HOW TO ENTER
ENTERING WHILE OTHERS ARE
ASLEEP
GREETINGS
ANNOUNCING YOUR PRESENCE
SEEKING PERMISSION TO ENTER
KNOCKING AND RINGING
REPLYING TO ‘WHO IS IT?’
Enter or leave your house or office with your right foot first, as it
was the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad 
. Imam Abul Ala
Hasan ibn Ahmad al-Hamazani, a great scholar of hadith of his time, was
so keen on applying this sunnah to the extent that if someone entered his
house with their left foot first, he would ask them to go out and re-enter
with their right foot first.
When entering or leaving a house, do not push the door violently or
slam it shut, nor leave it to close by itself. Close the door quietly with
your hand. You may have heard a hadith reported by Muslim wherein Aisha 
,
may Allah be pleased with her, quotes the Messenger of Allah : Gentleness adorns every act. Its absence will tarnish
it.
ENTERING WHILE OTHERS ARE ASLEEP
Be quiet and gentle if you enter a place where people are sleeping, whether during day or night. Be considerate; do not cause any undue noise when entering or exiting.
Muslim and Al-Tirmidhi reported that the honorable companion al-Miqdad
ibn al-Aswad said: "We used to keep for the Prophet his share of milk, and when he would come at night he would greet us with
a voice loud enough for those awake to hear, without disturbing those who
were asleep: In addition, whenever the Prophet used to pray at night, he would recite the Quran with a voice that pleased
those awake, without disturbing those who were asleep.
When entering or leaving your house, acknowledge those inside by using
the greeting of Islam: Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatul Allahi wa Barakatuh
(peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you). Do not forego this Islamic
greeting by saying something else such as ‘Good Morning’' or ‘Hello’. This
greeting of peace is the sign of Islam and the phrase that the Messenger
of Allah recommended and used. The Prophet taught his faithful servant Anas ibn Malik to greet his
family when entering or leaving his house (Al-Tirmidhi). Qatada ibn Diama
al-Sadusi, a prominent tabi’in (successor) said: Greet your family when
you enter your house. They are the most worthy of your greeting." Al-Tirmidhi
reported another hadith wherein Imam Nawawi in al-Majmu said: "It is preferred
to say Bismillah arRahman arRahim (In the name of Allah, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful) when you enter your house or the house of others. You should
say salaam even if you enter vacant or uninhabited places and Al-Tirmidhi
and Abu Dawud narrated a hadith by Anas that should be said when entering:
When entering a house, make your presence known to those inside before you approach them. Avoid startling or frightening them and do not descend upon them suddenly. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: "When a person enters his house, it is recommended that he makes noise by clearing his throat or tapping his shoes.
If family members are resting in their rooms, and you want to join them, it is appropriate to ask for permission or knock on the door. Otherwise, you may see them in a condition that you, or they for that matter, may dislike. This applies to the entire household: immediate family or otherwise.
Knock at the door, or ring the doorbell in a pleasant way and not louder
than is necessary to make your presence known. Do not knock loudly and
violently or ring the bell continuously Remember that you are a visitor
and not a thug raiding the house and frightening its occupants. Likewise,
Al-Bukhari reported in al-Adab al-Mufrad that the companions of the Prophet
used to knock on the door of the Prophet with the tips of their fingers. This soft and gentle knocking,
or ringing, is appropriate for those whose living quarters are close to
the door. For those living further from the door, it is appropriate to
knock on their door, without banging, or ring the bell loud enough to enable
them to hear it.
Leave adequate time between two knocks or rings. This will enable those performing ablution, praying, or eating to finish without making them rush. Some scholars estimate this interval to be that of the praying time of four rakaats. Keep in mind that a person may have just started the prayers before you rang the doorbell.
After three knocks or intermittent rings, you may feel that the person you came to see is busy, otherwise he or she would have answered you. If this is the case, then leave as mentioned in Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
While waiting for permission do not stand in front of the door. Instead,
stand to the right or to the left. The Messenger of Allah upon coming to
someone’s door avoided facing the door directly. Instead, he would stand
to the right or the left of the door.
When knocking on the door you may be asked: 'Who is it?' Identify yourself,
using your most common name but do not respond with: ‘It's me’, or ‘somebody’,
or ’Guess who?’ 'These words are useless in identifying who is at the door.
The Prophet discouraged one from saying: ‘It’s
me’ because it does not reveal your name. Al-Bukhari reported that Jabir
ibn Abdullah said: ‘I came to the Prophet and
knocked on his door and he asked: ‘Who is it?’ I answered: ‘It is me’ and
the Prophet disapprovingly said: ‘It is me, it
is me.’ For this reason, the companions used to mention their names whenever
they were asked: ‘Who is it?’
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