42/17. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 2709 — Permission Is Because of Sight
Whoever Gazed Into a People's Home Without Their Permission
Hadith About Seeking Permission Because of Sight
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 2709
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 2709
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، اطَّلَعَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ جُحْرٍ فِي حُجْرَةِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِدْرَاةٌ يَحُكُّ بِهَا رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لَوْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكَ تَنْظُرُ لَطَعَنْتُ بِهَا فِي عَيْنِكَ إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الاِسْتِئْذَانُ مِنْ أَجْلِ الْبَصَرِ " . وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi Narrated from:
A Man Peeked In On The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ), In One Of The Apartments Of The Prophet (ﷺ), While The Prophet (ﷺ) Had A Midrah (An Iron Comb) With Which He Was Scratching His Head. So The Prophet (ﷺ) Said: "If I Knew That You Were Looking Then I Would Have Poked Your Eyes With It. Seeking Permission Has Only Been Enjoined Because Of The Sight."
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2709In-book reference : Book 42, Hadith 22English translation : Vol. 5, Book 40, Hadith 2709
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 2709
This hadith about seeking permission explains the reason behind asking before entering. A man peeked at the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم through a hole in one of the Prophet’s rooms while the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had an iron comb in his hand. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that if he had known the man was looking, he would have poked his eyes with it. Then he gave the core teaching: seeking permission has only been enjoined because of the sight. The hadith about privacy in Islam is very clear. Permission is not a formality. It protects what people may not want others to see. Before entering a place, a believer must respect both the doorway and the eyes.
What we learn from this hadith
- Seeking permission protects people from unwanted looks.
- Peeking before permission defeats the purpose of asking to enter.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم strongly warned against looking into private rooms.
- Privacy includes what the eye can see, not only where the body enters.
