repentance) at the time when he had offered the Fajr (morning) prayer.

Chapter 22: How to return the greeting of Dhimmi

Narrated `Aisha

A group of Jews came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "As-samu 'Alaika " (Death be on you), and I understood it and said to them, "Alaikum AsSamu wa-l-la'na (Death and curse be on you)." Allah's Apostle said, "Be calm! O `Aisha, for Allah loves that one should be kind and lenient in all matters." I said. "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Haven't you heard what they have said?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "I have (already) said (to them), 'Alaikum (upon you).' "

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When the Jews greet you, they usually say, 'As-Samu 'alaikum (Death be on you),' so you should say (in reply to them), 'Wa'alaikum (And on you).

Narrated Anas bin Malik

the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If the people of the Scripture greet you, then you should say (in reply), 'Wa'alaikum (And on you).' "

Chapter 23: The one who looks at a letter in order to know its written contents

Narrated `Ali

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent me, Az-Zubair bin Al-Awwam and Abu Marthad Al-Ghanawi, and all of us were horsemen, and he said, "Proceed till you reach Rawdat Khakh, where there is a woman from the pagans carrying a letter sent by Hatib bin Abi Balta'a to the pagans (of Mecca)." So we overtook her while she was proceeding on her camel at the same place as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) told us. We said (to her) "Where is the letter which is with you?" She said, "I have no letter with me." So we made her camel kneel down and searched her mount (baggage etc) but could not find anything. My two companions said, "We do not see any letter." I said, "I know that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not tell a lie. By Allah, if you (the lady) do not bring out the letter, I will strip you of your clothes' When she noticed that I was serious, she put her hand into the knot of her waist sheet, for she was tying a sheet round herself, and brought out the letter. So we proceeded to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) with the letter. The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to Habib), "What made you o what you have done, O Hatib?" Hatib replied, "I have done nothing except that I believe in Allah and His Apostle, and I have not changed or altered (my religion). But I wanted to do the favor to the people (pagans of Mecca) through which Allah might protect my family and my property, as there is none among your companions but has someone in Mecca through whom Allah protects his property (against harm). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Habib has told you the truth, so do not say to him (anything) but good." `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "Verily he has betrayed Allah, His Apostle, and the believers! Allow me to chop his neck off!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O `Umar! What do you know; perhaps Allah looked upon the Badr warriors and said, 'Do whatever you like, for I have ordained that you will be in Paradise.'" On that `Umar wept and said, "Allah and His Apostle know best."

Chapter 24: How to write a letter to the people of the Scripture

Narrated Abu Sufyan bin Harb

that Heraclius had sent for him to come along with a group of the Quraish who were trading in Sha'm, and they came to him. Then Abu Sufyan mentioned the whole narration and said, "Heraclius asked for the letter of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . When the letter was read, its contents were as follows: 'In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. From Muhammad, Allah's slave and His Apostle to Heraclius, the Chief of Byzantines: Peace be upon him who follows the right path (guidance)! Amma ba'du (to proceed )...' (See Hadith No 6, Vol 1 for details)

Chapter 25: Whose name is to be written first in a letter

Narrated Abu Hurairah (ra)

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) mentioned a person from Bani Israel who took a piece of wood, made a hole in it, and put therein one thousand Dinar and letter from him to his friend. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "(That man) cut a piece of wood and put the money inside it and wrote a letter from such and such a person to such and such a person."

Chapter 26: "Get up for your chief!"

Narrated Abu Sa`id

The people of (the tribe of) Quraiza agreed upon to accept the verdict of Sa`d. The Prophet (ﷺ) sent for him (Sa`d) and he came. The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to those people), "Get up for your chief or the best among you!" Sa`d sat beside the Prophet (ﷺ) and the Prophet (ﷺ) said (to him), "These people have agreed to accept your verdict." Sa`d said, "So I give my judgment that their warriors should be killed and their women and children should be taken as captives." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You have judged according to the King's (Allah's) judgment." (See Hadith No. 447, Vol. 5)

Chapter 27: Shaking hands

Ibn Masoud said, “The Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, taught me, and suffice between his sufficiency. And he said, as the son of Malik, I entered the mosque, so when the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him I am.
Narrated Qatada

I asked Anas, "Was it a custom of the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) to shake hands with one another?" He said, "Yes."

Narrated `Abdullah bin Hisham

We were in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) and he was holding the hand of `Umar bin Al-Khattab.

Chapter 28: The shaking of hands with both the hands

Hammad bin Zaid shook hands with Ibn Al -Mubarak in his hand.
Narrated Ibn Mas`ud

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) taught me the Tashah-hud as he taught me a Sura from the Qur'an, while my hand was between his hands. (Tashah-hud was) all the best compliments and the prayers and the good things are for Allah. Peace and Allah's Mercy and Blessings be on you, O Prophet! Peace be on us and on the pious slaves of Allah, I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and I also testify that Muhammad is Allah's slave and His Apostle. (We used to recite this in the prayer) during the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) , but when he had died, we used to say, "Peace be on the Prophet."