The dua for leaving home
Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever says the following when leaving his house will be told: “You are guided, you are taken care of, and you are protected”, and the devil moves away from him.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِBismillāh, tawakkaltu ‘alallāh, wa lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh
“In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, and there is no might nor power except with Allah.”
What each part means
- بِسْمِ اللَّهِ (bismillāh): in the name of Allah. You begin the journey with Allah’s name.
- تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ (tawakkaltu ‘alallāh): I have put my trust in Allah. Tawakkaltu comes from the root و ك ل, the same root as tawakkul.
- لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ (lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh): there is no might nor power except with Allah. Ḥawl means the ability to change a situation; quwwah means strength.
The last phrase is sometimes called the ḥawqalah. Muslims say it on many occasions, especially when facing something difficult.
The dua for entering home
Abu Malik al-Ash‘ari reported that the Prophet ﷺ taught that when a man enters his house he should say the following, then greet his family:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَلَجْنَا، وَبِسْمِ اللَّهِ خَرَجْنَا، وَعَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّنَا تَوَكَّلْنَاBismillāhi walajnā, wa bismillāhi kharajnā, wa ‘alallāhi rabbinā tawakkalnā
“In the name of Allah we enter, in the name of Allah we leave, and upon Allah our Lord we rely.”
Some hadith scholars, including al-Albani, graded the chain of this narration as weak, so some teachers present it as a good practice rather than a confirmed Sunnah. Greeting your family with salām when you enter is established in the Quran (see below).
Tawakkalnā (we rely) is the plural form of tawakkaltu in the leaving dua. Learning one helps you remember the other.
Greeting the household
The Quran tells believers to greet one another when entering homes:
فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُم بُيُوتًا فَسَلِّمُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةً مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُبَارَكَةً طَيِّبَةً“But when you enter houses, give greetings of peace upon each other, a greeting from Allah, blessed and good.”
So a simple routine is: say the entering dua, then “as-salāmu ‘alaykum” to whoever is home.
Making it a habit
Many families put a small card with the dua by the front door. Saying it aloud together on the school run is another easy way for children to learn it. If you forget, there is no penalty; simply start again next time.
