The ruling on offering the greeting to the one praying and the one reciting the Qur'an.

The Shaykh : ... The greeting is not prescribed, as we hear that greeting the one praying is not prescribed, and it is mentioned in some verses of poetry, perhaps our brother ... In some books of jurisprudence, it is stated that there are seven situations in which the greeting is not prescribed, for example: the one praying, the one reciting, the judge while attending to his needs, and I do not know, seven things. We say: It is a recommended practice (sunnah) to offer the greeting, even to the one praying, let alone the one reciting, let alone those sitting in a lesson. In fact, explaining this from the legal perspective is sufficient for us, rather than explaining it from the logical perspective as they say. Offering the greeting is obligatory, not a recommended practice. Giving a lesson is a recommended practice, not obligatory. That is, a lesson not designated for a specific person is a collective obligation (fard kifayah). So if someone enters such a lesson as this one now, he has to perform the obligatory act, and the listener, even if he is the one who is supposed to be giving his lesson, has to interrupt his lesson if those around him do not return the greeting, meaning if they do not return the greeting. But if no one returns the greeting, considering that their school of thought may hold that offering or returning the greeting is not permissible in the context of a lesson, then the one leading the lesson has to interrupt his lesson and return the greeting to the one who greeted him. Likewise, if there is a circle for reciting the Qur'an. As for greeting the one praying, I think you know that this is a recommended practice (sunnah), and there are many hadiths regarding it. But regarding offering the greeting to the one reciting the Qur'an, there are hadiths from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad that he entered upon a group who were reciting the Qur'an, and among them were Arabs and non-Arabs, so he offered the greeting to them. If the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did this, then it is even more so and more so for any lesson like the one we are currently discussing. It is not greater than a lesson for teaching the Qur'an or reciting the Qur'an. So if it is permissible there, it is permissible here a fortiori.The Shaykh : The one who is giving the lesson must interrupt it if those around him respond to the greeting, meaning if they return the greeting. However, if no one returns the greeting, considering that it may be their school of thought that it is not permissible to give or return the greeting during a lesson, then the one leading the lesson must interrupt it and return the greeting to the Muslim who greeted him. Likewise, if there is a circle for reciting the Qur'an. As for greeting the one who is praying, I think you know that this is part of the Sunnah and there are many hadiths regarding it. But regarding giving the greeting to the one reciting the Qur'an, there are hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad that he entered upon a group who were reciting the Qur'an, among them were Arabs and non-Arabs, so he greeted them. If the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did this, then it is even more so and more so for a lesson like the one we are currently discussing, for it is not greater than a lesson for teaching the Qur'an or reciting the Qur'an. So if it is permissible there, it is permissible here a fortiori.
And finally, we say: The matter of giving the greeting in Islam is of great importance, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commanded not only giving the greeting but also spreading it. And I think you agree with me between giving the greeting and spreading the greeting: As for spreading it: This is a very great thing, why? Because he (peace and blessings be upon him) linked entering Paradise to spreading it, and he said (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) in the authentic hadith: So spreading the greeting means repeating the giving of the greeting at the slightest opportunity, until the matter reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in word and deed, where he commanded that if there are people walking on the road and a stone or a tree separates them and then they meet behind it: "Peace be upon you, peace be upon you." This is how he taught his companions and this is how his companions did it. This is established from his (peace and blessings be upon him) teaching in words, and from the action of his companions in implementation. So spreading the greeting today is among the many abandoned matters, if not unknown. One should take care to spread the greeting at the slightest opportunity. One of these opportunities is a gathering assembled for a lesson, this is what prevents giving the greeting... So giving the greeting is obligatory, while shaking hands is recommended, and as we mentioned, it is among the matters for which journeys are undertaken. Please proceed.

The questioner : Praise be to Allah.

The Shaykh : May Allah have mercy on you, in the name of Allah.

The questioner : Our Shaykh, you said in al-Sahihah, volume one or two of the Series of Authentic Hadiths, you mentioned in the context of discussing the greeting, this hadith that you cited from the Musnad of Imam Ahmad. But you said: "And I am not ..." or in this meaning, or as I recall. Have you finally verified it, or is this something that stuck in your mind from al-Sahihah? I recall you saying: "As I recall, and I have not verified or reviewed it, or something like that."

The Shaykh : By Allah, I have to go back to al-Sahihah, because in my mind it is either in the Musnad of al-Mughirah or Abu ibn Ka'b.

The questioner: Oh, wonderful.

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The questioner : Our Shaykh, in this meaning, the reality of the Muslims is contrary to that. That is, if the concept of the greeting is limited to shaking hands, then many Muslims shake hands but there is no greeting between them, rather there is conflict and wars. Do we not understand: meaning spread peace and love among you, for it is the foundation and origin of affection and cooperation, and thereby achieving the work of Paradise.

The Shaykh : Of course.

The questioner : And you say, "And the greeting is not just shaking hands," meaning do we not understand from this hadith that the Messenger's (peace and blessings be upon him) intention was that spreading the greeting is spreading peace and love among you, meaning the opposite of conflict and evil, and not just shaking hands?

The Shaykh : And you say, "And the greeting is not just, or shaking hands"?

The questioner : Not just shaking hands, because the reality of the Muslims now, many Muslims have been shaking hands since the beginning of the Islamic call until now, and yet they are in conflict. But the origin of their gathering, unity, and cooperation is the greeting, meaning the opposite of conflict and the opposite of hostility, rather it is peace and tranquility. So spreading the greeting means spreading tranquility among them?

The Shaykh : This is correct, may Allah bless you. But how can one spread tranquility? What are the means? The Shari'ah has presented us with the means, and spreading the greeting is among those means.

The questioner : Meaning, like this hadith, does it intend that the greeting is definitely shaking hands?

The Shaykh : Offering the greeting.

The questioner : Offering the greeting as the words "Peace be upon you," or the greeting meaning "spread the greeting, spread love and tranquility among you so that the Muslims gather"?

The Shaykh : No, first I answered you about this by saying: What is the means to achieve the safety and tranquility that you are going on about?

The questioner : It is offering the greeting.

The Shaykh : We say the Shari'ah. And the Shari'ah came with the greeting.

The questioner : With the greeting and the peace.

The Shaykh : And we said there is a hadith: So this greeting, which is one of the names of Allah, is the one mentioned in the hadith that linked entering Paradise to it: "Peace be upon you." So offering the greeting is what achieves safety and tranquility, and there is no way to achieve tranquility and safety except by following the rulings of Islam, and among the rulings of Islam is spreading the greeting.

The questioner : No food in the presence of al-Albani. Time is wasted on food.

The Shaykh: Go ahead.

The questioner : Our Shaykh, some students of knowledge mention, regarding the words that my honorable brother (may Allah reward him with good) spoke, that people now have not developed tranquility and love, and so on, because the word "greeting" has become an empty word with no meaning of love, no meaning derived from it, which is peace and safety, and so on. Therefore, one offers "Peace be upon you" while there is resentment in his heart, and hatred in his heart, and so on. So the word "greeting" originally should contain these meanings so that it bears its good fruits and so on.

The Shaykh : First, if we want to talk about the reality, the reality, unfortunately, is that "Peace be upon you" has become forgotten. That is, contrary to what you are mentioning now about some of them. This issue could have been answered if the reality were contrary to what we mentioned earlier, that is: if the reality were in accordance with the Shari'ah. Today, in the best of countries as is thought, and the closest to the legal rulings, is the Saudi country, and yet there is no spreading of the greeting there. As for here, you say "Peace be upon you" to him and he says to you "Welcome," he says to you "Welcome and at ease." Where is this? We are talking now about returning the greeting. Where is the spreading of the greeting? Returning the greeting is not realized in these days. So if spreading the greeting, or rather returning the greeting, if returning the greeting required offering the greeting, if offering the greeting were widespread and it was not spreading the greeting that was widespread, if this were the only case, we would say, by Allah, the answer is that this offering has become a custom that does not encompass the legal meaning that the Wise Lawgiver aimed at when he encouraged offering the greeting and returning the greeting, and made it a right of the Muslim over the Muslim: If this offering were prevalent and a reality in the Islamic countries, and yet such a doubt arose, we would no longer see in it tranquility, safety, affection, and love, and so on ...