Surah An Nur Tafseer

Asking Permission to leave when They are doing something together

Allah says:

إِنَّمَا الْمُوْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ امَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَإِذَا كَانُوا مَعَهُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ جَامِعٍ لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا حَتَّى يَسْتَأْذِنُوهُ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَأْذِنُونَكَ أُوْلَيِكَ الَّذِينَ يُوْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَإِذَا اسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِبَعْضِ شَأْنِهِمْ فَأْذَن لِّمَن شِيْتَ مِنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمُ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger; and when they are with him on some common matter, they go not away until they have asked his permission. Verily, those who ask your permission, those are they who (really) believe in Allah and His Messenger. So if they ask your permission for some affairs of theirs, give permission to whom you will of them, and ask Allah for their forgiveness. Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

This is another matter of etiquette to which Allah has guided His believing servants. Just as He commanded them to seek permission when entering, He also commanded them to seek permission when leaving, especially when they are doing something together with the Messenger, such as the Friday, `Id, or congregational prayers, or a meeting for the purpose of consultation and so on.

Allah commanded them not to leave him in these situations until they had asked his permission. If they did this, then they were of the true believers. Then Allah commanded His Messenger to give permission when someone asked for it, if he wanted to.

He said:

شَأْنِهِمْ فَأْذَن لِّمَن شِيْتَ مِنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمُ اللَّهَ

give permission to whom you will of them, and ask Allah for their forgiveness.

Abu Dawud reported that Abu Hurayrah said,

"The Messenger of Allah said:

إِذَا انْتَهَى أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى الْمَجْلِسِ فَلْيُسَلِّمْ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَقُومَ فَلْيُسَلِّمْ فَلَيْسَتِ الاُْولَى بِأَحَقَّ مِنَ الاْخِرَةِ

When any of you joins a gathering, let him say Salam, and when he wants to leave, let him say Salam. The former is not more important than the latter.

This was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i;

At-Tirmidhi said:"It is a Hasan Hadith.