Greeting
A word or gesture of welcome or salutation.
Or
The act or words of welcoming on meeting
Greeting as
Plural noun 2. best wishes, regards, respects, compliments, good wishes, salutations.
What is Greetings?
Greetings is the oldest form of initiating a conversation when two people meet, it is an
acknowledgment of the existence of the other. From a Simple “Hi” to “Hamazor Hama Ashobed”-
meaning I am fine and hope you are too. The essence of greetings is “ I CARE” and this
statement is flavored by religions, traditions and cultures - all mean goodness, pure goodness.
Allow me to greet you in the traditional greetings of different faiths
“ Alla Abho” - meaning God is Glorious, that is a Baha'i Greeting –
God Bless “ Generalized Christian Greetings”
Namaste “ the go(o)d in me invokes the go(o)d in you”
Salaam Alaikum “ let you be peaceful and safe
Jai Jinendra, Shalom Alechum, Sat Sri Akaal and Hamazor Hama
greeting. All meaning "I Care about you and your well being" - isn't it beautifulht
Back ground of assalam-o-alikum
As-Salamu `Alaykum is a word of Arabic language.
The Arabic language , or simply Arabic , is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language fami...
greeting used in Muslim Facts About Muslim
A Muslim is an adherent of Islam....
cultures. The term Salaam means "Peace". It can also be transliterated Transliteration Summary
Transliteration is the practice of transcribing a word or text written in one writing system into another writing system....
as Assalamu 'Alaikum or As-salaamu Alaikum meaning "Peace be upon you". The traditional response is "wa `Alaykum As-Salaam", meaning "and on you be peace".
This type of greeting is common in the East Middle East
The Middle East is a subcontinent for the historical and cultural sub region of Africa-Eurasia traditionally held to be count...
and Africa
Africa is one of the greatest sized continents of the Earth....
; it is similar to the Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Jew...
greeting of Shalom aleichem
Shalom aleichem is a greeting in Hebrew, meaning "Peace be upon you"....
.
This type of greeting is also found in the Asia
Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia is the southwestern portion of Asia....
; it is similar to the Old Persian Avestan language
Avestan is an Eastern Old Iranian language that was used to compose the hymns of the Zoroastrian holy book, the Avesta....
greeting of Salaam (meaning Salute), it was used during many battles to identify their ethos and is also found in the sacred language.
The greeting is almost always accompanied by a handshake (when exchanged between persons of the same gender). The exception is Eid Mubarak
Eid Mubarak is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festivals of Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr....
, when the hand shake is customarily preceded by three embraces. This practice however is not based on any Islamic ruling.
InArabia the greeting is associated with two or three light kisses. On the subcontinent Indian subcontinent Overview
The Indian subcontinent is a peninsula landmass of the Asian continent occupying the Indian Plate and extending into the Ind...
, the saying of Salaam is often accompanied with an obeisance, performed by bowing low and placing the right palm on the forehead. InIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a nation of islands consisting of 18,110 islands in the South Eas ...
, greeting is usually accompanied by a kind of two-handed "handshake". None of these is derived from Islamic custom, but are based in cultural traditions.
The Arabic language , or simply Arabic , is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language fami...
greeting used in Muslim Facts About Muslim
A Muslim is an adherent of Islam....
cultures. The term Salaam means "Peace". It can also be transliterated Transliteration Summary
Transliteration is the practice of transcribing a word or text written in one writing system into another writing system....
as Assalamu 'Alaikum or As-salaamu Alaikum meaning "Peace be upon you". The traditional response is "wa `Alaykum As-Salaam", meaning "and on you be peace".
This type of greeting is common in the East Middle East
The Middle East is a subcontinent for the historical and cultural sub region of Africa-Eurasia traditionally held to be count...
and Africa
Africa is one of the greatest sized continents of the Earth....
; it is similar to the Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Jew...
greeting of Shalom aleichem
Shalom aleichem is a greeting in Hebrew, meaning "Peace be upon you"....
.
This type of greeting is also found in the Asia
Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia is the southwestern portion of Asia....
; it is similar to the Old Persian Avestan language
Avestan is an Eastern Old Iranian language that was used to compose the hymns of the Zoroastrian holy book, the Avesta....
greeting of Salaam (meaning Salute), it was used during many battles to identify their ethos and is also found in the sacred language.
The greeting is almost always accompanied by a handshake (when exchanged between persons of the same gender). The exception is Eid Mubarak
Eid Mubarak is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festivals of Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr....
, when the hand shake is customarily preceded by three embraces. This practice however is not based on any Islamic ruling.
In
The Indian subcontinent is a peninsula landmass of the Asian continent occupying the Indian Plate and extending into the Ind...
, the saying of Salaam is often accompanied with an obeisance, performed by bowing low and placing the right palm on the forehead. In
, greeting is usually accompanied by a kind of two-handed "handshake". None of these is derived from Islamic custom, but are based in cultural traditions.
Pronunciation from country to country
The term As-Salamu `Alaykum varies slightly in pronunciation from country to country, but always remains universally intelligible.
The classical pronunciation of the greeting in Fus'ha (Classical) Arabic is
Virtually all Arabic speakers today, especially those in the Middle East omit the initial 'As' and pronounce the word as 'Salamu `Alaykum'.
English language
English is a widely distributed language that originated in England but is now the primary language in numerous countries....
speakers not well acquainted with using the greeting often find it to be difficult to pronounce correctly. English speakers usually pronounce the term as which is usually considered quite amusing by most listeners. To pronounce the term properly according to the Classical Arabic pronunciation, make sure every time the letter a is pronounced, it is said as an as in cat, not as the in car.
In many parts of the world, indeed in most of the non-Arabic speaking countries the greeting is pronounced or in a similar variation. This is especially common in Africa
Africa is one of the greatest sized continents of the Earth....
, the Indian sub-continent, South East Asia and in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern region of Europe variably defined....
.
Amongst various Arabic speaking countries there is also a varied pronunciation. In Morocco
The Kingdom of Morocco is a country in North Africa....
the greeting is usually pronounced as while in Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula....
the Bedouins are known to pronounce the 'k' as a 'ch' whereby the greeting becomes
Variation
The term in Arabic uses the second person plural, even when used to address one person, similar to the use of vous in French language
French is the third-largest of the Romance languages in terms of number of native speakers, after Spanish and Portuguese, b...
. However the term may also be used addressing a person in the singular form both masculine and feminine, the dual form, or the feminine plural. This is how they are said:
As-Salamu `Alayk(a)—Peace be upon you (m. sing.)
As-Salamu `Alayk(i)—Peace be upon you (f. sing)
As-Salamu `Alayk(uma)—Peace be upon you (to two people of any gender)
As-Salamu `Alaykunn(a)—Peace be upon you (f. plural - to three or more females only)
As-Salamu `Alaykum—Peace be upon you (To a group of three or more people, where at least one is a male - or to a member of state such as a prime minister, president, king, or queen)
The correct classical Arabic response depends on who is addressing you. The same rules apply as above; ka, ki, kuma, kunna, kum;
wa alayk(...) as-salaam
(Note: According to classical Arabic pronunciation, the last vowel in each word is not pronounced unless it is followed by another word.)
Similarly, the word "As-Salam" may be replaced by "Salamun" . This form of the word is used in a passage of the Qur'an
The Qur’an, is the central religious text of Islam....
describing the greeting of the Angel
An angel is a supernatural being found in many religions....
s towards the inhabitants of Paradise
The word paradise is derived from the Avestan word pairidaeza, which is a compound of pairi-, a cognate of the Gre...
:
French is the third-largest of the Romance languages in terms of number of native speakers, after Spanish and Portuguese, b...
. However the term may also be used addressing a person in the singular form both masculine and feminine, the dual form, or the feminine plural. This is how they are said:
As-Salamu `Alayk(a)—Peace be upon you (m. sing.)
As-Salamu `Alayk(i)—Peace be upon you (f. sing)
As-Salamu `Alayk(uma)—Peace be upon you (to two people of any gender)
As-Salamu `Alaykunn(a)—Peace be upon you (f. plural - to three or more females only)
As-Salamu `Alaykum—Peace be upon you (To a group of three or more people, where at least one is a male - or to a member of state such as a prime minister, president, king, or queen)
The correct classical Arabic response depends on who is addressing you. The same rules apply as above; ka, ki, kuma, kunna, kum;
wa alayk(...) as-salaam
(Note: According to classical Arabic pronunciation, the last vowel in each word is not pronounced unless it is followed by another word.)
Similarly, the word "As-Salam" may be replaced by "Salamun" . This form of the word is used in a passage of the Qur'an
The Qur’an, is the central religious text of Islam....
describing the greeting of the Angel
An angel is a supernatural being found in many religions....
s towards the inhabitants of Paradise
The word paradise is derived from the Avestan word pairidaeza, which is a compound of pairi-, a cognate of the Gre...
:
And angels shall enter unto them from every gate (saying) Salaamun ‘Alaykum (peace be upon you) for you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!’— (Ar-Ra'ad 13:23-24)
The form "Salamun `Alaykum" is especially used in
, where it is spelled "Selamün Aleyküm".
FAITH FOLLOWERS GREETINGS ALTERNATIVES GOD’S NAME
Bahai Bahai Allah Abho Glorious God Al-Abhá
Buddhism Buddhist Buddha Namo In the name of Buddha Buddha
Christianity Christian Peace Peace to you Jesus, God
Hinduism Hindu Namastay Namaskar, Hare Krishna, Jai
Swami Narayan Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ishwar,
Bhagvan, Ganesh
Islam Muslim As- Salaam-o-Alaikum Salaam, Ya-ali Madad Allah
Jainism Jain Jai Jinendra Mahavir Swamy, Tirthankar,
Judaism Jew Shalom - Alechum Shalom Yahweh, Eliyahu, Halleluyah
Sikhism Sikh Sat Sriakaal Greetings Wahe Guru,Onkar
Zoroastrianism Zoroastrian Hamazor Hama Ashobed I am fine and hope you are too. Ahura Mazda,
Universal Universal Hi Hello
Different ways of greetings in the world
Islamic rulings related to the use of the greeting
It is also preferred to use the greeting when arriving and also when leaving. It was reported that Abu Hurayrah said “When one of you joins a gathering, let him say salaam. When he wants to get up and leave, let him say salaam. The former is not more important than the latter.” (Saheeh - at-Tirmidhi)
- According to hadithFacts About Hadith
Hadith are traditions relating to the words and deeds of the prophet Muhammad....
the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad 570-632 CE, was an Arab religious and political leader and the historical founder of Islam....
was asked who should "begin" the salaam greeting, and he said:
"The one who is riding should greet the one, who is walking, and the one who is walking should greet the one who is sitting, and the smaller group should greet the larger group." (Saheeh - Al-Bukhaari, 6234; Muslim, 2160)
- It is also stated that one should give the Salam greeting upon entering a house, even if the house is empty. This is based upon the verse of the Qur'anQur'an
the Qur’an, is the central religious text of Islam....
:
"But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah (i.e. say: As-Salaamu ‘Alaykum — peace be on you), blessed and good." (Al-Noor 24:61)
The Importance of Giving Salaam (Greeting in Islam)
Assalamu Alaykum WA Rahmatullahi WA
Bismillah Al Rahman Al Raheem
Bukhari Volume 3, Book 43, Number 625:
Narrated Muawiya bin Suwald:
I heard Al-Bara' bin 'Azib saying, "The Prophet orders us to do seven things and prohibited us from doing seven other things." Then Al-Bara' mentioned the following:--
(1) To pay a visit to the sick (inquiring about his health),
(2) to follow funeral processions,
(3) to say to a sneezer, "May Allah be merciful to you" (if he says, "Praise be to Allah!"),
(4) to return greetings,
(5) to help the oppressed,
(6) to accept invitations,
(7) to help others to fulfill their oaths. (See Hadith No. 753, Vol. 7)
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessing be upon him) observed: You shall not enter Paradise so long as you do not affirm belief (in all those things which are the articles of faith) and you will not believe as long as you do not love one another. Should I not direct you to a thing which, if you do, will foster love amongst you: (i. e.) give currency to (the practice of paying salutation to one another by saying) as-salamu alaikum. Muslim Book 001, Number 0096:
It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. 'Amr that a man asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) which of the merits (is superior) in Islam. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: That you provide food and extend greetings to one whom you know or do not know.(Muslim)
Abu Said Kbudri reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: Avoid sitting on the paths. They (his Companions) said: Allah's Messenger. There is no other help to it (but to sit here as we) hold our meetings and discuss matters there. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: If you have to sit at all, theg fulfil the rights, of the path. They said: What are their rights? Thereupon he said: Keeping the eye downward (so that you may not stare at the women), refraining from doing some harm to the other and exchanging mutual greetings (saying as-Salamu 'Alaikum to one another) and commanding the good and forbidding the evil. Muslim Book 024, Number 5293:
Praise be to Allah.
All people have the custom of greeting one another, and every group has its own distinctive greeting that distinguishes them from other people.
The Arabs used to greet one another with the words “An’im sabaahan” or “An’imu sabaahan” [equivalent to “Good morning” – Translator], using words derived from “al-ni’mah”, which means good living after the morning. The idea was that because the morning is the first part of the day, if a person encounters something good in the morning, the rest of the day will be good too.
When Islam came, Allah prescribed that the manner of greeting among Muslims should be “Al-salaamu alaykum,” and that this greeting should only be used among Muslims and not for other nations. The meaning of salaam (literally, peace) is harmlessness, safety and protection from evil and from faults. The name al-Salaam is a Name of Allaah, may He be exalted, so the meaning of the greeting of salaam which is required among Muslims is, “May the blessing of His Name descend upon you.” The usage of the preposition ‘ala in ‘alaykum (upon you) indicates that the greeting is inclusive.
Ibn al-Qayyim said in Badaa’i' al-Fawaa’id (144):
“Allaah, the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Peace, prescribed that the greeting among the people of Islam should be ‘al-salaamu ‘alaykum’, which is better than all the greetings of other nations which include impossible ideas or lies, such as saying, ‘May you live for a thousand years,’ or things that are not accurate, such as ‘An’im sabaahan (Good morning),’ or actions that are not right, such as prostrating in greeting. Thus the greeting of salaam is better than all of these, because it has the meaning of safety which is life, without which nothing else can be achieved. So this takes precedence over all other aims or objectives. A person has two main aims in life: to keep himself safe from evil, and to get something good. Keeping safe from evil takes precedence over getting something good…”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made spreading salaam a part of faith. Al-Bukhaari (12, 28 and 6236), Muslim (39), Ahmad (2/169), Abu Dawood (5494), al-Nisaa’i, (8/107) and Ibn Hibbaan (505) narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar that a man asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “What is the best thing in Islam?” He said, “Feeding others and giving the greeting of salaam to those whom you know and those whom you do not know.”
Ibn Hajar said in al-Fath (1/56):
“i.e., do not single out anybody out of arrogance or to impress them, but do it to honour the symbols of Islam and to foster Islamic brotherhood.”
Ibn Rajab said in al-Fath (1/43):
“The hadeeth makes the connection between feeding others and spreading salaam because this combines good actions in both word and deed, which is perfect good treatment (ihsaan). Indeed, this is the best thing that you can do in Islam after the obligatory duties.”
Al-Sanoosi said in Ikmaal al-Mu’allim (1/244):
“What is meant by salaam is the greeting between people, which sows seeds of love and friendship in their hearts, as does giving food. There may be some weakness in the heart of one of them, which is dispelled when he is greeted, or there may be some hostility, which is turned to friendship by the greeting.”
Al-Qaadi said in Ikmaal al-Mu’allim (1:276):
“Here the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was urging the believers to soften their hearts. The best Islamic attitude is to love one another and greet one another, and this is achieved by words and deeds. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged the Muslims to foster love between one another by exchanging gifts and food, and by spreading salaam, and he forbade the opposite, namely forsaking one another, turning away from one another, spying on one another, seeking out information about one another, stirring up trouble and being two faced.
Love is one of the duties of Islam and one of the pillars of the Islamic system. One should give salaams to those whom one knows and those whom one does not know, out of sincerity towards Allaah; one should not try to impress other people by giving salaams only to those whom one knows and no-one else. This also entails an attitude of humility and spreading the symbols of this ummah through the word of salaam.”
Thus the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained that this salaam spreads love and brotherhood. Muslim (54), Ahmad (2/391), and al-Tirmidhi (2513) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“You will not enterParadise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you about something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salaam amongst yourselves.”
Al-Qaadi ‘Ayaad said in al-Ikmaal (1/304):
“This is urging us to spread salaam, as mentioned above, among those whom we know and those whom we do not know. Salaam is the first level of righteousness and the first quality of brotherhood, and it is the key to creating love. By spreading salaam the Muslims’ love for one another grows stronger and they demonstrate their distinctive symbols and spread a feeling of security amongst themselves. This is the meaning of Islam.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also explained the reward earned by the one who says salaam, as was reported by al-Nisaa’i in ‘Aml al-yawm wa’l-laylah (368) and al-Bukhaari in al-Adab al-Mufrad (586) and by Ibn Hibban (493). They reported from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a man passed by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) whilst he was sitting with some others, and said “Salaam ‘alaykum (peace be upon you).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “[He will have] ten hasanaat (rewards).” Another man passed by and said “Salaam ‘alaykum wa rahmat-Allaah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “[He will have] twenty hasanaat.” Another man passed by and said “Salaam ‘alaykum wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “[He will have] thirty hasanaat.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to return salaams, and made it a right and a duty. Ahmad (2/540), al-Bukhaari (1240), Muslim (2792), al-Nisaa’i in al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah (221) and Abu Dawood (5031) all reported that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Muslim has five rights over his fellow-Muslim: he should return his salaams, visit him when he is sick, attend his funeral, accept his invitation, and pray for mercy for him [say “Yarhamuk Allaah”] when he sneezes.”
Bismillah Al Rahman Al Raheem
Bukhari Volume 3, Book 43, Number 625:
Narrated Muawiya bin Suwald:
I heard Al-Bara' bin 'Azib saying, "The Prophet orders us to do seven things and prohibited us from doing seven other things." Then Al-Bara' mentioned the following:--
(1) To pay a visit to the sick (inquiring about his health),
(2) to follow funeral processions,
(3) to say to a sneezer, "May Allah be merciful to you" (if he says, "Praise be to Allah!"),
(4) to return greetings,
(5) to help the oppressed,
(6) to accept invitations,
(7) to help others to fulfill their oaths. (See Hadith No. 753, Vol. 7)
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessing be upon him) observed: You shall not enter Paradise so long as you do not affirm belief (in all those things which are the articles of faith) and you will not believe as long as you do not love one another. Should I not direct you to a thing which, if you do, will foster love amongst you: (i. e.) give currency to (the practice of paying salutation to one another by saying) as-salamu alaikum. Muslim Book 001, Number 0096:
It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. 'Amr that a man asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) which of the merits (is superior) in Islam. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: That you provide food and extend greetings to one whom you know or do not know.(Muslim)
Abu Said Kbudri reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: Avoid sitting on the paths. They (his Companions) said: Allah's Messenger. There is no other help to it (but to sit here as we) hold our meetings and discuss matters there. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: If you have to sit at all, theg fulfil the rights, of the path. They said: What are their rights? Thereupon he said: Keeping the eye downward (so that you may not stare at the women), refraining from doing some harm to the other and exchanging mutual greetings (saying as-Salamu 'Alaikum to one another) and commanding the good and forbidding the evil. Muslim Book 024, Number 5293:
Praise be to Allah.
All people have the custom of greeting one another, and every group has its own distinctive greeting that distinguishes them from other people.
The Arabs used to greet one another with the words “An’im sabaahan” or “An’imu sabaahan” [equivalent to “Good morning” – Translator], using words derived from “al-ni’mah”, which means good living after the morning. The idea was that because the morning is the first part of the day, if a person encounters something good in the morning, the rest of the day will be good too.
When Islam came, Allah prescribed that the manner of greeting among Muslims should be “Al-salaamu alaykum,” and that this greeting should only be used among Muslims and not for other nations. The meaning of salaam (literally, peace) is harmlessness, safety and protection from evil and from faults. The name al-Salaam is a Name of Allaah, may He be exalted, so the meaning of the greeting of salaam which is required among Muslims is, “May the blessing of His Name descend upon you.” The usage of the preposition ‘ala in ‘alaykum (upon you) indicates that the greeting is inclusive.
Ibn al-Qayyim said in Badaa’i' al-Fawaa’id (144):
“Allaah, the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Peace, prescribed that the greeting among the people of Islam should be ‘al-salaamu ‘alaykum’, which is better than all the greetings of other nations which include impossible ideas or lies, such as saying, ‘May you live for a thousand years,’ or things that are not accurate, such as ‘An’im sabaahan (Good morning),’ or actions that are not right, such as prostrating in greeting. Thus the greeting of salaam is better than all of these, because it has the meaning of safety which is life, without which nothing else can be achieved. So this takes precedence over all other aims or objectives. A person has two main aims in life: to keep himself safe from evil, and to get something good. Keeping safe from evil takes precedence over getting something good…”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made spreading salaam a part of faith. Al-Bukhaari (12, 28 and 6236), Muslim (39), Ahmad (2/169), Abu Dawood (5494), al-Nisaa’i, (8/107) and Ibn Hibbaan (505) narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar that a man asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “What is the best thing in Islam?” He said, “Feeding others and giving the greeting of salaam to those whom you know and those whom you do not know.”
Ibn Hajar said in al-Fath (1/56):
“i.e., do not single out anybody out of arrogance or to impress them, but do it to honour the symbols of Islam and to foster Islamic brotherhood.”
Ibn Rajab said in al-Fath (1/43):
“The hadeeth makes the connection between feeding others and spreading salaam because this combines good actions in both word and deed, which is perfect good treatment (ihsaan). Indeed, this is the best thing that you can do in Islam after the obligatory duties.”
Al-Sanoosi said in Ikmaal al-Mu’allim (1/244):
“What is meant by salaam is the greeting between people, which sows seeds of love and friendship in their hearts, as does giving food. There may be some weakness in the heart of one of them, which is dispelled when he is greeted, or there may be some hostility, which is turned to friendship by the greeting.”
Al-Qaadi said in Ikmaal al-Mu’allim (1:276):
“Here the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was urging the believers to soften their hearts. The best Islamic attitude is to love one another and greet one another, and this is achieved by words and deeds. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged the Muslims to foster love between one another by exchanging gifts and food, and by spreading salaam, and he forbade the opposite, namely forsaking one another, turning away from one another, spying on one another, seeking out information about one another, stirring up trouble and being two faced.
Love is one of the duties of Islam and one of the pillars of the Islamic system. One should give salaams to those whom one knows and those whom one does not know, out of sincerity towards Allaah; one should not try to impress other people by giving salaams only to those whom one knows and no-one else. This also entails an attitude of humility and spreading the symbols of this ummah through the word of salaam.”
Thus the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained that this salaam spreads love and brotherhood. Muslim (54), Ahmad (2/391), and al-Tirmidhi (2513) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“You will not enter
Al-Qaadi ‘Ayaad said in al-Ikmaal (1/304):
“This is urging us to spread salaam, as mentioned above, among those whom we know and those whom we do not know. Salaam is the first level of righteousness and the first quality of brotherhood, and it is the key to creating love. By spreading salaam the Muslims’ love for one another grows stronger and they demonstrate their distinctive symbols and spread a feeling of security amongst themselves. This is the meaning of Islam.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also explained the reward earned by the one who says salaam, as was reported by al-Nisaa’i in ‘Aml al-yawm wa’l-laylah (368) and al-Bukhaari in al-Adab al-Mufrad (586) and by Ibn Hibban (493). They reported from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a man passed by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) whilst he was sitting with some others, and said “Salaam ‘alaykum (peace be upon you).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “[He will have] ten hasanaat (rewards).” Another man passed by and said “Salaam ‘alaykum wa rahmat-Allaah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “[He will have] twenty hasanaat.” Another man passed by and said “Salaam ‘alaykum wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “[He will have] thirty hasanaat.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to return salaams, and made it a right and a duty. Ahmad (2/540), al-Bukhaari (1240), Muslim (2792), al-Nisaa’i in al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah (221) and Abu Dawood (5031) all reported that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Muslim has five rights over his fellow-Muslim: he should return his salaams, visit him when he is sick, attend his funeral, accept his invitation, and pray for mercy for him [say “Yarhamuk Allaah”] when he sneezes.”
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Greetings in Islam:Allah Almighty in the Noble Quran commands us to return a greeting with a better one or at least an equal one. We must maintain the high standards in manners and always be the best examples.
Let us look at Noble Verse 4:86 "When a (courteous) greeting is offered you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy. Allah takes careful account of all things."
The necessary correlative to the command to fight in a good cause is the command to cultivate sweetness and cordiality in our manners at all times. For fighting is an exceptional necessity while the sweetness of daily human intercourse is a normal need. Further, we give kindness and courtesy without asking, and return it if possible in even better terms than we received, or at least in equally courteous terms. For we are all creatures of One GOD, and shall be brought together before Him.
Proper Greetings in Islam
September 25, 2007 by Saifuddin
I have on occasion come across Muslims who are sincere but ignorant of some of the finer points of Islamic lifestyle according to the traditions of the Holy Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him). This however, is easy to do in this day and age where there are so many forgotten traditions of the Holy Prophet which if we saw today we may think they are some strange bidat! One of these forgotten traditions is one of the most basic and fundamental elements of our dear religion, the Islamic greeting. The Islamic greeting, as-salaam ‘alaikum; God’s Peace be upon you, is an element of good Islamic manners. In the proper conduct of greetings one may find keys to good social behavior and the proprieties of friendship and exchanges in Islamic framings. God says in the Qur’an (BismillaharRahmanirRahim),“When you are greeted with a greeting, greet with better than it or return it. Allah takes count of all things”. (004:086)
So clearly it is preferred to return a greeting by adding to it. But there have been so many times where I have greeted a Muslim and received no greeting at all! And perhaps times where a Muslim has greeted me and received only an equal greeting in return, or worse. These days we greet people we know, and only people we know. When we receive a greeting from someone we don’t know we are silent looking oddly as if someone has violated an unwritten code of ethics. But this unwritten code of ethics is un-Islamic by nature and egoistic at best.
One aspect of our Islamic greeting would puzzle me when I first began studying the Arabic language and that was, the fact that we salute a single individual in the the plural saying, as-salaamu ‘alaikum, ‘alaikum implying “upon you all”. This plural pronoun was also used in response. Al-A’mash, Ibrahim an-Nakha’i discussed this item saying,
“When you salute a single individual, you must say: as-salaamu ‘alaikum [using the pronoun -kum], for the angels are with him.”
It should be interesting to note that our greeting, seemingly of a simple nature, holds many keys within it. And like other keys or secrets, there are protocols upon their use. For example a hadith, tradition of the Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him), reported in the Sahih of Muslim as narrated by Abu Huraira (may Allah be well pleased with him) says that according to God’s Messenger (may Peace and Blessings be upon him),
“The rider should salute the walker, the walker the sitter, and the few the many.”
Shaikh Ahmad Fathu’llah Jami’s Sifat al-Mu’minin (The Attributes of the Believers) gives a clear and concise commentary on this hadith explaining that,
“He began mentioning the rider, because of his elevated rank, and because pride might otherwise deter him from being the first to salute. The same principle was then applied to the walker [in relation to the sitter]. It has also been said: “Since the sitter is in the state of dignity, calm and composure, he is entitled to that prerogative [of being saluted], rather that the walker, whose state is the opposite.” As for the salutation offered by the few to the many, it is a mark of respect for the majority of Muslims. As recorded by al-Bukhari, this Prophetic tradition includes the addition words:
“The younger should salute the adult.”
Another custom of the Holy Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) is shaking hands while offering salaams. This custom in particular, you will find upon meeting me that I have a fondness for, perhaps to a fault. Today, we must ask ourselves, how much of this, seemingly simple custom are we following? And if we are not what have we adopted in its place? Especially when there is blessing and reward for us in these simple customs. For instance concerning the shaking of hands, the Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) says,
“When two Muslims shake hands, their sins fall to the ground, as leaves of the tree fall to the ground.”
MashaAllah! And we pass the opportunity to rid ourselves of sins on a daily basis. Yes, mashaAllah to us! There are so many customs for greetings that are lost. But those that we have we should try our best to apply and to raise our children with, to train our children to exercise so that they can benefit from them for generations and not lose these gems, these salutations of the Prophet in later generations. Some of these customs I had never seen in regular life until I attended regular association with a shaykh. Some of which have happened more recently, these customs include:
- When entering an empty house, you must offer the salutation of peace.
- You are saluting yourself on Allah’s behalf.
- You are saluting the believing jinn who occupy the house.
- Through the blessings of peace, you are seeking safety from the devils and harmful influences present in the house.
- Custom requires the person who initiates the salutation to be in a state of ritual purity (wudu’) as well as the respondent.
- When two people meet, custom requires them to try and forestall each other in offering the salutation, as a demonstration of humility.
Effect on organizational culture and performance
By having practice of asalam o alikum in organization we can enhance our relationships either one another.
