What is the ruling on saying: "Salamun 'alaykum wa rahmat Allah"?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Your Eminence the Shaykh! What is your comment on a phenomenon that has spread in returning the greeting, which is their saying "Salaam" with a long alif, "alaykum wa rahmat Allah"?
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Without knowledge.
The questioner : It is blameworthy.
The Shaykh : Or without "alayka."
The questioner : "Salam wa rahmat Allah."
The Shaykh : But with a long alif.
The questioner : Yes, with a long alif.
The Shaykh : And it is not necessary to praise; "salam" means it is permissible to say "salamun 'alayka" and it is permissible to say "al-salamu 'alayka," but the scholars differed on whether it is better to use the definite article for "salam" or the indefinite article?
The well-known view is that it is better to use the definite article for "salam," meaning to say "al-salamu 'alayka," as it came in the Qur'an[Taha 20:47] As for His saying, the Exalted, [Hud 11:69] this is in the response.
For the response became indefinite, because the implied meaning is "salamun 'alaykum." As for their saying "salaaman," it is based on the interpretation that something is omitted in the verse, the implied meaning being "he greets with salam." In any case, a person has a choice; if he wishes, he says "salamun 'alaykum," and if he wishes, he says "al-salamu 'alaykum." The scholars differed on which is better, the definite or the indefinite, and I see that the matter is broad; if he wishes, he uses the definite, and if he wishes, he uses the indefinite. And as you know, the definite is more common: "al-salamu 'alayka, O Prophet," "al-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala rasul Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)," "al-salamu 'alayka, O Messenger of Allah," and "al-salamu 'ala man ittaba'a al-huda,"
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Without knowledge.
The questioner : It is blameworthy.
The Shaykh : Or without "alayka."
The questioner : "Salam wa rahmat Allah."
The Shaykh : But with a long alif.
The questioner : Yes, with a long alif.
The Shaykh : And it is not necessary to praise; "salam" means it is permissible to say "salamun 'alayka" and it is permissible to say "al-salamu 'alayka," but the scholars differed on whether it is better to use the definite article for "salam" or the indefinite article?
The well-known view is that it is better to use the definite article for "salam," meaning to say "al-salamu 'alayka," as it came in the Qur'an
And peace will be upon he who follows the guidance.
وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَىٰ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَىٰthey said, "Peace." He said, "Peace,"
قَالُوا سَلَامًا قَالَ سَلَامٌFor the response became indefinite, because the implied meaning is "salamun 'alaykum." As for their saying "salaaman," it is based on the interpretation that something is omitted in the verse, the implied meaning being "he greets with salam." In any case, a person has a choice; if he wishes, he says "salamun 'alaykum," and if he wishes, he says "al-salamu 'alaykum." The scholars differed on which is better, the definite or the indefinite, and I see that the matter is broad; if he wishes, he uses the definite, and if he wishes, he uses the indefinite. And as you know, the definite is more common: "al-salamu 'alayka, O Prophet," "al-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala rasul Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)," "al-salamu 'alayka, O Messenger of Allah," and "al-salamu 'ala man ittaba'a al-huda,"
Source
اللقاء بالطلاب في مسجد المدينة الجامعية - 2 — archive.org (41:55)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.