By Asma bint Shameem
Every one of us will probably move into a new house some time or another, at least once in our lifetime. Here are some etiquettes of moving into the new house according to the Sunnah.
1) Thank Allah:
First and foremost be grateful for the blessing of Allaah, because being grateful is one of the noblest of deeds. Indeed it is Allaah alone that has blessed you and if you are thankful, Allaah will increase you even more in His blessings.
“And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: If you give thanks, I will give you more (of My Blessings); but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily, My punishment is indeed severe” [Surah Ibraaheem:7]
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
Faith is of two halves: half is gratitude and half is patience.
2) Say this Dua:
Someone asked Sheikh Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen what a person should say if he enters his home. He said:
“Praise be to Allaah. When a man enters his house, he should say….
أعوذ بكلمات الله التامَّات من شر ما خلق
‘A’oodhu bi kalimaat-Illaah it-taammaati min sharri ma khalaq
(I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created)’ three times.
If he says this, then nothing will harm him until he leaves that place.”
Also when the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) saw something that he liked, he would say:
الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الذِي بِنِعمَتِهِ تَتِمُّ الصَّالِحَاتُ
“Al-hamdu Lillaah illadhi bi ni’matihi tatimmu’l-saalihaat
(Praise be to Allaah by Whose grace good deeds are completed).” (Ibn Maajah)
3) Say Bismillaah and prevent the Shaytaan from entering:
Saying Bismillaah on entering your house will keep the Shaytaan out. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:
“When a man enters his house, and mentions Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, when he enters and when he eats, the Shaytaan says: ‘You have no place to stay and no dinner.’ But if he enters and does not mention Allaah when he enters, the Shaytaan says, ‘You have found a place to stay.’ And if he does not mention Allaah when he eats, he says: ‘You have found a place to stay and dinner.’” (Muslim)
This is not only for a new house, rather it includes all houses and all times of entering. So start your life in your new house with the remembrance of Allaah
4) Say Masha Allaah:
When you admire your new house, say
مَا شَاءَ اللهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِاللهِ
“Ma sha’ Allaah la quwwata illa Billaah.”
That is because Allaah said in the story of the two men in Surah al-Kahf:
“It was better for you to say, when you entered your garden: ‘‘Ma sha’ Allaah la quwwata illa Billaah (that which Allaah wills (will come to pass! There is no power but with Allaah)’ If you see me less than you in wealth, and children” [Surah al-Kahf:39]
Ibn al-Qayyim said: “The one who enters his garden or house and sees something that he likes in his wealth or his family should hasten to say these words, and if he does, no harm will befall the thing that he admired.”
5) Protect your house from Envy and the Evil Eye:
One of the ways in which you can seek protection for your new house from the evil eye and envy is to say what the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) taught us.
أُعِيذُكَ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ التَّامَّةِ مِن كُلِّ شَيطَانٍ وَهَامَّة ، وَمِن كُلِّ عَينٍ لَامَّةٍ
“U’eedhuka bi kalimaat-Allaah il-taammah min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli ‘aynin laammah
(I seek refuge for you in the perfect words of Allaah from every devil and poisonous reptile, and from every envious evil eye).” (Bukhaari)
6) Read Surah al-Baqarah:
Reading this blessed Surah will drive the Shayaateen away from your house. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:
“Do not make your houses into graves, for the Shaytaan flees from a house in which Surah al-Baqarah is recited.” (Muslim)
Shaykh Ibn Baaz said :
“It seems – and Allaah knows best – that by means of the reading of all of Soorat al-Baqarah, either on the radio or by the owner of the house, that which was mentioned by the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) may be achieved, namely Shaytaan fleeing from that house. (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa)
This shows us that any way that the reading is achieved is sufficient, be it reading it yourself or playing it on the CD, radio, etc.
7) Invite people to dinner:
Make food and invite people to come and eat, because that is a way of showing gratitude to Allaah. The Ulama tell us that holding a feast after acquiring property is called “wakeerah” and it is mustahabb (recommended) to do so, like all kinds of feasts that are given on happy occasions.
(8) Stay away from innovations:
There is no proof in the Qur’aan or Sunnah that justifies holding Qur’aan Khwaanis or ‘Khatams’ of ‘Yaa Salaamu’, etc. when a person moves to a new house. We don’t have any authentic reports about the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) or the Sahabah reading the different parts of the Qur’aan or holding Khatams when they, for example, migrated to Madeenah and moved to new houses. As a matter of fact, they didn’t do this EVER, at any part of their lives, whether they moved or not moved.
Also there is no proof in the Shari’ah of other innovations that people have invented when they first move into new houses such as taking the Qur’aan, or taking water and salt before anything else into their new house, burning chilies at the doorstep, etc. That is all superstition and thus forbidden.
Reference: www.Islamqa.com