Many people are lax in the greeting of peace, to the point that you find some who do not respond or respond in a faint voice. Is there any guidance on this?

The questioner : The greeting of peace is a great religious observance. In reality, many people are lax in it. When one passes by his brothers, you find that he either does not respond or responds in a low voice. Perhaps you have some guidance in this meeting, O Shaykh?

The Shaykh : Yes. Our guidance in this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said and he informed (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) that it is the right of a Muslim over his brother when he meets him to greet him with the salam. So the salam is a confirmed sunnah from the sunnahs of the Islamic religion. Therefore, Muslims should not leave this sunnah and this great observance, which is among the most noble characteristics of Islam.
Moreover, when the one who greets gives the salam, he fulfills his brother's right and does what necessitates love, by which faith is perfected. With perfect faith, one enters Paradise. Then, he is rewarded for the salam: if he says "As-salamu alaykum," he has ten good deeds; if he says "wa rahmat Allah," twenty; and if he says "wa barakatuh," thirty. How can he deprive himself of this great reward, when if it were said to him, "If you greet, we will give you one dirham," you would see him greet everyone he meets? He might even hesitate in order to obtain more dirhams. How much more so with good deeds, which a person needs most on the Day when neither wealth nor children will benefit, except one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.
And when a person greets, let the salam be in the Shari'ah manner, meaning that he says "As-salamu alaykum," not "Marhaban," "Ahlan," "Hayyakum Allah," or "Subbakum Allah bil-khayr." Rather, he says "As-salamu alaykum" and then adds whatever words of greeting he wishes. And the one who responds must say "Alaykum as-salam." It is not sufficient for him to say "Ahlan wa marhaban" or "Hayyakum Allah" or the like.
And if he says "Hayyakum Allah," "How are you?" or "How are you doing?" even if he said it a thousand times, it does not suffice. Rather, he must say "Alaykum as-salam" or "Wa alaykum as-salam." And whenever you meet any of the Muslims, greet them, even if they are in sin.
Suppose you meet a person who has shaved his beard, and shaving the beard is forbidden, or who is letting his garment hang below the ankles, and letting the garment hang is forbidden. Greet him, because he is a believer who has not left the faith. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said .
M: Is boycotting these people a means to lessen the sin, in the sense that the boycotted person criticizes himself and leaves the sin he is upon, or does it only increase the matter in severity? Generally, it does not increase the matter except in severity and hatred. So here, we would be bearing a sin upon a sin of boycotting. Therefore, we say that boycotting is a medicine—meaning boycotting the people of sins. If it benefits, do it; and if it does not benefit, do not do it. Perhaps someone will say that Ka'b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) and his two companions (may Allah be pleased with them both) were ordered by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to be boycotted and not spoken to because they lagged behind without excuse from the Battle of Tabuk. It is said that this boycotting resulted in much good and great benefit, for they (may Allah be pleased with them) repented with the most severe repentance and returned from what they were upon, and they repented by the text of the Qur'an. So if boycotting results in benefit and necessitates that the boycotted person repents, then yes, boycotting is it. Otherwise, a person is not to be boycotted, even if he is openly committing sin. But he is to be greeted with the salam and advised. And with the salam and the advice, perhaps his heart will soften, he will become accustomed to his advisor, and he will take his advice.
This is with regard to the sinful Muslim. As for the disbeliever, it is not permissible to initiate the salam with him, no matter who he is. Do not initiate the salam with him, even if he is the head of the department where you work. Do not greet him first, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said . But a person may be tested with a disbeliever, Christian or otherwise, who is the head of the department where he is. What does he do if he enters his office and wants something from him? If he enters and speaks only about his need, that person will know that he is scheming against him. And if he greets him, he falls into what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade. So we say: if he is compelled to speak to him with a greeting, let him say "Good morning, so-and-so," or "Marhaban," or the like of words that are not a supplication for his safety, or he says "As-salam" and omits the rest, intending by his saying "As-salam" that it is upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah, so that he does not fall into what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) forbade. Yes.

The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh Muhammad.