Dua 1: On entering
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ
Bismillāh
In the name of Allah. (Said as you enter. Satan then finds no place to stay the night in your home.)
Sahih Muslim 2018
Dua for entering the home, and the salam at the door
When you come home, say Bismillah as you step in and give salam to the people inside. Both are firmly in the Quran and Sunnah. The well-known dua Allahumma inni as'aluka khayral-mawlij is from Sunan Abi Dawud, but its chain is weak, so this page gives it with its grading, next to the authentic practice.
Dua 2: Then greet your family
فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُم بُيُوتًۭا فَسَلِّمُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُبَٰرَكَةًۭ طَيِّبَةًۭ
Fa-idhā dakhaltum buyūtan fa-sallimū ʿalā anfusikum taḥiyyatam-min ʿindillāhi mubārakatan ṭayyibah
But when you enter houses, give greetings of peace upon each other, a greeting from Allah, blessed and good.
Quran 24:61, translation by Sahih International
Dua 3: The popular dua (weak chain)
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ الْمَوْلِجِ وَخَيْرَ الْمَخْرَجِ، بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَلَجْنَا، وَبِسْمِ اللَّهِ خَرَجْنَا، وَعَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّنَا تَوَكَّلْنَا
Allāhumma innī asʾaluka khayral-mawliji wa khayral-makhraj. Bismillāhi walajnā, wa bismillāhi kharajnā, wa ʿalallāhi rabbinā tawakkalnā
O Allah, I ask You for the good of entering and the good of going out. In the name of Allah we enter, in the name of Allah we go out, and in Allah our Lord we put our trust. (Then greet your family.)
Sunan Abi Dawud 5096, graded weak (da'if) by al-Albani and others
Dua 4: If the house is empty
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ
As-salāmu ʿalaynā wa ʿalā ʿibādillāhiṣ-ṣāliḥīn
Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. (If nobody is home.)
Al-Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad, the saying of Ibn Umar, graded hasan by al-Albani
Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.
Guide
When and how to say it
When you come home, say Bismillah as you step in and give salam to the people inside. Both are firmly in the Quran and Sunnah. The well-known dua Allahumma inni as'aluka khayral-mawlij is from Sunan Abi Dawud, but its chain is weak, so this page gives it with its grading, next to the authentic practice.
What to do when you come home
- Say Bismillah as you step in. The Prophet ﷺ said that when a man mentions Allah as he enters his home and at his meal, Satan tells his followers: you have no place to sleep here and no dinner.1
- Give salam to your family. Allah calls it "a greeting from Allah, blessed and good" (24:61).
- Use the miswak. Aishah was asked what the Prophet ﷺ did first when he came home, and she said he used the miswak.2
- Step in with the right foot. The Prophet ﷺ liked to start good things with the right.3 Scholars apply this to entering the home and the masjid.
Is Allahumma inni as'aluka khayral mawlij authentic?
It is reported by Abu Dawud from Abu Malik al-Ash'ari, and al-Nawawi included it in his book of daily adhkar.4 Hadith scholars, including al-Albani, graded its chain weak. Its meaning is sound and many people say it, and many scholars allow acting on a weak hadith for good deeds. But it should not be called a proven sunnah. What is authentic is to mention Allah on entering and to give salam.
If nobody is home
Ibn Umar said that whoever enters a house where no one lives should say as-salamu alayna wa ala ibadillahis-salihin (Dua 4).5 These are also the words of the tashahhud, and they greet the angels and the righteous.
Entering someone else's home
Ask permission and give salam before you go in (24:27). The Prophet ﷺ said that if you ask three times and are not given permission, go back.6 For moving into a new house, see the dua for a new home, and for going out again, the dua for leaving the house.
- Sahih Muslim 2018.
- Sahih Muslim 253.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 168.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 5096; al-Nawawi, al-Adhkar.
- Al-Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad, from Ibn Umar.
- Quran 24:27; Sahih al-Bukhari 6245.
- Sahih Muslim 2018
- Quran 24:61, translation by Sahih International
- Sunan Abi Dawud 5096, graded weak (da'if) by al-Albani and others
- Al-Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad, the saying of Ibn Umar, graded hasan by al-Albani
Questions
Good to know
What is the dua for entering the home?
Say Bismillah as you step in and give salam to your family (Muslim 2018, Quran 24:61). Many also say Allahumma inni as'aluka khayral-mawliji wa khayral-makhraj... from Abu Dawud 5096, whose chain is graded weak.
What do you say when entering an empty house?
As-salamu alayna wa ala ibadillahis-salihin: peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. This is reported from Ibn Umar.
Is the dua for entering the home authentic?
Saying Bismillah and salam is authentic. The longer dua Allahumma inni as'aluka khayral-mawlij is in Abu Dawud 5096, but al-Albani and others graded its chain weak.
Which foot do I use to enter the house?
The right foot. The Prophet ﷺ liked to begin good things with the right (Bukhari 168), and scholars apply this to entering the home.