Question:
Assalamualaikum. Is it true that the shaytan will enter houses where there are opened windows or doors when it is Maghrib time?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wrt, wbt.,
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Nowadays, people tend to overlook the guidelines taught by the Prophet PBUH to us through his hadiths that the Prophet PBUH left us. Among them is the sunnah actions that should be done during the evening when the sun is about to set. The reason is it is stated in a hadith that the shaytan are roaming about during this time.
Shaytan lexically means being far away from the truth. The term is used to describe anything that rebel, regardless whether it is from among the jinn or humans who has the characteristic or follows the road to evil.
According to the above question, we are discouraged from being out and about when the sun is setting because this is the time when the shaytan is roaming. Thus, here we include a sahih hadith which mentions the guide and advice from the Prophet PBUH to us when the sun sets.
- From Jabir RA, the Prophet PBUH:
إِذَا كَانَ جُنْحُ اللَّيْلِ، أَوْ أَمْسَيْتُمْ، فَكُفُّوا صِبْيَانَكُمْ، فَإِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ تَنْتَشِرُ حِينَئِذٍ، فَإِذَا ذَهَبَتْ سَاعَةٌ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَخَلُّوهُمْ، وَأَغْلِقُوا الأَبْوَابَ وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ، فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لاَ يَفْتَحُ بَابًا مُغْلَقًا
"When night falls (or it is evening), keep your children close to you for the devils spread out at that time. But when an hour of the night elapses, you can let them free. Close the doors and mention the Name of Allah, for Satan does not open a closed door."
Sahih al-Bukhari (3304) and Sahih Muslim (2012)
This matter has been explained numerous times by scholars when commenting or understanding this hadith. Among them is Imam Ibn Abd al-Bar (463 H) where he said, the hadith mentioned the commandment of closing the doors when night falls (the sun is setting). It is a commanded sunnah as a sign of love for people from (the harms) of the shaytan, humans and jinn. (See al-Istizkar, 363/8)
Furthermore, Imam al-Nawawi (676 H) said that there are numerous wisdoms related with the goodness and manners which involves the maslahah of this world and the hereafter. Thus, the Prophet PBUH teaches these manners as the reason to be protected from the harms of the shaytan and Allah SWT has made these as the reasons a person is saved from the harms of shaytan.
Moreover, keeping one’s children close means restricting them from going out during this time. The reason is it is feared that the child would be harmed by the shaytan for there are a lot of them (the shaytan) roaming around. (See al-Minhaj Syarh Sahih Muslim, 185/13)
This is also stated by Imam Khatib al-Syarbini (977 H), stating that it is sunnah to close the doors when night falls. (See Mughni al-Muhtaj, 139/1). Among the wisdoms that children are restricted from going out when the sun is setting is because the shaytans are more active during this time compared to during the day because the darkness strengthens the shaytan compared to other times as stated by al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani. (See Fath al-Bari, 31/6)
Conclusion
To conclude, considering the above opinions of scholars, we would like to conclude that we are commanded or it is sunnah for us to close all the doors and windows when night falls and this is also what has been reminded by our elders. The reason is this is the time when the shaytan are out and about and thus, it is feared that we will face harm, disaster or evil from the shaytan for the characteristic of a shaytan is to harm humans. Before we close our discussion, we would like to share the statement of a scholar regarding the above hadith:
- Ibn Daqiq al-‘Aid (702 H) said:
فِي الْأَمْرِ بِإِغْلَاقِ الْأَبْوَابِ مِنَ الْمَصَالِحِ الدِّينِيَّةِ وَالدُّنْيَوِيَّةِ حِرَاسَةُ الْأَنْفُسِ وَالْأَمْوَالِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعَبَثِ وَالْفَسَادِ وَلَا سِيَّمَا الشَّيَاطِينُ
“It is commanded to close the doors for it involves the maslahah of one’s religion and worldly affairs by protecting himself and his property from useless and harmful people especially the shaytan.” (See Fath al-Bari, 87/11)
Lastly, let us all practise the sunnah of the Prophet PBUH so that we are saved from the fitnah of the cursed shaytan. May Allah SWT always protect us and all our family from harm. Amin.
Wallahua’lam.