What is the difference between returning the salam and initiating it?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner: There are many, but the Maghrib prayer caught up with us here.
The Shaykh: All right, if Allah wills, you will pray the sunnah and Allah will accept it from you. I entrust you to Allah. May peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The questioner : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The Shaykh: And I will add a new benefit for you.
The questioner: I and she thank Allah for you.
The Shaykh: That you say "and His forgiveness," that you add "and His forgiveness."
The questioner: That I add "and upon you peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings and His forgiveness."
The Shaykh: Yes, so that you act upon His saying, the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:86] We want the best for you,
The questioner: Thank you, Shaykh.
The Shaykh: But also another benefit, which is that if you initiate the salam to a man, you do not go beyond "and His blessings."
The questioner: If Allah wills, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh: Perhaps this is a bit ambiguous, meaning if I bid you farewell with the salam, I do not go beyond the word "and His blessings," whereas you, when you return my salam, add "and His forgiveness."
The questioner: Yes, yes, yes.
The Shaykh: I think the matter is clear to you.
The questioner: Yes, you say that if I want to add "His forgiveness" and omit "His blessings," is that correct?
The Shaykh: No, no, may Allah bless you, am I not bidding you farewell with the salam?
The questioner: Yes, yes.
The Shaykh: So I said, "May peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings." The one who initiates the salam stops at "and His blessings."
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh: As for the one who responds, he adds "and His forgiveness."
The questioner: It is clear now, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you.
The questioner: All right, Shaykh, in the safety of Allah.
The Shaykh: If I repeat, if I repeat, I repeat the warning: if you say "in the safety of Allah," correct yourself and say "May peace be upon you."
The questioner: If Allah wills, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh: So I say, "May peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings."
The questioner: I say, "And upon you peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings and His forgiveness."
The Shaykh: Well done, and until we meet soon, if Allah wills.
The questioner: In the safety of Allah, goodbye.
The Shaykh: And peace be upon you. If Allah wills. It is necessary, indeed, of course, it is customary. Welcome, everyone. May Allah keep you safe. Yes.
The questioner: Good evening.
The Shaykh: Good evening.
The Shaykh: All right, if Allah wills, you will pray the sunnah and Allah will accept it from you. I entrust you to Allah. May peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The questioner : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The Shaykh: And I will add a new benefit for you.
The questioner: I and she thank Allah for you.
The Shaykh: That you say "and His forgiveness," that you add "and His forgiveness."
The questioner: That I add "and upon you peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings and His forgiveness."
The Shaykh: Yes, so that you act upon His saying, the Exalted:
And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it
وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَاThe questioner: Thank you, Shaykh.
The Shaykh: But also another benefit, which is that if you initiate the salam to a man, you do not go beyond "and His blessings."
The questioner: If Allah wills, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh: Perhaps this is a bit ambiguous, meaning if I bid you farewell with the salam, I do not go beyond the word "and His blessings," whereas you, when you return my salam, add "and His forgiveness."
The questioner: Yes, yes, yes.
The Shaykh: I think the matter is clear to you.
The questioner: Yes, you say that if I want to add "His forgiveness" and omit "His blessings," is that correct?
The Shaykh: No, no, may Allah bless you, am I not bidding you farewell with the salam?
The questioner: Yes, yes.
The Shaykh: So I said, "May peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings." The one who initiates the salam stops at "and His blessings."
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh: As for the one who responds, he adds "and His forgiveness."
The questioner: It is clear now, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you.
The questioner: All right, Shaykh, in the safety of Allah.
The Shaykh: If I repeat, if I repeat, I repeat the warning: if you say "in the safety of Allah," correct yourself and say "May peace be upon you."
The questioner: If Allah wills, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh: So I say, "May peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings."
The questioner: I say, "And upon you peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings and His forgiveness."
The Shaykh: Well done, and until we meet soon, if Allah wills.
The questioner: In the safety of Allah, goodbye.
The Shaykh: And peace be upon you. If Allah wills. It is necessary, indeed, of course, it is customary. Welcome, everyone. May Allah keep you safe. Yes.
The questioner: Good evening.
The Shaykh: Good evening.
Source
سلسلة الهدى والنور، رقم 123 في قناة «تسجيلات الإمام الألباني - محمد أبو ليلى الأثري» — youtube.com (4:10)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.