Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Speaking Tree Website | July 18, 2016

The Quran has given certain injunctions that ensure harmonious social living. One injunction of this kind is set forth in the following verses: Believers, do not enter other people's houses until you have asked their owners permission and greeted them. That will be the better for you, so that you may be heedful. If you find no one at home, do not go in until permission has been granted to you. If you are told to go away, then go away. That is more proper for you. God knows well what you do. (24:27-28).

These verses give the Quranic etiquette for social living.

The principles given in these verses can be summarized as follows:

1. The first principle, in this regard is, if you want to meet someone, you should fix an appointment in advance, so that the person can meet you without any reservation.

2. If you fail to make a prior appointment before visiting someone's home, you must on arrival knock on the door and wait to have permission the occupants of the house before entering.

3. If you visit someone's home without prior appointment and after knocking on the door, you find that there is no response from within; you have to go away and return in due course.

4. If you visit a house without prior appointment and are told by the occupants that at that particular time a meeting is not possible, accepts this in a positive way and go away with out any kind of rancour.

The spirit of these principles is that the members of society should be each other's well-wishers. They should try to avoid creating problems for the others. Everyone should, from the others point of view, be predictable in character. All members of society must refrain from ill-feeling towards their fellow men.