Revive a Sunnah

In the name of Allah

Revive a Sunnah: When Entering an Empty or Vacant House

Abdullah ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu) said: When someone enters a vacant home, he should say, “Peace be upon us and on the righteous salves of Allah.”

السلام علينا وعلى عباد الله الصالحين

“As-salaamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibaad-Illaah il-saaliheen”

Collected by Bukhari in Adab al-Mufrad, 1055; graded as Hasan by Ibn Hajar and Al-Albani.

1. Al-Albani (may Allah grant him Al Firdaus) said: “This narration establishes an Islamic regulation for entering a vacant house. This practice coincides with the order of spreading salaams found in some authentic hadeeth. Furthermore this Athar agrees with the verse, “When you enter your houses greet one another with As-Salamu Alaikum… " [An-Noor: 61]

2. Therefore based on this verse and narration from Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu), Ibn Hajar held it was mustahab (recommended) to say, “Peace be upon us and on the righteous salves of Allah", when entering an empty house as well.

3. The Hadeeth mentioning the saying, "In the name of Allah: when entering the home is authentic on the authority of Jabir (radi Allahu anhu). It is collected in Muslim. The Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said:  

“If a man enters his home and says "in the name of Allah" and before he eats, Shaytan says to his Jinn, "You can’t stay there tonight and you can’t eat there as well." [Saheeh Muslim, 5381]