The one who is asking permission should not answer with, Me, or, It is me,-or it is When someone inside asks, Who is it? To say me does not, in many instances, shed any light on a persons identity; and the person , inside is left in a state of vexation, not being able to pinpoint who exactly me is. This practice is disliked based on the Hadeeth of Jaabir bn Abdullah [RA], who said, I went to the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] for debt upon my father. I knocked on the door, and he said, Who is there? I answered, me. He said, Me, me, in away that he disliked my answer. [Bukhar].
It is, on the other hand, okay for the seek permission to say, I am... and then his name. Abdullah bn Buraidah related that his father said, The Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] left to go to the Masjid [mosque]; meanwhile, Abu Musa was reciting. The Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, :Who is this? I said, I am Buraidah; may I be made ransom for you. He [the Prophet [peace and blessings of AIIaah be upon him]] said, "This one has been given a flute [i.e., his voice] from the flutes of Daawoods ;family." [Adab al-Mufrad]
It is also okay for the seeker of permission to say, "I am Abu [the father on so and so." During the year of Makkah Conquest, Umm Hani [RA] once went to the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] and learned that he was taking a shower. His daughter, Faatimah [RA], was holding up a cover to protect him from the view of others.
Umm Hani [RA] later said, then I extended greetings of peace to him, and he said, Who is this? I said, I am Umm Hani [the mother of Hani] bint [the daughter on Abu Taalib ... " [Bukhari] One may also say, "I am Shaykh so and so"; what matter is that one clearly conveys his identity without arousing confusion instead.
Therefore, if the seeker of permission shares a name with another common acquaintance and since voice does not always clearly convey a persons identity, he should remove all doubt, for instance, by saying his full name. One Eid, after the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] delivered a sermon to the women present during Eid prayer, he returned home, and when he reached his home, Zainab, the wife of Ibn Masood [RA] asked permission to enter into his presence. It was said, O Messenger of Allaah [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him], this is Zainab." He said, "Which Zainab?" Then she said, "The wife of Ibn Masood." And he said, "Yes, give her permission to enter"[Bukhari]
The proper etiquette, therefore, is to announce ones presence, while clearly conveying ones identity. The seeker of permission should not violently or harshly beat the door It is bad manners to do so, and to illustrate the proper etiquette in knocking on someones door, Anas bn Malik said, Verily, the doors of the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] would be knocked upon with nails [of hands]. [Adab al-Mutrad].
Commenting on this Hadeeth, AI-Haafidh ibn Hajar said, This is understood from them to be an exaggeration of good manners, -and it is good to do this if it is known that the person inside is near the door. However. if it is known [or if it is likely] that he is far from the door, in which case the sound of knocking with ones nails will not reach him, then it is recommended to knock more loudly, according to what is loud enough [for the person inside to hear]. [Fathul-Baaree]
AI-Maimoonee related that when a woman once knocked harshly on the door of Abu Abdullah, he went out and exclaimed, "That is the knocking of the police!" If the owner of the home says to the one seeking permission, Return, Then he should return. Allaah says: "And if you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you, and Allaah is All Knower of what you do" [24:28] One of the Muhaajireen said, My entire life, I wanted to apply this verse, but I was never able to, for on no occasion did I knock on a brothers door only to hear him say to me, Return.
Had anyone done that, I would have returned in a state of joy [joyful because he would have been able to apply the verse]." If he finds that no one is home, the person that is asking for permission to enter should not enter To do so means that one is transgressing the rights of others, and this should be clear to every Muslim. One has no right to use someone elses property without their permission, and this example falls under that ruling. When you want to leave a gathering, you should first ask permission This etiquette is taken from the noble manners of the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him].
As a visitor, you are required to ask permission before you enter; similarly, it is good manners in Islam to ask permission to leave. Perhaps the reason behind this etiquette is so that ones eyes do not see in another persons private property that which is not lawful for him to see or that which the host would not like him to see. Ibn Umar [RA] reported that the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, "If one of you visits his brother and sits with him, he must not stand until he seeks his permission. "
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited