The Fifth Section: Explaining Who Is More Entitled to Be Greeted
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The Shaykh : The Fifth Issue: Who is more entitled to be greeted? We say: the young person greets the older person, the smaller group greets the larger group, the rider greets the walker, and the walker greets the sitter. This is the Sunnah. If three men meet, one man and two men, who is more entitled to greet? The single man greets, for the smaller group greets the larger group. But suppose this man does not greet; do we leave off the greeting, or does one of the two men greet? The answer is: one of the two men greets, and the Sunnah is not left off. Now, regarding the young and the old: the older one greets. For example, if the older one is twenty years old and the younger one is ten, who greets? Yes, the younger one. If he does not, then the older one greets. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to greet the children when he passed by them.
Yes. Now, the rider greets the walker. If he does not, then the walker greets, and the Sunnah is not lost. The walker greets the sitter. If he does not, then the sitter greets. And in the sitter’s greeting, there is a reminder to the walker that he left off the Sunnah. If we were to practice these etiquettes in greeting, much good would result. But we find that most of us are harsh, to put it plainly; they do not greet. And when greeted, they respond, but with a response that is not sufficient.
Yes. Now, the rider greets the walker. If he does not, then the walker greets, and the Sunnah is not lost. The walker greets the sitter. If he does not, then the sitter greets. And in the sitter’s greeting, there is a reminder to the walker that he left off the Sunnah. If we were to practice these etiquettes in greeting, much good would result. But we find that most of us are harsh, to put it plainly; they do not greet. And when greeted, they respond, but with a response that is not sufficient.