Basic
Ethics & Manners
Surah: Al-Nur (27)
Seeking Permission (Isti'dhan) and Its Conditions
لَا تَدۡخُلُواْ بُيُوتًا غَيۡرَ بُيُوتِكُمۡ حَتَّىٰ تَسۡتَأۡنِسُواْ وَتُسَلِّمُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهَا
— النور الآية 27
Verse: "O believers, do not enter houses other than your own until you have asked permission and greeted their inhabitants." (24:27)
Rulings derived:
Exception: No permission needed for uninhabited buildings — "No blame upon you for entering uninhabited houses." (24:29)
Rulings derived:
- Greeting before entering: Saluting is required before seeking permission — "tasta'nisu" means to seek permission and greet.
- Three times: Established in the Sunnah that permission is sought three times — if granted, enter; if not, leave. (Bukhari 6245)
- No peering: "It is not permissible for anyone to look into a household without their permission" — permission before looking, not after.
- Departing if denied: "If you are told 'go back,' then go back — that is purer for you" (24:28) — departing is a virtue, not a humiliation.
Exception: No permission needed for uninhabited buildings — "No blame upon you for entering uninhabited houses." (24:29)
Source: Al-Qurtubi (12/218); Al-Jassas (3/370); Bukhari (6245); Ibn Kathir (6/42)
Test Yourself
How many times is permission sought? What should one do if not granted?
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