In these days, as a result of contact with the West and the East, most of whom are disbelievers of various religions and sects, we see them returning the greeting of Islam to us.
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The questioner : The honorable Shaykh, in these days, as a result of contact with the West and the East, most of whom are disbelievers of various religions and sects, we see them returning the greeting of Islam to us when we meet them. What is obligatory for us toward them?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
These people who come to us from the East and the West, who are not Muslims, it is not permissible for us to initiate the greeting to them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 2167a But if they greet us, we return to them with what they greeted us with, based on the saying of the Exalted: [An-Nisa 4:86].
Their greeting to us with the Islamic greeting: "Peace be upon you" is not free from two cases:
Either they pronounce the lam clearly and say: "Peace be upon you," in which case we may say: "Peace be upon you," or we may say: "And upon you."
As for if they do not pronounce the lam clearly, which is the second case, such as if they say: "As-sam 'alaykum," then we say: "And upon you" only. This is because the Jews used to come to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and greet him, saying: "As-sam 'alaykum," without pronouncing the lam clearly, and "as-sam" is death. They intended to invoke death upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to say to them: "And upon you." So if they say: "As-sam 'alaykum," then we say to them: "And upon you," meaning that you also, upon you is the "sam." This is what the Sunnah indicates.
As for our initiating the greeting to them, our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has forbidden us from doing so.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
These people who come to us from the East and the West, who are not Muslims, it is not permissible for us to initiate the greeting to them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you
لا تبدأوا اليهود ولا النصارى بالسلامAnd when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it
وإذا حييتم بتحية فحيوا بأحسن منها أو ردوهاTheir greeting to us with the Islamic greeting: "Peace be upon you" is not free from two cases:
Either they pronounce the lam clearly and say: "Peace be upon you," in which case we may say: "Peace be upon you," or we may say: "And upon you."
As for if they do not pronounce the lam clearly, which is the second case, such as if they say: "As-sam 'alaykum," then we say: "And upon you" only. This is because the Jews used to come to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and greet him, saying: "As-sam 'alaykum," without pronouncing the lam clearly, and "as-sam" is death. They intended to invoke death upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to say to them: "And upon you." So if they say: "As-sam 'alaykum," then we say to them: "And upon you," meaning that you also, upon you is the "sam." This is what the Sunnah indicates.
As for our initiating the greeting to them, our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has forbidden us from doing so.