Your home is a blessing as well as a great opportunity to have a place of worship and a platform for inviting many ongoing rewards!

And why should we put our houses in order? Because Allah ‘azza wa jall Himself asked us to protect ourselves and our families from the hellfire, because you will be asked about your household on the Day of Judgement, and your house can be your very place for safety, from the evil of the world and to keep your evil from the world!

In this week’s central ayah Allah says: And Allah has made for  you in your homes an abode . . .[Quran, 16:80]

Let’s continue to learn how to fill our homes with productivity and emaan, inshaa’Allah!

The Name of Allah in your home

After the obligatory and most important activity in your house– the prayer— a beautiful example to increase blessings in your home is to revive the sunan which are related to the house.

In the end the supplications to say when you enter and leave your house all evolve around one crucial concept: making sure you remember the name of Allah with heart and soul in your home.  Visualising the following scene will inshaa’Allah help you to never forget to say bismillah when you enter your house!

The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said: When any one of you enters his home and mentions the name of Allah when he enters and when he eats, the Shaytan says: `You have no place to stay and nothing to  eat here.’ If he enters and does not mention the name of Allaah when he enters, [the Shaytan] says, `You have a place to stay.’ If he  does not mention the name of Allah when he eats, [the Shaytan  says], `You have a place to stay and something to eat.’ [Ahmad, Muslim]

8 Islamic rulings for your home

Having knowledge of some basic rulings that have to do with the house are crucial to help you and your family obey Allah ‘azza wa jall.

1. Seek permission to enter.
Allah says: O you who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and greeted those in them, that is better for  you, in order that you may remember. And if you find no one therein, still, enter not until permission has been given. And if you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you. And Allah is All-Knower of what you do. [Quran 24:27-28]

Also, note the greeting! How many times do we enter houses, including our own, without using the blessed Islamic greeting of salaam?

2. Teach the children not to barge into the parents’ room.
Allah says: O you who believe! Let your legal slaves and slave-girls, and those among you who have not come to the  age of puberty ask your permission (before they come to your presence) on three occasions: before Fajr prayer, and while you put
off your clothes for the noonday (rest), and after the `Isha prayer.  (These) three times are of privacy for you; other than these times there is no sin on you or on them to move about, attending (helping) you each other. [Quran, 24:57]

So teach the children this habit and another example is to have modesty in front of your children from young; some parents dress immodestly in front of their (young) children; this can effect them in their sense of modesty when they grow up.

3. Don’t peek into other’s houses.
It is forbidden to look into the houses of other people without their permission. The Messenger of Allah salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Whoever looks into someone’s house without their permission, put his eyes out, and there is no diyah or qisaas [blood  money or retaliation] in this case. [Ahmad]
Especially in some cultures where the houses have hardly any curtains, it might be hard not to look inside, but try to restrict your glances!

4. Avoid staying alone overnight in the house.
Ibn `Umar radiyyalhu ‘anhu reported that the Prophet forbade being alone and said that a  man should not stay overnight alone or travel alone. [Ahmad] This is because of the feelings of loneliness, etc., that come from being alone, and also because of the possibility of attacks by enemies or robbers, or the possibility of sickness. If one has a companion, he can help fight off attacks, and can help if one gets sick (see al-Fath al-Rabbaani, 5/64).

5. Be careful with over-decorating.
Remember the most important thing in your house is the establishment of prayer. Here’s a tip from the sunnah to increase your khushoo’ (devotion and concentration) in prayer: `Aa’ishah radiyyalhu ‘anha had a decorated, colourful curtain which she used to cover the side of her house. The Prophet said to her: Take it away from me, because its decorations keep distracting me when I pray. [Al-Bukhaari]

6. Avoid praying behind someone who is talking.
The Prophet said: Do not pray behind one who is talking. [Abu Dawood, Hasan] One who is talking will distract the worshipper with his talk.

7. Make an effort to be kind at home.
Many people do their best to be nice to others outside the house, at work, at school, etc., but as soon as they come home they become moody and snappy with their family members. This might happen easily because these are the people with whom you feel most comfortable and don’t feel you have to uphold your “reputation.” However, remember you need to please Allah ‘azza wa jall and not the people, and Allah loves those who have good manners at home!

The Messenger of Allah said: When Allah – may He be glorified – wills some good towards the people of a household, He introduces kindness among them. [Ahmad] And: When Allah loves the people of a household, He introduces kindness among them. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya] So if there’s kindness in your home, this is most likely a sign of Allah’s love for you!

Regarding being harsh to your children or spouse, the Prophet said: Allah loves kindness and rewards it in such a way that He does not reward for harshness or for anything else. [Muslim] Let this motivate you to lessen the shouting and increase the soft and kind words!

8. Keep you children inside, lock doors, and cover pots.
Do you keep your children inside at Maghrib time? A lot of people take this lightly. The Prophet said: When evening comes, keep your children inside, for the shayaateen spread out at that time. Then when an hour of the night has passed, let your children go, lock the doors, and mention the name of Allah, cover your pots, and mention the name of  Allah, even if you only place a stick across the top of your vessel, and extinguish your lamps. [Al-Bukhaari] So also lock the doors, cover your pots, and mention Allah’s name to revive the sunnah.

May Allah ‘azza wa jall bless our homes with emaan and productivity and grant us a beautiful palace in His highest Paradise, ameen!

Praying you will benefit,

Khawlah bint Yahya– United Kingdom