Islamic Work at Home

By Sheikh Salman b. Fahd al-Oudah

Praise be to Allah; we praise Him, seek His forgiveness, and turn to Him in repentance. We seek refuge with Him from the evils of our souls and the evils of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can misguide, and whomever Allah leads astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

The Home in Islamic Law:
One way to appreciate the importance of the home in Islam is by taking a look at some of
the rulings that Islamic Law has set down for it.

1. It is forbidden to enter someone’s house without first seeking the permission if its
inhabitants. Allah says: “O you who believe! Do not enter the homes of others before
seeking permission and greeting their inhabitants.” [Sûrah al-Nûr: 27]

It is not permitted to enter anyone’s home without first asking and then being granted
permission. The law goes even further than that. It strictly prohibits even looking into
others’ homes. Once the Prophet (peace be upon him) was in his home combing his hair.
A man stood outside peering in at him. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) noticed
him, he said: “If I had known you were peeping in at me, I would have stuck you in the
eye with my comb. The only reason it is obligatory to seek permission before entering is
for the sake of the eyes.”1 The Islamic ruling here is quite stern. It is lawful for the person
within the home to pierce the eye of the one who peers in upon him, and he will not have
to pay the voyeur any compensation for the loss of the eye. The reason for this is that, by
peeping into another’s private home, he forfeits the right to legal compensation.

2. Islamic Law places great emphasis on the rights of one’s neighbors. This is evidenced
by the number of legal rulings that outline these rights. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said: “The angel Gabriel continued to enjoin on me the rights of the neighbor until I
began to suspect that they would be added to the list of heirs.”2

3. Voluntary prayers are supposed to be performed at home. Allah’s Messenger (peace be
upon him) used to order the Muslims to make these prayers in their houses. He said:
“Perform some of your prayers at home. Do not turn your houses into graveyards.”3 He
also said: “The best prayers a person can pray, aside from the prescribed prayers, are the
prayers that he prays at home.”4

Praying at home provides those who do so with the following benefits:
1. It safeguards the worshipper from his inclination to show off to others.
2. It provides a good example for the other members of the household.
3. It keeps Satan away from the home by fostering within it an environment of Allah’s remembrance and prayer.

When prayers are performed at home, it makes the home almost like a mosque. When prayers at home are neglected, the home becomes more like a graveyard where Islamic Law forbids the performance of prayers.
1 Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6392). Sahîh Muslim (4013).
2 Sahîh al-Bukhârî (5556). Sahîh Muslim (4757).
3 Sahîh al-Bukhârî (414, 1114). Sahîh Muslim (1296).
4 Sahîh al-Bukhârî (689). Sahîh Muslim (1301).