The Ruling on Greeting the Innovator, the Disbeliever, and the Open Sinner

The Shaykh : Among the discussions regarding greetings is: Do we greet the innovator? Do we greet the open sinner? Do we greet the disbeliever? These are three questions. Do we greet the innovator? The answer involves a detailed distinction. If the religious innovation is one that entails disbelief, then one does not greet him, because it is not permissible to greet a disbeliever. If, however, it does not reach the level of disbelief, such as if he is an innovator in some of the dhikr (remembrance of Allah) that does not take him out of the religion, or something similar, then one must look at the situation. If there is a public benefit in not greeting him, then it is obligatory for us to refrain from greeting him. How can refraining from greeting be a benefit? Yes, if it is known that he is being boycotted because he is an innovator, he may be deterred from his innovation and repent. In this case, it is obligatory for us to boycott him so that he may repent. If, however, boycotting him only leads to harm and to his proceeding further in the innovation and calling to it, then we do not boycott him, because he is a Muslim, and it is not permissible to boycott a Muslim.
The second is the open sinner. What is an open sinner? For example, a man who is known for consuming usury or interest, or a man who is known for undutifulness to his parents, or a man who is known for being lax in his prayer, though he does pray. This is an open sinner. Do we greet him or not? We say: The ruling is the same as what we mentioned regarding the one who commits a non-disbelieving innovation. If boycotting him leads to the rectification of his condition, we boycott him. If it does not lead to the rectification of his condition, we do not boycott him, because he is a believer. The open sinner, my brothers, is a believer, but he is a believer whose faith is deficient. So, if we see this man whom we know is immersed in consuming usury or interest, if boycotting him deters him from consuming usury or interest, we boycott him. We do not greet him, and we do not accept his invitation if he invites us, and we do not invite him to our wedding feast, because if we treat him this way, he will be deterred. Is there a basis for this? I mean, boycotting the sinner. The answer is: Yes, there is a basis for it. Its basis is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) went out to the expedition of Tabuk. In which year? The ninth year. In which season? In the summer, when the fruits had ripened, meaning it was at the height of the heat, and the fruits had ripened, the dates, the shade, and the cold water. For this reason, the hypocrites lagged behind, and three men who were truly believers also lagged behind. Who were they? Ka'b ibn Malik, the second was Hilal ibn Umayyah, and the third was Murarah ibn al-Rabi'. They lagged behind the expedition although they were able to go and had no excuse. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) returned, the ones with excuses from the Bedouins came, and the hypocrites came swearing oaths that they had excuses. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) would seek forgiveness from Allah for them and leave their inner thoughts to Allah. As for Ka'b ibn Malik, he told the truth and said that he had lagged behind without an excuse, and that in this expedition he owned two camels, but he (may Allah be pleased with him) was frank. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) ordered the boycotting of the three. He ordered the boycotting of the three, so the people boycotted them, until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) boycotted them. Ka'b says: "I used to come and greet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and I would say: Did he move his lips to return the greeting or not?" Even though he was the best of people in character. This is a basis for boycotting whom? For boycotting the open sinner. And there is no doubt that they repented, so Allah accepted their repentance and revealed a verse about them that is recited until the Day of Resurrection, which people read in their prayers and in their private moments. But we say: Boycotting the sinner is permissible or obligatory when? When there is a benefit in it, such that he is deterred. If, however, there is harm in it, such that he increases in his open sinfulness and says, "Who are these obedient people who do not greet us? We do not care about them," or similar words that indicate he is rebellious, then we do not boycott him, because he is a believer. The original ruling is that boycotting a believer is forbidden except for a benefit. Who remains for us? The disbeliever. Do we greet the disbeliever? We do not greet him ever, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: Even though the Jews and the Christians are the best of the disbelievers, and there is no good in any of the disbelievers, but they have specific rulings regarding them. For this reason, their women are lawful and their slaughtered animals are lawful, and they are allowed to remain on their religion by paying the tax on protected non-Muslims. As for others, their women are not lawful, their slaughtered animals are not lawful, and they are not allowed to remain on their religion by paying the tax on protected non-Muslims according to the majority of scholars. Is this clear, everyone? If the Messenger forbade us from initiating the greeting to the Jews and the Christians, then others, such as the Buddhists, the Zoroastrians, the polytheists, and the communists, are even more so. For this reason, it is not permissible to greet a Jew or a Christian or any other disbeliever, even if you enter their gatherings, you do not greet them, in obedience to the command of whom? To the command of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). But if they greet us, do we return the greeting? We say: Yes, you return the greeting, because Allah commands justice and excellence, and it is not justice if someone greets you and you do not return it. For this reason, one of the beauties of the religion of Islam is that they, the disbelievers, if they greet us, we return the greeting. But how do we return it? We return it if they explicitly greet us and say "As-salamu alaykum" (Peace be upon you), a clear greeting. We say "Wa alaykum as-salam" (And upon you peace). If it is not explicit, not clear, we say "Wa alaykum" (And upon you), or "Wa alaykum bi-khayr" (And upon you with good), and we do not say "As-salamu alaykum." Because the Jews were in Madinah with the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), they were residing in Madinah, and they would pass by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and say, "As-sam 'alayk ya Muhammad" (Death be upon you, O Muhammad). "As-sam," what is the meaning of "as-sam"? It means death. But they do not make it completely clear; they do not say "As-sam 'alaykum," they make it ambiguous between the lam and its absence, "As-sam," meaning it is not clear. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And a Jew passed by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and the Mother of the Believers Aisha was with him, so he said, "As-sam 'alayk ya Muhammad" (Death be upon you, O Muhammad). Aisha said, "As-sam 'alayk wa al-lanah" (Death be upon you and the curse), death be upon you and also an addition. Yes, he greeted with a bad greeting, so he was greeted with something worse. But the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) forbade her and said: Reciprocate with justice. In the matter of excellence, greet with something better, but in the matter of justice, do not greet with something worse. Say "Wa alaykum" (And upon you), and by this, the obligatory return of the greeting is achieved. If they said "As-sam 'alaykum," then it is for them. If they said "As-salamu alaykum," then it is for them. If they explicitly say "As-salamu alaykum," as is found now among many non-Arabs, from the Indians and non-Indians, he says "As-salamu alayk," and he is a disbeliever, what do you say? You may say "Wa alaykum as-salam" (And upon you peace), "Wa alaykum as-salam," because Islam is a scale of just balance. You say "Wa alaykum as-salam," and there is no blame on you for this.