Salaam - The Islamic
Greeting
[Adil Salahi]
Muslims all over the world use the Islamic form of
greeting, "Assalamu alaikum", which means peace be to you.
The very wording helps generate a friendly and
relaxed atmosphere. It is also common in its shorter and longer forms to all
Muslim communities wherever they happen to be. Thus, when two Muslims meet who
are total strangers to each other, the moment they use this greeting, they
immediately feel that they have common grounds, even when they do not speak
each other's languages.
The Islamic greeting has different versions, the
shortest of which is the one we have already mentioned. The rule in Islam is
that when we are offered a greeting, we return it with a better one, or with
its equal at least. God orders in the Qur'an:
"When
a greeting is offered you, answer it with an even better greeting, or (at
least) with its like. God keeps count of all things."
[Surah an-Nur; 4: 86]
The better greeting and reply are illustrated in the following Hadith. Umar
(radiAllahu anhu) reports that he was riding with Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) on
one mount. When they passed by people, Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) greeted them
saying: 'Assalamu alaikum' and they replied: 'Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu
Allah.' Or he may greet them saying: 'Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah,' for
which their reply was: 'Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh.' Abu
Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) commented: "Today, people have gained much more
than us." [Sahih al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]
We note that every time Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) offered a greeting, its
reply was the same with an addition. The first one was the short form of the
greeting of peace. The reply stated: 'Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu Allah.'
This means: 'And to you be peace together with God's mercy.' Thus, the reply
adds a prayer that the person who offered us a greeting should be blessed with
God's mercy, both in this life and in the life to come.
When the person who starts the greeting includes in it this same prayer for
mercy to the one being accosted, the latter replies with yet another addition,
'wa barakatuh,' which adds a wish for Allah's blessing to the one who took
advantage and offered us a friendly greeting. Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu's)
comment at the end of the Hadith shows that he was pleased with the fact that
people always replied to his greeting with a better one.
These are the normal form of greetings mostly used in Muslim communities. Rarely
does a greeting go beyond these. It is reported that a man from the
However, Kharijah ibn Zaid, a scholar of very high standing who belonged to the
generation that followed the Prophet's companions, i.e. the tabieen, used to
write when he addressed the caliph: 'Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah wa
barakatuh wa maghfiratuh wa tayyib salawatih.'
The added last phrases express a prayer that the addressee will also have
Allah's forgiveness and special blessings. Kharijah would not have added these
phrases if he had the slightest doubt about such addition being appropriate.
His father was distinguished among the Prophet's companions for his
scholarship. When we have two reputable scholars expressing opposite views, we
say that one of them was aware of something the other did not know. Perhaps
Kharijah was aware that when addressing a person of eminence, the use of
additional phrases would be in order.
Another Hadith that speaks of the importance of the wording of the Islamic
greeting quotes the Prophet as saying: 'The Jews do not envy you
for anything more than they do for the greeting of peace and saying Aameen.'
This Hadith stresses the special distinction given to the Islamic greeting.
The Jews the Prophet refers to here are the ones with profound knowledge,
such as the well- versed rabbis. They are the ones to appreciate the
significance of the Islamic greeting, assalamu alaikum.
Aameen is a word which we say when someone addresses a prayer to God. It
signifies a request made to God to answer his prayer. This makes the prayer a
collective one, with all those who are present joining their fellow Muslim in
an appeal to God on behalf of the one who is saying that prayer. But why would
the Jews be envious of our greeting?
The word 'Salam', which means peace, is also a name of Allah. Using it in our
greeting is a constant reminder of the special relation between a believer and
Allah.
We have already mentioned that the Prophet has encouraged us to use the Islamic
greeting often, and with all people. But how important is it to greet others?
To answer this question we mention a Hadith reported by Abu Hurairah
(radiAllahu anhu) who quotes the Prophet as saying: 'A Muslim
has a right against his fellow Muslim in six ways.' Asked what were these, the
Prophet said:
'(1)When you meet him, greet him;
(2) if he invites you, accept his invitation;
(3) if he seeks your advice, give him an honest and sincere advice;
(4) if he sneezes and praises God, bless him;
(5) if he falls ill, visit him; and
(6) if he dies, attend his funeral.'
[Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim]
The Hadith is clear in making it a duty of a Muslim to offer a greeting to his
fellow-Muslim when they meet. The one who takes the initiative is in a better
position. Although offering a greeting is a sunnah, which means that it is
highly recommended, returning a greeting is obligatory. The other five aspects
also help to cement relations within the Muslim community. All of them fall
within the category of Sunnah, except for giving an honest advice, which is
obligatory. A person who is asked for advice commits a sin if he deliberately
and knowingly gives the wrong advice. To do so is dishonest, and dishonesty is
forbidden in Islam.
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