Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Chapters on Seeking Permission
كتاب الاستئذان والآداب عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
Chapter 1
مَا جَاءَ فِي إِفْشَاءِ السَّلاَمِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘By the One in whose hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not truly believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you something that, if you do it, will make you love one another? Spread greetings of peace (salam) among yourselves.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith is hasan sahih.’ Reports on this topic are also related from ‘Abdullah ibn Salam, Shurayh ibn Hani’ from his father, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, al-Bara’, Anas, and Ibn ‘Umar.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The conditional sequence is preserved: entry into Paradise is linked to faith, faith to mutual love, and spreading salam as a means of cultivating that love.
Chapter 2
مَا ذُكِرَ فِي فَضْلِ السَّلاَمِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Imran ibn Husayn reports that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, ‘Peace be upon you.’ The Prophet said, ‘Ten.’ Another man came and said, ‘Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah.’ The Prophet said, ‘Twenty.’ Then another came and said, ‘Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.’ The Prophet said, ‘Thirty.’
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan sahih gharib hadith through this route. There are reports on this topic from ‘Ali, Abu Sa‘id, and Sahl ibn Hunayf.
Chapter 3
مَا جَاءَ فِي الاِسْتِئْذَانِ ثَلاَثَةً
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Sa‘id reported: Abu Musa sought permission to enter upon ‘Umar, saying, ‘Peace be upon you; may I come in?’ ‘Umar said, ‘One.’ Abu Musa was silent for a while, then said, ‘Peace be upon you; may I come in?’ ‘Umar said, ‘Two.’ He was silent for a while, then said, ‘Peace be upon you; may I come in?’ ‘Umar said, ‘Three.’ Abu Musa then left. ‘Umar asked the gatekeeper what he had done. The gatekeeper said, ‘He left.’ ‘Umar said, ‘Bring him to me.’ When Abu Musa came, ‘Umar asked, ‘What was this you did?’ He replied, ‘The Sunnah.’ ‘The Sunnah?’ ‘Umar said. ‘By Allah, you must bring me proof or a witness for this, or I will take action against you.’
Abu Musa then came to a group of the Ansar and said, ‘O assembly of the Ansar, are you not the most knowledgeable people about the hadiths of Allah’s Messenger? Did Allah’s Messenger not say, “Seeking permission is three times; if you are given permission, enter; otherwise, go back”?’ The people began joking with him. Abu Sa‘id said: I then raised my head toward him and said, ‘Whatever punishment you receive in this matter, I will share it with you.’ Abu Musa went to ‘Umar and told him, and ‘Umar said, ‘I did not know of this.’
There are reports on this topic from ‘Ali and Umm Tariq, the freedwoman of Sa‘d. Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan sahih hadith. Al-Jurayri’s name was Sa‘id ibn Iyas, and he was kunyah’d Abu Mas‘ud. Others also transmitted it from Abu Nadr, whose name was al-Mundhir ibn Malik ibn Quta‘ah.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic explicitly says that if permission is granted, one may enter; otherwise one should leave. The supplied English witness appears to corrupt this clause.
The Arabic says ‘Umar threatened to require proof or a witness and otherwise act against Abu Musa; the wording ‘this or that’ in the English witness is vague.
The source adds the other-topic narrations, grading, and biographical identifications, which are included here.
The wording ‘the people began joking with him’ follows the Arabic; the report does not explain their intent.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibn ‘Abbas reported that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said: ‘I sought permission to enter upon Allah’s Messenger three times, and he granted me permission.’
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan gharib hadith. Abu Zumayl’s name was Simak al-Hanafi. ‘Umar’s objection to Abu Musa, as we understand it, was because Abu Musa narrated from the Prophet: “Seeking permission is three times; if you are given permission, enter; otherwise, go back.” ‘Umar himself had sought permission to enter upon the Prophet three times and was granted permission, but he had not known the statement Abu Musa narrated from the Prophet—that if permission is not granted, one should go back.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The explanatory closing passage in the Arabic is included; it explains that ‘Umar had not previously known the full rule narrated by Abu Musa.
Chapter 4
مَا جَاءَ كَيْفَ رَدُّ السَّلاَمِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurayrah reported: A man entered the mosque while Allah’s Messenger was sitting in one part of it. The man prayed, then came and greeted him. Allah’s Messenger said, ‘And upon you. Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.’ The narrator then related the hadith in full.
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan hadith. Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qattan transmitted this from ‘Ubayd Allah ibn ‘Umar, from Sa‘id al-Maqburi, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah. In his version he did not mention that the man greeted the Prophet or that he replied, ‘And upon you.’ Abu ‘Isa said: The hadith of Yahya ibn Sa‘id is more authentic.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The source signals that the longer prayer report is related in full elsewhere; this excerpt includes only its opening and the transmitter’s comparison of variants.
Chapter 5
مَا جَاءَ فِي تَبْلِيغِ السَّلاَمِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Salamah reported that ‘A’ishah told him that Allah’s Messenger said to her, ‘Jibril sends you greetings of peace.’ She replied, ‘And upon him be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.’
There is also a report on this topic from a man of Banu Numayr, from his father, from his grandfather. Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan sahih hadith. Al-Zuhri also transmitted it from Abu Salamah, from ‘A’ishah.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic specifies that Jibril sends ‘A’ishah greetings of peace (yuqri’uki al-salam); this has been rendered idiomatically.
Chapter 6
مَا جَاءَ فِي فَضْلِ الَّذِي يَبْدَأُ بِالسَّلاَمِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Umamah reported: It was asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, when two men meet, which of them should begin with the greeting of peace?’ He replied, ‘The one who is more entitled to Allah.’
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan hadith. Muhammad said: Abu Farwah al-Rahawi’s hadith is acceptable, except that his son Muhammad ibn Yazid narrates objectionable reports from him.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The phrase awlahuma billah is rendered literally as ‘more entitled to Allah’; the Arabic does not specify a further explanation in this excerpt.
Chapter 7
مَا جَاءَ فِي كَرَاهِيَةِ إِشَارَةِ الْيَدِ بِالسَّلاَمِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, from his father, from his grandfather, reported that Allah’s Messenger said: ‘He is not one of us who imitates people other than us. Do not imitate the Jews or the Christians: the Jews’ greeting is a gesture with the fingers, and the Christians’ greeting is a gesture with the palms.’
Abu ‘Isa said: This hadith has a weak chain of transmission. Ibn al-Mubarak transmitted this hadith from Ibn Lahi‘ah but did not attribute it to the Prophet.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic says “gesture with the palms” (al-akuff); the supplied English witness narrows this to waving the hand.
The report is explicitly graded weak, and the source notes a version from Ibn al-Mubarak that is not raised to the Prophet.
Chapter 8
مَا جَاءَ فِي التَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى الصِّبْيَانِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Sayyar reported: I was walking with Thabit al-Bunani when he passed some boys and greeted them. Thabit said, ‘I was with Anas when he passed some boys and greeted them. Anas said, “I was with Allah’s Messenger when he passed some boys and greeted them.”’
Abu ‘Isa said: This hadith is sahih. More than one transmitter narrated it from Thabit, and it has also been transmitted from Anas through more than one route. Qutaybah narrated from Ja‘far ibn Sulayman, from Thabit, from Anas, from the Prophet, a report similar to it.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The supplied English witness omits Abu ‘Isa’s grading and the additional chain at the end; both are included from the Arabic.
Chapter 9
مَا جَاءَ فِي التَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Asma’ bint Yazid reported: One day, Allah’s Messenger passed through the mosque while a group of women were sitting there. He gestured to them with his hand in greeting. ‘Abd al-Hamid, one of the narrators, demonstrated the gesture with his hand.
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan hadith. Ahmad ibn Hanbal said there was no problem with the hadith of ‘Abd al-Hamid ibn Bahram from Shahr ibn Hawshab. Muhammad ibn Isma‘il said: Shahr’s hadith is good; he considered him reliable and said that only Ibn ‘Awn had spoken critically of him. Muhammad then narrated from Hilal ibn Abi Zaynab, from Shahr ibn Hawshab. Abu Dawud al-Masahifi al-Balkhi informed us: al-Nadr ibn Shumayl reported from Ibn ‘Awn that Shahr had been criticized. Abu Dawud said: Al-Nadr explained that they had abandoned him—that is, they had criticized him—and they criticized him only because he had held an official position for the ruler.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The source records differing assessments of Shahr ibn Hawshab and an explanation that criticism arose from his service in government. The supplied English witness omits all these comments; they are included here.
Chapter 10
مَا جَاءَ فِي التَّسْلِيمِ إِذَا دَخَلَ بَيْتَهُ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Anas ibn Malik reported that Allah’s Messenger said to him: ‘My dear son, when you enter your home, greet your family with peace; it will be a blessing for you and the people of your household.’
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan gharib hadith.
Chapter 11
مَا جَاءَ فِي السَّلاَمِ قَبْلَ الْكَلاَمِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah reported that Allah’s Messenger said: ‘The greeting of peace comes before conversation.’
With this same chain, the Prophet is reported to have said: ‘Do not invite anyone to a meal until he has greeted you with peace.’ Abu ‘Isa said: This is a munkar hadith; we know it only through this route. I heard Muhammad say: ‘Anbasah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman is weak in hadith and abandoned, and Muhammad ibn Zadhan is munkar al-hadith.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic uses the greeting formula (salam) in both statements, rather than ‘peace’ in a general sense. The source strongly criticizes this chain and its transmitters.
Chapter 12
مَا جَاءَ فِي التَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurayrah reported that Allah’s Messenger said: ‘Do not be the first to greet the Jews or the Christians with peace. When you meet one of them on the road, make him take the narrowest part of it.’
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan sahih hadith.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The road instruction is rendered closely to the Arabic, which says to make them take the narrowest part. This wording should not be treated as a broader statement than the report itself.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘A’ishah reported: A group of Jews came to the Prophet and said, ‘Death be upon you.’ The Prophet replied, ‘And upon you.’ ‘A’ishah said, ‘I said: “Rather, may death and the curse be upon you!”’ The Prophet said, ‘‘A’ishah, Allah loves gentleness in every matter.’ She asked, ‘Did you not hear what they said?’ He replied, ‘I said, “And upon you.”’
There are reports on this topic from Abu Basrah al-Ghifari, Ibn ‘Umar, Anas, and Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Juhani. Abu ‘Isa said: The hadith of ‘A’ishah is hasan sahih.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The visitors use al-sam (‘death’), a word resembling al-salam (‘peace’); the Prophet replies with the concise ‘and upon you.’ The grading and corroborating reports are included from the Arabic.
Chapter 13
مَا جَاءَ فِي السَّلاَمِ عَلَى مَجْلِسٍ فِيهِ الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَغَيْرُهُمْ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Usamah ibn Zayd reported that the Prophet passed by a gathering in which Muslims and Jews were intermingled, and greeted them with peace.
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan sahih hadith.
Chapter 14
مَا جَاءَ فِي تَسْلِيمِ الرَّاكِبِ عَلَى الْمَاشِي
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Al-Hasan reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said: ‘The rider greets the one walking, the one walking greets the one sitting, and the smaller group greets the larger group.’ Ibn al-Muthanna added in his version: ‘And the young greet the elderly.’
There are reports on this topic from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Shibl, Fadalah ibn ‘Ubayd, and Jabir. Abu ‘Isa said: This hadith has been transmitted from Abu Hurayrah through more than one route. Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, Yunus ibn ‘Ubayd, and ‘Ali ibn Zayd said that al-Hasan did not hear from Abu Hurayrah.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The transmission chain cites al-Hasan from Abu Hurayrah, but the source records several scholars’ view that al-Hasan did not hear from him.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Hammam ibn Munabbih reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said: ‘The young greet the elderly, the passerby greets the one sitting, and the smaller group greets the larger group.’
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan sahih hadith.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Fadalah ibn ‘Ubayd reported that Allah’s Messenger said: ‘The rider greets the one walking, the one walking greets the one standing, and the smaller group greets the larger group.’
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan sahih hadith. Abu ‘Ali al-Janbi’s name was ‘Amr ibn Malik. Abu Hani’s name was Humayd ibn Hani’ al-Khawlani.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The source identifies both Abu ‘Ali al-Janbi and Abu Hani by name; these details are included although the English witness omits them.
Chapter 15
مَا جَاءَ فِي التَّسْلِيمِ عِنْدَ الْقِيَامِ وَعِنْدَ الْقُعُودِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurayrah reported that Allah’s Messenger said: ‘When one of you comes to a gathering, let him greet those present. If he then wishes to sit, let him sit. When he gets up to leave, let him greet them again; the first greeting is no more deserving than the last.’
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan hadith. This report was also transmitted from Ibn ‘Ajlan, from Sa‘id al-Maqburi, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The supplied English witness omits the negation in ‘the first is not more deserving than the last,’ reversing the meaning; the Arabic negation is preserved here.
The Arabic says if the person wishes to sit, not if someone offers him a seat. An alternate chain through Sa‘id al-Maqburi’s father is also noted.
Chapter 16
مَا جَاءَ فِي الاِسْتِئْذَانِ قُبَالَةَ الْبَيْتِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Dharr reported that Allah’s Messenger said: ‘Whoever lifts a curtain and looks into a house before permission is granted, thereby seeing the private parts of its occupants, has committed a violation that was not lawful for him. If, when he looked in, a man had faced him and put out his eyes, I would not blame him. If a man passes by a doorway with no screen, and it is not closed, and looks in, there is no sin on him; the sin is on the people of the house.’
There are reports on this topic from Abu Hurayrah and Abu Umamah. Abu ‘Isa said: This is a gharib hadith; we know of a report like this only through the narration of Ibn Lahi‘ah. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli’s name was ‘Abd Allah ibn Yazid.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic describes the intruder as seeing the household’s ‘awrah/private parts; the English witness’s ‘seeks the nakedness’ overstates intention not explicitly stated in the text.
The final doorway clause is unusually worded in Arabic; rendered closely here as a doorway with no screen and not closed. The report is gharib through Ibn Lahi‘ah, as the source says.