CHAPTER 43: A Chapter on greetings, Permission to enter houses, Confiding in a friend, reciting the Qur'an, supplication (du'a), remembrance of Allah, and what to do when embarking on a journey

43.01 GREETING

It is obligatory to return a greeting, (that is, to acknowledge it and respond). But it is a desirable tradition of the Prophet to greet others first. Greetings shall consist of the following words "As-salamu alaikum" (peace be upon you). And in return one says, "Wa alaikum us-salam" (upon you be peace).

Alternatively, the man greeted can say "Salamun alaikum" (peace be upon you), as was said to him. On most occasions people end their greetings by invoking God's blessings. They say in reply, "Peace be upon you as well, and the mercy of God and His blessing". Do not say when replying to a greeting "God's peace be upon you". Moreover, if one member of a group performs the greeting, that is enough and there is no need for the rest of them to say anything. Similarly, if a member of a group replies to a greeting, that shall be sufficient.

When a rider and walker meet, the duty to greet first is upon the rider. When a walker comes upon someone sitting down, the duty to greet first is upon the walker. The shaking of hands is a good thing, but Malik considers embracing in a greeting reprehensible. However, another jurist Ibn Uyainah says that embracing in greeting is permissible. Again, Malik considered reprehensible the kissing of hands as a mark of respect, besides he disbelieved the hadith narrated in respect of it.

It is not proper for a Muslim to greet a Jew or a Christian first. But if a Muslim greets a non-Muslim, he does not attempt to retrieve it. And if a Jew or a Christian should say "Salamun alaikum" to him, all he says in reply is "alaika". One can also say "alaika s-silam" (where 'silam', with the vowel "i" after "s", means 'stone'). That used to be said by them to Muslims.

43.02 ASKING PERMISSION TO ENTER; VISITING THE SICK

It is obligatory to seek permission before you enter people's houses. You do not enter a house in which some people live until you ask for permission up to three times. If permission is given to you then enter, otherwise you go back. It is meritorious to visit and greet sick people.

43.03 WHISPERING IN ANOTHER'S COMPANY

In a company of three people, two of them must not exclude the third and speak confidentially to one another. Similarly, in a larger group, one man must not be isolated. According to some jurists, that can only be proper with his permission, that is, the person isolated. Now, as for migration we mentioned why it should take place in a previous chapter.

43.04 DHIKR (RECOLLECTION OF GOD)

Mu'adh ibn Jabal has narrated that there is nothing any human being can do which can ensure for him protection from God's chastisement more than the remembrance of Allah. And Umar has stated that it is more virtuous to remember God when you comply with His orders and prohibitions than when you mention Him with the and tongue.

43.05 MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER

One of the supplications (du'a) of the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessing of Allah be upon him - every morning and evening was, "O God we pass through the morning with your permission, we also pass through the evening with your permission. We live with your permission, we also die with your permission".

The Prophet also said in the morning, "By Your permission do we rise". And in the evening he said, "You control our fate". It is also narrated that another supplication of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) is as follows, "O God, out of Your servants give me the greatest portion and share of every good You distribute on this day. And after it, give me the greatest share of light with which You guide, and the greatest share of mercy You spread and the greatest share of sustenance You give. Give me the greatest protection from harm and the greatest share of forgiveness from sin. Moreover, give me the greatest protection from hardship as well as the greatest protection from trouble. Give me, again, the greatest share of forgiveness which You bestow by Your mercy. Verily, You have power over all things".

43.06 PRAYER BEFORE SLEEP

Also, when he came to sleep, the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) placed his right palm beneath his right cheek and his left palm on his left thigh, and then prayed in the following words, "O God, it is by Your permission that I place my side (on my bed) and it shall be by Your permission that I shall raise it up. O God if You should take my life, forgive me. And if You should release my life protect it by that with which You protect the lives of Your virtuous servants. O God, verily, I submit my life to You. I take refuge in You for my back, and place my affairs into Your hands, and turn my face to You, out of fear of You and hope in You. None can escape You, and there is no better refuge than in You. I seek Your forgiveness and repent for my sins. I believe in Your Book, which You revealed to Your Prophet whom You sent. Forgive me for my past and future wrongs and for wrongs I committed openly and those I committed secretly. You are my Lord, there is no other deity besides You. O Lord, protect me from Your chastisement on the day You raise to life Your servants".

43.07 A PRAYER WHEN GOING OUT

It is narrated that when one comes out of one's house, he said the following prayer, "O God, verily, I take refuge in You lest I mislead or be misled, or lest I should debase or be debased, or lest I should oppress or be oppressed. I also take refuge in You lest I fail to understand or be misunderstood".

43.08 A PRAYER AFTER SALAT

It is also reported that at the end of each of the five daily prayers, one should immediately glorify God thirty-three times, exalt him thirty-three times, and praise Him thirty-three times, and complete the hundred with the following prayer, "There is but only one God, He has no partner; to Him belongs sovereignty and praise, and He has power over all things".

43.09 A PRAYER AFTER GOING TO THE TOILET

When you go to the toilet you should say, "Praise be to God who bestowed upon me His ease and removed from me His discomfort, and left in me His strength". Also, you should take refuge in God from everything you fear.

43.10 PRAYERS AGAINST DANGER

When you arrive at a place or when you sit down in a place or when you sleep in a place, you say the following prayer, "I seek refuge in the complete words of God, from the evil of what He has created". Again when taking refuge you say, "I take refuge in the noble face of God, and the complete words of God, beyond which neither the obedient nor the disobedient servant can go. I also seek refuge in the beautiful attributes of God - those of them I know, and those I do not know, from the evil of what He created, fashioned and moulded, and from the evil of that which descends from the heaven and that which ascends to it. I also take refuge from the evil of what God created in the earth and the evil of what comes out of it. Again I seek refuge in God from the trial of night and day, and the day and night occurrences, except an occurrence that will bring good with it, O Merciful God". It is also said in a prayer, "O God protect me from the evil of every creature You are in full control of. Verily my Lord is upon a straight path".

43.11 ON ENTERING A HOUSE

It is also considered good for a person entering his house to say, "Thanks be to God, there is no power save in Him".

43.12 DISAPPROVED ACTIVITIES IN MOSQUES

It is considered reprehensible to do any job in the mosque, such as tailoring and similar works. None should wash his hands in a mosque or eat in it, except for snacks or something similar. A man must not clip his moustache in it nor pare his nails. But if he should clip his moustache or pare his nails let him do that over his clothes. He must not kill a mouse nor a bedbug. A dispensation is given in respect of strangers to sleep in a village mosque.

43.13 RECITING THE QUR'AN

It is not fitting for a man to recite the Qur'an in a public bath, with the exception of short verses. Even that should not be overdone.

A rider and someone lying down or walking from one village to another is permitted to recite the Qur'an. But it is considered reprehensible for a man on his way to a market place to do that. However it is said that a learner is permitted to do that. It is considered meritorious for a person to recite the whole of the Qur'an within seven days, but it is considered better to recite in small portions which permits the reader to understand what he recites.

It is reported that the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) never recited the Qur'an in a period shorter than three days.

43.14 AT PRAYER AT THE BEGINNING OF A JOURNEY

It is considered meritorious for a rider to recite, when he is about to mount this beast, "In the name of God, O God You are my companion upon his journey and at the same time the person I leave behind to look after my family. O God I take refuge in You from the fatigue of this journey; I also take refuge in You from any possible disappointment, and the witnessing of detestable scenes in my family or my property".

43.15 A PRAYER AFTER MOUNTING AN ANIMAL

Moreover a rider says this prayer upon mounting his beast securely, "Glory be to Him who made this obedient to us, while in the past we were not able to control it. And surely we shall be going back to our Lord".

43.16 FOREIGN TRADE

It is reprehensible to go on a trading expedition to the land of enemies of Islam; it is also reprehensible to go to the land of non-Muslims. The Prophet - peace be upon him - is reported to have said that travelling is a portion of chastisement. It is not proper for a woman to travel unaccompanied by a male relative so closely related that marriage between them is prohibited. The prohibition is when the journey can take a day and a night or longer. However, Malik makes an exception in the case of obligatory pilgrimage, or when she is in a company of people of integrity, even if not in the company of a close male relative.