عَنْ جَابِرٍ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: أتَيتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّمَ فَدَقَقْتُ البابَ، فقالَ: «مَنْ ذَا؟» فَقُلْتُ: أنا، فقالَ: «أنا أنا؟!» كأنَّهُ كَرِهَهَا، مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ .
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and knocked on the door. He said: "Who is that?" I said: I. He said: "I, I?!" as though he disliked it. Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
فدققت: طرقت. كرهها: كره الإجابة بما لا يعيّن المستأذن.
"So I knocked": I rapped on the door. "He disliked it": he disliked being answered in a way that does not identify the one seeking permission.
الدروس · lessons
أنّ السنّة إذا استوضح من يستأذن عليه أن يجيب المستأذن بما يعرف بشخصه، فإن اشتهر باسمه أجاب به أو كنيته أجاب بها. كراهة الإجابة بقوله: أنا أو شخص أو إنسان أو غيره مما لا يعرف بشخصه. قرع الباب يقوم مقام الاستئذان باللفظ.
It is the sunnah that when the person from whom permission is sought asks who it is, the one seeking permission should answer with what identifies him: if he is known by his name he answers with it, or by his kunyah he answers with it. It is disliked to answer by saying, "I," or "someone," or "a person," or the like, which does not identify who one is. Knocking on the door takes the place of seeking permission verbally.