Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
nasai:1211Muḥammad b. Qudāmah > Jarīr > al-Mughīrah > al-Ḥārith al-ʿUklī > Abū Zurʿah b. ʿAmr b. Jarīr > ʿAbdullāh b. Nuja > ʿAlī

"I had certain times when I used to come to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When I came to him I would ask for permission to enter. If I found him praying he would clear his throat and I would enter, and if I found him free he would give me permission (to enter)."  

النسائي:١٢١١أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُدَامَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ الْعُكْلِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ جَرِيرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نُجَىٍّ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ

كَانَ لِي مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَاعَةٌ آتِيهِ فِيهَا فَإِذَا أَتَيْتُهُ اسْتَأْذَنْتُ إِنْ وَجَدْتُهُ يُصَلِّي فَتَنَحْنَحَ دَخَلْتُ وَإِنْ وَجَدْتُهُ فَارِغًا أَذِنَ لِي  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Nasāʾī's Kubrá
nasai-kubra:1135Muḥammad b. Qudāmah > Jarīr > Mughīrah > al-Ḥārith / al-ʿUklī > Abū Zurʿah b. ʿAmr > ʿAbdullāh b. Nujay > ʿAlī

"I had certain times when I used to come to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When I came to him I would ask for permission to enter. If I found him praying he would clear his throat and I would enter, and if I found him free he would give me permission (to enter)." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1211)  

الكبرى للنسائي:١١٣٥أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُدَامَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مُغِيرَةَ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ يَعْنِي الْعُكْلِيَّ عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ نُجَيٍّ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ

كَانَ لِي مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ سَاعَةً آتِيهِ فِيهَا «إِذَا أَتَيْتُهُ اسْتَأْذَنْتُ إِنْ وَجَدْتُهُ يُصَلِّي فَسَبَّحَ دَخَلْتُ وَإِنْ وَجَدْتُهُ فَارِغًا أَذِنَ لِي»  

nasai-kubra:8447Muḥammad b. Qudāmah > Jarīr > Mughīrah > al-Ḥārith > Abū Zurʿah b. ʿAmr > ʿAbdullāh b. Najī > ʿAlī

"I had certain times when I used to come to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When I came to him I would ask for permission to enter. If I found him praying he would clear his throat and I would enter, and if I found him free he would give me permission (to enter)." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1211)   

الكبرى للنسائي:٨٤٤٧أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُدَامَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنِ مُغِيرَةَ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ نَجِيٍّ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ

«كَانَتْ لِي مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ سَاعَةٌ مِنَ السَّحَرِ آتِيهِ فِيهَا إِذَا أَتَيْتُهُ اسْتَأْذَنْتُ فَإِنْ وَجَدْتُهُ يُصَلِّي سَبَّحَ فَدَخَلْتُ وَإِنْ وَجَدْتُهُ فَارِغًا أَذِنَ لِي»