Moving into a new home is one of those moments when most Muslims instinctively reach for a dua — and then realise they aren’t quite sure which one. Search results add to the confusion: every site promises “the dua for a new home,” and the recommendations rarely match. Some are sahih hadith. Some are weak. A few are simply made up. This guide separates the authentic Prophetic supplications from the popular but unsourced ones, with hadith reference numbers you can verify yourself.
The most authentic dua for entering any home — including a new one — comes from Sahih Muslim 2018a: mention Allah’s name when you enter. The Prophet ﷺ also taught the refuge dua “A’udhu bi-kalimatillahit-tammati min sharri ma khalaq” (Sahih Muslim 2708a) to recite three times at a new place. Recite Surah al-Baqarah in the first days (Sahih Muslim 780) and pray two rak’ah upon arrival. There is no single “new home dua” prescribed by name — but several authentic supplications combine to bless and protect your new dwelling.
Table of Contents
- Is there a specific dua for a new home in Islam?
- The authentic dua when entering your new home
- Reciting Surah al-Baqarah in the new home
- Two rak’ah and the housewarming feast (wakeerah)
- Protecting your family and children
- About “Rabbi anzilni munzalan mubarakan” (Quran 23:29)
- Duas to avoid — circulating but unauthentic
- Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a specific dua for a new home in Islam?
No, the Prophet ﷺ did not prescribe a single named supplication exclusively for moving into a new house. Sheikh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin addressed this directly in a published fatwa (IslamQA 4845), stating that no specific dua was narrated for this occasion. Instead, several authentic supplications apply — and together they form what we can fairly call the “Sunnah of settling into a new home.”
The most directly applicable is the refuge dua taught to Khawla bint Hakim (Sahih Muslim 2708a), in which the Prophet ﷺ promised protection to anyone reciting it upon arriving at a new place. Add to that the Bismillah dua of entry (Sahih Muslim 2018a), the recitation of Surah al-Baqarah (Sahih Muslim 780), two rak’ah of voluntary prayer, and a meal in gratitude — and you have a complete, evidence-based practice. The sections below walk through each, with the Arabic text, transliteration, and hadith reference.
- No specific dua is prescribed by name for a “new home” — but several authentic supplications apply (Sahih Muslim 2018, Sahih Muslim 2708, Sahih Muslim 780).
- The Khawla refuge dua (Sahih Muslim 2708a) is the most directly applicable for arriving at any new dwelling — recite it three times.
- Surah al-Baqarah recitation drives Shaytan from the house (Sahih Muslim 780).
- The popular “Bismillahi walajna” dua (Abu Dawud 5096) is graded weak (da’if) by al-Albani — prefer Sahih Muslim 2018.
- The wakeerah (housewarming feast) is a recommended (mustahabb) act of gratitude — not a jinn-warding ritual.
The authentic dua when entering your new home
The single most authentic instruction for entering any home — including a brand-new one — is to mention Allah’s name as you cross the threshold. The Prophet ﷺ explained that this simple act denies Shaytan a foothold in the house, as narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah in Sahih Muslim 2018a.
إِذَا دَخَلَ الرَّجُلُ بَيْتَهُ فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ دُخُولِهِ وَعِنْدَ طَعَامِهِ قَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ لاَ مَبِيتَ لَكُمْ وَلاَ عَشَاءَ
Translation: “When a person enters his house and mentions Allah upon entering and upon his meal, Shaytan says: ‘You have no place to stay and no dinner.’ But if he enters and does not mention Allah, Shaytan says: ‘You have found a place to stay and food.'”
— Sahih Muslim 2018a, narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah
In practice, this means saying Bismillah as you step in. That alone fulfils the Prophetic instruction. There is no fixed long formula required.
For arriving at a new place specifically — the closest hadith we have to a “new home dua” — the Prophet ﷺ taught the following refuge supplication to Khawla bint Hakim. He promised that whoever recites it at any new stopping place will be protected from harm until they leave:
Related:
أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ
A’udhu bi-kalimatillahit-tammati min sharri ma khalaq
Translation: “I seek refuge in Allah’s perfect words from the evil of what He has created.”
— Sahih Muslim 2708a, narrated by Khawla bint Hakim. Recite three times.
Classical scholars — including Ibn Baz and al-Uthaymin — consistently point new homeowners to this dua. It is short, easy to memorise, and carries an explicit Prophetic promise of protection. Recite it three times when you first walk into the property, before you start carrying boxes in or arranging furniture.
Reciting Surah al-Baqarah in the new home
Make Surah al-Baqarah part of the first week in your new house. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said Shaytan flees from any house in which this surah is recited (Sahih Muslim 780). It is the longest surah in the Qur’an and the most powerful dhikr you can install in a dwelling.
لاَ تَجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ مَقَابِرَ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنْفِرُ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ الَّذِي تُقْرَأُ فِيهِ سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ
Translation: “Do not turn your houses into graves. Verily, Shaytan flees from a house in which Surah al-Baqarah is recited.”
— Sahih Muslim 780, narrated by Abu Hurayrah
If you can’t recite the whole surah in one sitting — it runs about two hours — break it across three or four days. Reading aloud, even quietly, counts. IslamQA fatwa 69963 confirms that a low-voice recitation is sufficient, and that playing a recording of someone else’s recitation does not carry the same reward, though it remains permissible as ambient remembrance of Allah. The intention is to fill the new space with Qur’an, not to perform a ritual.
Two rak’ah and the housewarming feast (wakeerah)
Pray two rak’ah of voluntary prayer once you’ve settled in. This connects the new space to worship from its first day. The Prophet ﷺ would frequently pray two rak’ah upon entering a new setting (the practice is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 444 in the context of entering the mosque), and classical jurists extended it to entering a new home. It is mustahabb — recommended, not obligatory.
The Islamic tradition also names a specific feast for moving into a new house: the wakeerah. It sits alongside the walimah (wedding feast) and aqiqah (newborn celebration) in classical fiqh literature as a recognised occasion for inviting people and sharing food. Ibn Majah 3679 and the broader Sunnah of hospitality encourage gathering family and Muslim friends for a meal in gratitude.
One caution: some communities slaughter an animal at the new house specifically to “ward off jinn.” IslamOnline’s fiqh archive and several contemporary scholars flag this as a folk practice with no authentic basis, warning that it can drift into superstition. Hold the wakeerah as gratitude to Allah — invite the people who matter to you, feed them well, give sadaqah if you can. Do not frame it as a protective ritual.
Protecting your family and children in the new home
Use the protective adhkar that the Prophet ﷺ himself used for his grandchildren. Ibn Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would seek refuge for Hasan and Husayn with the same supplication that Ibrahim ﷺ once used for Isma’il and Ishaq (Sahih al-Bukhari 3371). It is one of the strongest evidence-based duas for the wellbeing of children in any home — and especially fitting on the first nights in a new one.
أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لَامَّةٍ
A’udhu bi-kalimatillahit-tammati min kulli shaytanin wa hammah, wa min kulli ‘aynin lammah
Translation: “I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from every devil, every harmful creature, and every envious eye.”
— Sahih al-Bukhari 3371, narrated by Ibn Abbas
The first night routine
Before you sleep on the first night, recite Ayat al-Kursi — verse 255 of Surah al-Baqarah. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said a guardian from Allah remains with whoever recites it at bedtime, and no Shaytan can come near until morning (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311). This is the single most cited bedtime protection in the Sunnah.
Follow that with the three Mu’awwidhat — Surah al-Ikhlas, Surah al-Falaq, and Surah al-Nas — recited three times each, cupping your hands and wiping them over the body as the Prophet ﷺ would do (the practice is described in Sahih al-Bukhari 5017). These three short surahs are the standard evening adhkar across the Sunni tradition, and they fit beautifully into the first night in any new dwelling.
About “Rabbi anzilni munzalan mubarakan” (Quran 23:29)
You will see this Qur’anic dua recommended on almost every “dua for a new home” article online — and the recommendation deserves a careful footnote. The verse is beautiful, but its original context is not residential.
وَقُل رَّبِّ أَنزِلْنِي مُنزَلًا مُّبَارَكًا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْمُنزِلِينَ
Wa-qul rabbi anzilni munzalan mubarakan wa-anta khayrul-munzilin
Translation: “And say: My Lord, cause me to land at a blessed landing place, for You are the best to accommodate.”
— Qur’an 23:29 (Surah al-Mu’minoon)
Allah instructed Nuh ﷺ to recite this when the ark came to rest after the flood. The Arabic word munzal means “a place of descent” or “landing,” and Sheikh al-Uthaymin clarified in IslamQA 4845 that the verse refers to the disembarkation of the ark — not to taking possession of a residential property.
That said, the supplication is general in meaning. Many Muslims recite it whenever they arrive somewhere new — a hotel room, a journey’s end, or a new house — using its words as a personal du’a for blessed settling. That is permissible. What we should avoid is presenting 23:29 as a Prophetic instruction for moving house, because it was not narrated in that context. Use it freely as your own du’a; just don’t claim a Sunnah for it that doesn’t exist.
Duas to avoid — circulating but unauthentic
A handful of widely shared “new home duas” don’t survive scrutiny. Three are worth flagging by name, because they appear on TikTok, Pinterest, and even reputable-looking Islamic websites without any source citation.
1. “Bismillahi walajna, bismillahi kharajna…” (Abu Dawud 5096)
This dua, sometimes translated as “In the name of Allah we enter, in the name of Allah we leave, and upon our Lord we rely,” appears in Sunan Abi Dawud 5096. The chain is mursal — interrupted — and the hadith was graded weak (da’if) by Sheikh al-Albani in his final position. While Ibn Baz and Ibn Muflih graded it hasan, the mainstream view today leans toward weakness. The Sahih Muslim 2018a instruction (mention Allah’s name on entry) covers the same meaning with a fully authentic chain. Use that one.
2. “Allahumma ajal hadhal bayta bayta sakeenatin wa amnin wa rahmah”
Translated as “O Allah, make this house a house of tranquility, security, and mercy,” this supplication has no traceable hadith source. It does not appear in any of the six major collections, the Muwatta, or the Musnad of Ahmad. It is a composed du’a, likely modern. There is nothing wrong with the meaning, and you may say it in your own words — but it should never be attributed to the Prophet ﷺ.
3. “Allahumma barik lana fihi warzukna khayrahu” framed as a new-home dua
This phrase — “O Allah, bless us in it and grant us its good” — is sometimes presented as a specific dua for new houses. There is no such narration. The wording resembles general barakah du’as (similar phrasings appear in Tirmidhi 3454 for new clothing and Ibn Majah 1738 for fruits), but no hadith uses it for a new home. Make du’a in this meaning freely in your own language. Do not cite a fake reference number for it.
The principle is simple: in matters of worship, accuracy matters more than emotional appeal. A short Sahih hadith carries more weight than a long, beautifully worded supplication of unknown origin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a specific dua for moving into a new house in Islam?
No specific dua was prescribed by the Prophet ﷺ for moving into a new house. Sheikh al-Uthaymin confirmed this in IslamQA fatwa 4845. The closest applicable supplication is the Khawla refuge dua from Sahih Muslim 2708a — “A’udhu bi-kalimatillahit-tammati min sharri ma khalaq” — recited three times when first arriving at the new place.
What should I recite on the first night in a new home?
Recite Ayat al-Kursi before sleeping — the Prophet ﷺ said a guardian from Allah will remain with you until morning (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311). Follow it with the three Mu’awwidhat (Surah al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq, al-Nas) three times each, cupping your hands and wiping them over the body as recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 5017.
Does the dua for a new house differ between rented and owned property?
No, the same supplications apply to both. Islamweb fatwa 85004 confirms that the recommended adhkar — the Khawla refuge dua, Surah al-Baqarah recitation, and Bismillah on entry — apply equally to any dwelling, whether owned, rented, or temporary. The Sunnah is about the act of settling into a new space, not the legal status of the property.
How many times should I recite the refuge dua when entering a new place?
Recite the Khawla refuge dua (Sahih Muslim 2708a) three times. While the original hadith doesn’t fix a number, scholars including Ibn Baz recommend three based on the general Sunnah of repeating short protective adhkar three times — the same pattern used for the Mu’awwidhat in the morning and evening adhkar.
Should I slaughter an animal when moving into a new house?
You may host a feast — called wakeerah in classical fiqh — as gratitude to Allah, but slaughtering an animal specifically to ward off jinn is not from the Sunnah. IslamOnline’s fiqh archive cautions against this practice when tied to jinn-warding intentions. Invite people, share food, and frame the occasion as gratitude — not as a protective ritual.
Can I make my own dua in my own language when moving in?
Yes, freely. Personal du’a in any language is encouraged in Islam; the Prophet ﷺ said that du’a is the essence of worship (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3371). Ask Allah for whatever you wish for your new home — barakah, safety, righteous children, ease — alongside the Sunnah supplications above. The two are complementary, not exclusive.
