Greet Your Family With Assalamu Alaikum

The Prophet (saws) taught his faithful servant Anas bin Malik (ra) to greet his family when entering or leaving the house.

[Tirmidhi]

Explanation : When entering or leaving your house, acknowledge those inside. Use the greeting of Muslims and the label of Islam: ‘Assalam ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh; Peace and mercy of Allah be with you.’ Do not forego this Islamic greeting by replacing it with something else, such as ‘Good Morning,’ or ‘Hello.’ This greeting is the sign of Islam and the phrase that the Messenger of Allah (saws) recommended and practised.

Qatada, a prominent follower (Tabi’y), said: ‘Greet your family when you enter your house. They are the most worthy of your greeting.’

When entering a house, make your presence known to those inside before you approach them. Avoid startling or frightening them. Do not descend upon them suddenly.

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: ‘When a person enters his house, it is recommended that he/she creates noise by coughing or tapping his/her 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.

Leave adequate time between two knocks or rings. This will enable those performing ablution, praying, or eating to finish without making them rush.

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.

Bukhari and Muslim reported that the Prophet (saws) denounced those who unexpectedly surprise their families at night, whether returning from travel or otherwise, because it makes them appear to be distrustful.