Some ignorant people may think that one should not greet anyone until he verifies their religion?
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The questioner : Some ignorant people, O honorable Shaykh, think that one should not greet anyone until he verifies their religion, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : We say that if the country has more non-Muslims than Muslims, then one should not greet them, considering the majority, until he knows that the person is a Muslim. But if the situation is the opposite, and the majority of the people in the country are Muslims, then he should greet them, because he did not intend to oppose the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). If the two groups are equal, the right of the Muslim and the lack of right of the disbeliever conflict here, so in this case, he is given a choice: if he wishes, he greets, and if he wishes, he does not greet. For this reason, during the time of the Companions and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the disbeliever was distinguished from the Muslim by his clothing and by riding a mount; they were compelled to do this, meaning the People of the Book (dhimmis) had to be distinguished from the Muslims. But as you see, things have become mixed up, and people have become the same. So the matter is as we said: if you are in a country where the majority of its people are Muslims, greet them; if the majority of its people are non-Muslims, do not greet them; if the two are equal, you have the choice.
The questioner : Good, good. May Allah reward you, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : We say that if the country has more non-Muslims than Muslims, then one should not greet them, considering the majority, until he knows that the person is a Muslim. But if the situation is the opposite, and the majority of the people in the country are Muslims, then he should greet them, because he did not intend to oppose the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). If the two groups are equal, the right of the Muslim and the lack of right of the disbeliever conflict here, so in this case, he is given a choice: if he wishes, he greets, and if he wishes, he does not greet. For this reason, during the time of the Companions and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the disbeliever was distinguished from the Muslim by his clothing and by riding a mount; they were compelled to do this, meaning the People of the Book (dhimmis) had to be distinguished from the Muslims. But as you see, things have become mixed up, and people have become the same. So the matter is as we said: if you are in a country where the majority of its people are Muslims, greet them; if the majority of its people are non-Muslims, do not greet them; if the two are equal, you have the choice.
The questioner : Good, good. May Allah reward you, Shaykh.