The Islamic greeting

And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant.

Qur'aan Suurah al-Nisaa' Ayah 86



What is the greeting mentioned in this Ayah?

 

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "Allah created Adam in his image, sixty cubits (about 30 meters) in height. When He created him, He said (to him), "Go and greet that group of angels sitting there, and listen what they will say in reply to you, for that will be your greeting and the greeting of your offspring." Adam (went and) said, 'As-Salaamu alaikum (Peace be upon you).' They replied, 'As-Salamu-'Alaika wa Rahmatullah (Peace and Allah's Mercy be on you) So they increased 'Wa Rahmatullah' The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) added 'So whoever will enter Paradise, will be of the shape and picture of Adam. Since then the creation of Adam's (offspring) (i.e. stature of human beings is being diminished continuously) to the present time."

 

Sahih al-Bukhari



Imam al-Qurtubi notes in his Tafsir:

قال ابن أبي زيد : يقول المسلم : السلام عليكم ، ويقول الراد : وعليكم السلام ، أو يقول : السلام عليكم كما قيل له ؛ وهو معنى قوله أو ردوها ولا تقل في ردك : سلام عليك

Ibn Abi Zaid said: The Muslim says: as-salaamu alaykum and the one who returns the greeting says: wa alaykum usalaam or he says: as-salaamu alaykum just like it was said to him and this is the meaning of Allah's saying: "Or return it" and you do not say when you return the greeting salaamun alayika.


al-a'mash narrated from al-Nakha'i that he said:

إذا سلمت على الواحد فقل : السلام عليكم ، فإن معه الملائكة

When you say the greeting of salaam to one person, say: as-salaamu alaykum (using the plural form of the greeting) because the Angels are with him.



Imaam al-Qurtubi says:

من السنة تسليم الراكب على الماشي ، والقائم على القاعد ، والقليل على الكثير

It is the Sunnah that the rider initiates the greeting to the one who is walking, the one who is standing initiates the greeting to the one who is sitting, and that the group which is few in number initiates the greeting to the group which is more in number based on the following authentic Hadith:

 

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "The riding one should greet the walking one, and the walking one should greet the sitting one, and the small number of persons should greet the large number of persons."

Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith No. 6232




All of the jurists agree that to initiate the greeting is a Sunnah. However, to return the greeting is wajib (obligatory) based on the above Verse because Allah said: "greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]." He commanded us to return the greeting with a better one or at least one which is like it.

Greeting the one who plays Backgammon

Ibn Muflih mentioned in al-'adāb al-shar'iyyah that it is makrūh for every Muslim who is a mukallaf to say the Islamic greeting of Salām to the one who plays nard (Backgammon) or shaTranj (chess) and likewise it is makrūh to sit with such a person because he publicizes his sin.

وَذَكَرَ ابْنُ مُفْلِحٍ فِي الآْدَابِ الشَّرْعِيَّةِ أَنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ لِكُل مُسْلِمٍ مُكَلَّفٍ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ عَلَى مَنْ يَلْعَبُ النَّرْدَ أَوِ الشِّطْرَنْجَ، وَكَذَا مُجَالَسَتُهُ لإِِظْهَارِهِ الْمَعْصِيَةَ

 

Can a man say Salam to a woman?


A man can say the greeting of Salām to a group of women. Likewise, it is permissible for him to say the Islamic greeting of Salām to a single woman provided there is no fear of fitnah. The evidence for this is the following Hadīth:

Asma', daughter of Yazid, said the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), passed us by when we were with some women and gave us a salutation.

Sunan Abi Dāwud Hadīth No 5204

وَأَمَّا سَلاَمُ الرَّجُل عَلَى جَمَاعَةِ النِّسَاءِ فَجَائِزٌ، وَكَذَا سَلاَمُ الرِّجَال عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ الْوَاحِدَةِ عِنْدَ أَمْنِ الْفِتْنَةِ. وَمِمَّا يَدُل عَلَى جَوَازِ سَلاَمِ الرَّجُل عَلَى جَمَاعَةِ النِّسَاءِ مَا رُوِيَ عَنْ أَسْمَاءَ بِنْتِ يَزِيدَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: مَرَّ عَلَيْنَا رَسُول اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فِي نِسْوَةٍ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْنَا

 

When you say Salam to a group


If a Muslim says Salām to a Muslim, the Muslim must return the Salām. If a person says Salām to a group, then it is a communal obligation to return the Salām which means that if one from among the group returns the Salām, the obligation is lifted from the rest. If no one from the group returns the Salām, they all incur sin. And if they all return the Salām, that is height of being complete and most virtuous.

وَأَمَّا رَدُّ السَّلاَمِ فَإِنْ كَانَ الْمُسَلَّمُ عَلَيْهِ وَاحِدًا تَعَيَّنَ عَلَيْهِ الرَّدُّ، وَإِنْ كَانُوا جَمَاعَةً كَانَ رَدُّ السَّلاَمِ فَرْضَ كِفَايَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَإِنْ رَدَّ وَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمْ سَقَطَ الْحَرَجُ عَنِ الْبَاقِينَ، وَإِنْ تَرَكُوهُ كُلُّهُمْ أَثِمُوا كُلُّهُمْ، وَإِنْ رَدُّوا كُلُّهُمْ فَهُوَ النِّهَايَةُ فِي الْكَمَال وَالْفَضِيلَةِ

 

 

Can you return the greeting of Salam with another greeting?


Ibn Hajar said:

The scholars agree that if someone greets you with the Islamic greeting of Salām, you must return the greeting with Salām and nothing else like صبحت بالخير suffices.

قال ابن حجر في الفتح: واتفقوا على أن من سلم لم يجزئ في جوابه إلا السلام، ولا يجزئ في جوابه صبحت بالخير أو بالسعادة ونحو ذلك، واختلف فيمن أتى في التحية بغير لفظ السلام هل يجب جوابه أم لا

 

Is initiating the Salam waajib or a Sunnah?


According to the ahnāf, one narration of Ahmad bin Hanbal, and a view among the Māliki which opposes their mashhūr view, initiating the greeting of Salām is wājib. Their evidence is the following Hadīth:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) as saying:

Six are the rights of a Muslim over another Muslim. It was said to him: Allah's Messenger, what are these? Thereupon he said: When you meet him, offer him greetings;when he invites you to a feast accept it. when he seeks your council give him, and when he sneezes and says:" All praise is due to Allah," you say Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah show mercy to you) ; and when he fails ill visit him; and when he dies follow his bier.

Sahīh Muslim

وَذَهَبَ الْحَنَفِيَّةُ - وَهُوَ رِوَايَةٌ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ وَقَوْلٌ مُقَابِلٌ لِلْمَشْهُورِ عِنْدَ الْمَالِكِيَّةِ - إِلَى أَنَّ الاِبْتِدَاءَ بِالسَّلاَمِ وَاجِبٌ.

 

Saying Salam in return to a Salam in a letter


Narrated `Aisha:

Allah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "O `Aisha! This is Gabriel sending his greetings to you." I said, "Peace, and Allah's Mercy be on him (Gabriel). You see what we do not see." (She was addressing Allah's Messenger).

Sahīh al-Bukhāri

al-Nawawi mentions in his book al-'adhkār on the authority of Abi Sa'd al-mutawallā and others regarding a person who calls out the Salām from behind a barrier saying Peace be upon you O so and so, or writes a letter in which he writes Peace be upon you O so and so, or sends a messenger and says: Say salām to so and so, and the letter or the messenger reaches the person, then it is obligatory upon the person to return the salām. The Shāfi'i and Hanbali have explicitly stated this.

al-Nawawi said: Our companions said: This returning of the salām is wājib and one must do it immediately. And, likewise, if the salām reaches him on paper from somewhere, he must articulate the salām immediately as soon as he reads it.

السَّلاَمُ بِوَاسِطَةِ الرَّسُول أَوِ الْكِتَابِ كَالسَّلاَمِ مُشَافَهَةً، فَقَدْ ذَكَرَ النَّوَوِيُّ فِي كِتَابِهِ الأَْذْكَارِ عَنْ أَبِي سَعْدٍ الْمُتَوَلِّي وَغَيْرِهِ فِيمَا إِذَا نَادَى إِنْسَانٌ إِنْسَانًا مِنْ خَلْفِ سِتْرٍ أَوْ حَائِطٍ فَقَال: السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا فُلاَنُ، أَوْ كَتَبَ كِتَابًا فِيهِ: السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا فُلاَنُ، أَوِ: السَّلاَمُ عَلَى فُلاَنٍ، أَوْ: أَرْسَل رَسُولاً وَقَال: سَلِّمْ عَلَى فُلاَنٍ، فَبَلَغَهُ الْكِتَابُ أَوِ الرَّسُول وَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّ السَّلاَمَ. صَرَّحَ بِذَلِكَ الشَّافِعِيَّةُ وَالْحَنَابِلَةُ، قَال النَّوَوِيُّ: قَال أَصْحَابُنَا: وَهَذَا الرَّدُّ وَاجِبٌ عَلَى الْفَوْرِ، وَكَذَا لَوْ بَلَغَهُ سَلاَمٌ فِي وَرَقَةٍ مِنْ غَائِبٍ وَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّ السَّلاَمَ بِاللَّفْظِ عَلَى الْفَوْرِ إِذَا قَرَأَهُ.

When you pass by a group you think will not return your Salaam

al-Nawawi said:

When a person passes by another person or a group and thinks that if he says Salām to them, they will not return the greeting because of arrogance or negligence or for other reasons, then one should still say the Salām and should not abandon it based on his conjecture because the one walking has been ordered to say Salām and has not been ordered to get a response back and because it is possible that his conjecture that the Salām will not be returned may turn out to be incorrect, and the one he passes by does return the Salām.


قَال النَّوَوِيُّ: إِذَا مَرَّ عَلَى وَاحِدٍ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ وَغَلَبَ عَلَى ظَنِّهِ أَنَّهُ إِذَا سَلَّمَ لاَ يَرُدُّ عَلَيْهِ، إِمَّا لِتَكَبُّرٍ الْمَمْرُورِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِمَّا لإِِهْمَالِهِ الْمَارَّ أَوِ السَّلاَمَ، وَإِمَّا لِغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، فَيَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ وَلاَ يَتْرُكَهُ لِهَذَا الظَّنِّ، فَإِنَّ السَّلاَمَ مَأْمُورٌ بِهِ، وَاَلَّذِي أُمِرَ بِهِ الْمَارُّ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ وَلَمْ يُؤْمَرْ بِأَنْ يُحَصِّل الرَّدَّ، مَعَ أَنَّ الْمَمْرُورَ عَلَيْهِ قَدْ يُخْطِئُ الظَّنُّ فِيهِ وَيَرُدُّ



Reference(s):
Tafsir al-Qurtubi
Kuwaiti Encyclopedia of Fiqh