Is there a Hadith saying the angels do not enter a house in which there is an impure person (Janabah)?


ⓘ Supported by Al Medina 313.

Quran

Hadith

Islamic Text

Yes, there is a Hadith saying the angels do not enter a house in which there is an impure person (Janabah). This Hadith may be weak. However, it is strengthened by other similar narrations.

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُجَيٍّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: لَا تَدْخُلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ بَيْتًا فِيهِ صُورَةٌ وَلَا كَلْبٌ وَلَا جُنُبٌ

Abdullah bin Nujay narrated from his father, who narrated from (Sayidina) Ali bin Abi Talib from the Prophet ﷺ that he said, ‘The angels do not enter a house in which there is a picture, a dog, or a person in a state of major ritual impurity (Janabah).’ (Abu Dawood, 227).

This Hadith was also narrated by Imam Abu Dawood elsewhere (4152). Imam Ahmad narrated it too (1290). As did Imam Nasai (261 and 4281), and Imam Ibn Hibban (1205). All of them narrated it with Abdullah bin Nujay in the chain. Sometimes narrating through his father and other times directly from Sayidina Ali (May Allah Most High be pleased with him).

There is some concern regarding the authenticity of this Hadith, due to Abdullah bin Nujay being considered weak by many Imams of Hadith. Which is why many of them considered this narration to be weak.

رواه أبو داود في الطهارة وفي اللباس والنسائي في الطهارة وفي الصيد وابن ماجه في اللباس ثلاثتهم من حديث عبد الله بن نجى الحضرمي عن أبيه عن علي يرفعه، وقال البخاري: عبد الله بن نجيّ الحضرمي عن أبيه عن علي: فيه نظر. (كَشْفُ المنَاهِجِ وَالتَّنَاقِيحِ في تَخْريِجِ أحَادِيثِ المَصَابِيحِ)

Abu Dawood narrated it in the section on purity and clothing. Al-Nasai narrated it in purity and hunting. Ibn Maja narrated it in purity. All three of them narrated it from the narration of Abdullah bin Nujay al-Hadrami from his father, from Ali who raised it to the Prophet ﷺ. (Imam) al-Bukhari said (the chain) Abdullah bin Nujay al-Hadrami from his father, from Ali is a cause for concern. (Kashf al-Minhaj wa al-Tanaqeeh, Imam Sadr al-Deen Muhammad bin Ibrahim al-Sulami).

Despite this Imam al-Dhahabi agreed with Imam Hakim in saying that the Hadith is Sahih. Furthermore, he has Abdullah bin Yahya in the chain and not Abdullah bin Nujay.

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: «لَا تَدْخُلِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ بَيْتًا فِيهِ صُورَةٌ، وَلَا كَلْبٌ، وَلَا جُنُبٌ». هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ، فَإِنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ يَحْيَى مِنْ ثِقَاتِ الْكُوفِيِّينَ، وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَا فِيهِ ذِكْرَ الْجُنُبِ
التعليق من تلخيص الذهبي: صحيح وعبد الله ثقة

Abdullah bin Yahya narrated from his father, who narrated from (Sayidina) Ali from the Prophet ﷺ that he said, ‘The angels do not enter a house in which there is a picture, a dog, or a person in a state of major ritual impurity (Janabah).’ This is a Sahih Hadith. Indeed, Abdullah bin Yahya is from the reliable narrators of Kufa. They (Bukhari and Muslim) did not narrate this Hadith with the Junub being mentioned. (Mustadrak al-Hakim, 611).

Footnote from the Talkhees of (Imam) al-Dhahabi: Sahih, and Abdullah is sound (Thiqah).

Even if the Hadith is weak, it is not to be rejected. Rather one can use it, on condition that he follows the rules of narrating weak Hadith (see link below for details). There is also a possibility of other narrations strengthening this Hadith:

عَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا تَقْرَبُهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ: جِيفَةُ الْكَافِرِ، وَالْمُتَضَمِّخُ بِالْخَلُوقِ، وَالْجُنُبُ، إِلَّا أَنْ يَتَوَضَّأَ

Ammar ibn Yasir (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘The angels do not approach three: the corpse of a Kafir, one who smears himself with khaluq, and the person in major ritual impurity (Janabah) unless he performs ablution.’ (Abu Dawood, 4180).

However, the famous Hadith in Bukhari and Muslim will not strengthen the Hadith in question. Since we are focusing on the issue of the person in major ritual impurity (Junub). As Bukhari and Muslim do not include it in their narrations.

عَنْ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: لاَ تَدْخُلُ المَلاَئِكَةُ بَيْتًا فِيهِ كَلْبٌ وَلاَ صُورَةٌ

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, 3322).

In summary, the worst-case scenario is that the Hadith is weak. Even then it is not to be rejected. Rather it is to be narrated and used in the manner mentioned by the Imams of Hadith. However, there is a reasonable argument to be made for the Hadith being strengthened through other narrations. As well as the fact that some great Imams of Hadith like, Imam al-Dhahabi considered the Hadith to be sound.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (12.07.2022)

See also:
Narrating weak Hadith
Weak hadith supporting one another.

See also video: