VARIOUS SUPPLICATIONS, WORDS OF REMEMBRANCE, AND ISLAMIC ETIQUETTES

  • Mention the name of Allah [by saying Bismillaah] before you start eating or drinking, and thank Allah [by saying Alhamdulillaah] upon finishing. You should eat from what is in front of you and you must eat with your right hand, for the left hand is mainly used to clean what is abhorred (like cleaning oneself after relieving himself). ‘Umar bin Abi Salamah (d) said: “When I was a young boy, I was in the care of the Messenger of Allah (y) and my hand was wandering all over the plate [while eating]. So the Messenger of Allah (y) said to me, “Young boy, mention the name of Allah [before you start to eat], eat with your right hand, and eat from what is in front of you.” (Bukhari #5061 & Muslim #2022)
  • Never be critical of food, no matter how it is. Abu Hurairah (d) said: “The Messenger of Allah (s) never criticized food at all. If he liked it, he ate it, and if he did not, he left it.” (Bukhari #3370 & Muslim #2064)
  • Do not enter a house except after seeking permission (by knocking or the like). Allah (y) says: O you who have believed, do not enter houses other than your own houses until you ascertain welcome and greet their inhabitants. That is best for you... [24:27]
  • Do not persist in seeking permission more than thrice. The Prophet (s) said: “One should seek permission thrice. If he grants you permission, [then enter] and if not, go back.” (Muslim #2153)
  • Greet both those you know and those you do not know by saying ‘As-Salaamu ‘alaykum, for love and friendship would result from this. The Prophet (s) said: “You will never enter Jannah until you believe, and you will never believe fully until you love each other. Shall I not inform you of something that if you do it, you will love each other? Greet one another with ‘Salaam’.” (Muslim #54)
  • If someone greets you with Salaam, return him the same greeting or one that is better. Allah (y) says: And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant. [4:86]
  • When you feel like yawning, you should try to suppress yourself as much as possible. The Prophet (s) said: “Yawning is from the Shaytaan. When one of you feels like yawning, let him suppress it as much as he can. And if one of you yawns making sound, “Aahh!” Shaytaan laughs.” (Bukhari #3115)

    If he is unable to suppress it, he should cover his mouth with his right palm. If he uses his left hand, he should either use its back, or make a fist and use the circle composed of his index finger and thumb.

  • When you sneeze, say, “Alhamdulillaah.” If another Muslim sneezes and says, “Alhamdulillaah,” you should reply by saying, “Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy on you).” If someone replies to you by saying, “Yarhamuk-Allah,” reply to him by saying, “Yahdeekumullaah wa yuslihu baalakum (may Allah guide you and better your affairs).”

    The Prophet (s) said: “When one of you sneezes, let him say, ‘Alhamdulillaah,’ his brother or companion should say to him, ‘Yarhamuk-Allahu,’ and the one who sneezed should say, ‘Yahdeekumullaah wa yuslihu baalakum’.” (Bukhari #5870)

    If a disbeliever says,“Alhamdulillah,” you should reply saying, “Yahdeekumullaah (may Allah guide you),” only. (Abu Dawood #5038 & Tirmidhi #2739) Abu Hurairah (s) related, that whenever the Messenger of Allah (s) sneezed, he would put his hand or his clothes in front of his mouth and lower his voice [in doing so]. (Abu Dawood #5870)
  • Do not burp in public. Ibn ‘Umar (d) said: “A man burped while in the company of the Messenger of Allah (s), and he said to him: ‘Save us from your burping, for the most satiated in this life will be hungry for the longest time on the Day of Resurrection.’ (Tirmidhi #2478)
  • If you joke, do not say anything to harm or ill-treat others. The Prophet (s) said: “Let not anyone take his brother’s things (to anger him) seriously or jokingly.” (Abu Dawood 5003 & Tirmidhi #2160)

    Do not let your joking be untrue, leading you to lie to make others laugh. The Prophet (s) said: “Woe to the one who lies in his speech to make people laugh, woe to him! Woe to him!” (Abu Dawood #4990 & Tirmidhi #2315))

  • When you wish to sleep, mention the Name of Allah and lie down on your right side. Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan said: “When the Prophet (s) would retreat to his bed, he would say: ‘Bismika amootu wa ahyaa.’ Meaning: In your Name, I die and I live. Upon awaking, he would say: ‘Alhamdu-lillaah-illadhi ahyaanaa ba’da maa amaatanaa wa ilayh-in-nushoor’.” (Bukhari #5953)

    Meaning: All praise is due to Allah, Who gives us live after He has caused us to die and to Him will be the resurrection.

  • When you go to your wives to have marital relations, say: “Bismillaah. Allahumma jannibnash-Shaytaan, wa jannib-ish-Shaytaan maa razaqtanaa.” Meaning: “I begin with the Name of Allah. O Allah, keep the Shaytaan away from us, and keep the Shaytaan away from what you grant us [from offspring].”

    The Prophet (s) said: “If someone says when he approached his wife (before sexual intercourse), ‘I begin with the Name of Allah. O Allah, keep the Shaytaan away from us, and keep the Shaytaan away from what you grant us [from offspring],’ if Allah grants them a child, the Shaytaan would not harm him.” (Bukhari #141 & Muslim #1434)

    Also, keep whatever takes place between you and your partner private.

    The Prophet (s) said: “Indeed from the worst of people on the Day of Resurrection is one who has marital relations with his wife and then spreads her private matters.” (Muslim #1437)

  • Upon leaving your home, say the following supplication. The Prophet (s) said: “Whoever says upon leaving his home: ‘Bismillaahi, tawakkaltu ‘ala Allahi, laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah.’ Meaning: I begin with the Name of Allah, I put my trust in Allah, there is no ability or might except with Allah.’ …it will be said to him, ‘Your affair has been taken care of, you have been protected [from all evil], and the Shaytaan moves away from him.” (Tirmidhi #3426 & Abu Dawood #5095)
  • When you visit the sick, invoke the supplication which has been narrated from the Prophet (s). When he would visit the ill, he would sit close to his head and say the following seven times: “Asalullaah al-‘Adheem, Rabb al-‘Arsh il-‘Adheem an yashfiyak.” Meaning: I beseech Allah, the Magnificent, the Lord of the Magnificent Throne, that He cures you. He said: “If Allah has written for him to live longer, he will be cured from this sickness.” (Saheeh ibn Hibbaan #2975)
  • When you enter the toilet, enter with your left foot and say: “Bismillah. Allahumma inni a’uthu bika min al-kubthi wal-khabaa´ith.” Meaning: I begin with the Name of Allah. O Allah, I seek refuge in you from the male and female Devils. (Bukhari #142 & Muslim #375)

    When you leave the toilet, exit with your right foot and say: “Ghufraanak.” Meaning: I seek your forgiveness. (Abu Dawood #30 & ibn Maajah #300)