3 supplications
Duas for Leaving and Entering the Home
Leaving the house with the name of Allah puts one under His protection, and entering with His name keeps Shaytan out of the home: “When a man enters his house and mentions Allah… Shaytan says: there is no place for you to stay” (Sahih Muslim).
Leaving the house
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
Bismillah, tawakkaltu ‘alallah, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, and there is no power nor strength except with Allah. It is said to him: you are guided, sufficed and protected, and Shaytan turns away from him.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud; Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi
Seeking protection when going out
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَضِلَّ أَوْ أُضَلَّ، أَوْ أَزِلَّ أَوْ أُزَلَّ، أَوْ أَظْلِمَ أَوْ أُظْلَمَ، أَوْ أَجْهَلَ أَوْ يُجْهَلَ عَلَيَّ
Allahumma inni a‘udhu bika an adilla aw udall, aw azilla aw uzall, aw adhlima aw udhlam, aw ajhala aw yujhala ‘alayy.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from going astray or being led astray, from slipping or being made to slip, from wronging others or being wronged, and from behaving foolishly or being treated foolishly.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud; Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi; Sunan al-Nasa’i
Entering the house
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَلَجْنَا، وَبِسْمِ اللَّهِ خَرَجْنَا، وَعَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّنَا تَوَكَّلْنَا
Bismillahi walajna, wa bismillahi kharajna, wa ‘alallahi rabbina tawakkalna.
In the name of Allah we enter, in the name of Allah we leave, and upon Allah our Lord we rely. Then greet your family with salam.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud
Etiquette of the home
When a person mentions Allah on entering his house and when eating, Satan says to his companions: “No place to spend the night and no dinner for you” (Muslim). Greet the people of the house with salam, and even an empty house: “When you enter houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah, blessed and good” (Qur’an 24:61).
The first thing the Prophet ﷺ did on entering his house was to use the siwak (Muslim), and he prayed his voluntary prayers at home so that it would not become “like a graveyard” (al-Bukhari, Muslim). On leaving, the dua “Bismillah, tawakkaltu ‘alallah” brings the reply: “You are guided, sufficed and protected” (Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi).
A home filled with remembrance
The du‘a for leaving the house is short but complete: “In the name of Allah, I rely on Allah, and there is no power and no strength except with Allah.” Whoever says it is told: “You are guided, sufficed and protected,” and Satan turns away from him (Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi). It puts every errand, journey to work or school under the protection of Allah.
Inside the house, the Prophet ﷺ recommended recitation and voluntary prayer: “Do not make your houses graves. Satan flees from the house in which Surat al-Baqarah is recited” (Muslim). Greeting the family with salam, entering with the right foot and mentioning Allah keep the home a place of peace.
The Muslim home as a school
The home is the first school where children learn the adhkar. When a child hears his parents say the du‘as of leaving and entering every day, he memorises them without effort. A blessed home has a place for prayer, voluntary prayers prayed in it and some Qur’an recited in it every day, even a few verses, so that houses are filled with remembrance as mosques are.
Practical tips for a home of remembrance
- Put a small card with the leaving du‘a near the door until it is memorised.
- Greet the household with salam every time you come in.
- Recite or play Surat al-Baqarah at home regularly.
- Keep a corner for prayer with a clean mat facing the Qibla.
- Pray some voluntary prayers at home so children see the prayer.
Duas for Leaving and Entering the Home: questions and answers
What do I say when entering an empty house?
Ibn ‘Umar used to say: “As-salamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahis-salihin” — peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah (al-Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad).
Is there a du‘a for a new home?
There is no specific one, but reciting al-Baqarah in it, praying in it and thanking Allah for it are all from the Sunnah.