Is it permissible to set aside a two-rak'ah prayer for entering and leaving the home?

The answer can be summarized as follows: The narrations (hadiths) reported concerning praying two rak'ahs upon entering and exiting the home are weak and are not to be acted upon. These include:

1. The hadith of Abu Hurairah: "When you leave your house, pray two rak'ahs, for they will prevent you from an evil exit. And when you enter your house, pray two rak'ahs, for they will prevent you from an evil entry." The chain of transmission for this hadith includes Bakr ibn 'Amr and Yahya ibn Ayyub, both of whom have been criticized by scholars. 2. The hadith of Aisha: "He (the Prophet) used to begin with the siwak upon entering, and when he exited, he would pray two rak'ahs." Its chain of transmission is weak due to Shareek al-Qadi's poor memory. In another narration, it is mentioned that these two rak'ahs were the two rak'ahs of Fajr. 3. The hadith of al-Awza'i from Uthman ibn Abi Sawdah: "The prayer of the Awwabin (those who frequently turn to Allah) – or he said: the prayer of the righteous – is two rak'ahs when you enter your house, and two rak'ahs when you exit." This narration is mursal (has a missing link in the chain) and weak.

A number of scholars have deemed these hadiths weak, including Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen, who stated that this hadith is not authentic and should not be acted upon.

Instead, it is established that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray the regular supererogatory prayers (rawātib) in his home and encouraged dedicating a portion of one's prayer to the home to increase its blessings. This is not restricted to entering or exiting the home.