*One should seek permission during suitable times.
*One should seek permission thrice. If you are given permission enter, if not, return. The Messenger of Allah () said:
'If one of you seeks permission let him seek it three times; if he is not granted permission, let him return.' (Bukhari & Muslim) If one is unsure whether his request to seek permission was heard, he should still return after he seeks permission three times. It has been said that one may seek permission more than three times; until he is sure that his voice is heard.
*If the owner of the house tells him to return, he should return. Allah says:
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. (24:28)
If the owner of the house tells him to return one should not find anything in his heart against him, for this is a sure method by which one will sanctify his soul.
*One should not say: 'Its me!' when he is asked to identify himself. Jabir () said: 'I came to the Prophet () to ask his help to repay a debt my father owed to some people, so I knocked on the door of the Messenger of Allah () and he asked: 'Who is it?' I said: ‘It's me.’ He said: 'It's me, It's me?' he repeated as though he disliked it. (Bukhari & Muslim) *The one seeking permission should not bang on the door. It is narrated that Anas b. Malik () said: 'People would knock on the Prophet's houses with their finger tips.'35
