Some brothers limit themselves to the word of peace when saying (Peace be upon you), while others say (Peace be upon those who follow the guidance). We request clarification on this.
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The questioner : A listener from Oman says: Some of the brothers limit themselves to the word of peace when saying "Peace be upon you", and some of the brothers say "Peace be upon those who follow the guidance". We request clarification on this. May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. This is an important question, and we should be aware of some of the rulings regarding the greeting of peace.
The questioner : Okay, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : The greeting of peace is the greeting of the Muslims, and its form is to say "Peace be upon you" if one is greeting a single person, or "Peace be upon you" if one is greeting a group. It is to be said with the definite article "Peace be upon you" or "Peace be upon you". It is permissible to say it with the word "Salam" "Salam upon you", "Salam upon you". If one limits himself to saying "Salam," there is no harm in that. Indeed, Ibrahim (peace be upon him), when he returned the greeting to the angels when they said "Salam," said "Salam," meaning "Peace be upon you." Likewise, when initiating, the one who greets says "Salam," meaning "Salam upon you", or "As-Salam," meaning "Peace be upon you". There is no harm in this.
Returning the greeting of peace is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) for the one who is greeted. It is obligatory for the one greeted to return it, and his return should be better than the initial greeting or the same, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:86]. So if the one who greets says "Peace be upon you," say "Peace be upon you." If he says it with a clear, distinct voice, respond with a clear, distinct voice. Some people do not return the greeting with something better than what they were greeted with, nor with the same. You find them saying in return "Welcome" without saying "Peace be upon you". This does not clear the conscience, nor does it drop the obligation, because the man prayed for him with peace, saying "Peace be upon you," and this person did not return it to him, but only welcomed him and did not pray for him with peace as he prayed for him.
Some people return with the same as what they were greeted with, but the manner differs. You find the one who greets greets with clear, distinct speech, then he returns with his nose, meaning he returns with a weak response that is heard or not heard. This return is not like the greeting, nor is it better than it.
Some people are greeted by a greeter while he is facing him with a pleasant face, and he returns to him with a frowning face, with arrogance and haughtiness. This is not a return with something better than the greeting, nor with the same. Allah Mighty and Majestic has made it obligatory for us to return with something better or with the same:[An-Nisa 4:86].
Among what is related to the greeting of peace is that the young person greets the old, the few greet the many, the rider greets the walker, and the walker greets the sitter. This is the best and most excellent. If that is not the case, let the other one greet. For example, if a young person meets you and does not initiate the greeting, you initiate it with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to greet the children when he passed by them. You initiate it with him so that you are humble, and this serves as upbringing for this boy, where he feels that this is the greeting of the Muslims. Among what is related to the greeting of peace is that it is not permissible to initiate the greeting to non-Muslims, whether they are Jews, Christians, or others, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Bulugh al-Maram 16:10. And consider the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) where he said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1602Sahih (Darussalam), meaning, if they greet you, return to them, because Allah said: [An-Nisa 4:86]. This is general: whoever greets you, greet him with the same as he greeted you with, or better. But we may say that you do not greet with something better if the one who greets is a non-Muslim. We say return with the same, because if you greeted with something better, you would have increased his honor.
If the People of the Book, from the Jews and Christians, or others from the polytheists, greet us, we return to them with the same as what they greeted us with. The Jews used to pass by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the city and say "As-Sam 'alayk," meaning death, praying for death upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that if they greet us, they say "As-Sam 'alaykum," and he ordered us to say "Wa 'alaykum" and not to mention anything else. We say "Wa 'alaykum." If they had said "As-Sam 'alaykum," then we returned to them with the same as what they said, meaning we prayed for them with death as they prayed for us. And if they had said "Peace be upon you," then we returned to them with the same as what they greeted us with, meaning we said "Wa 'alaykum as-salam."
Therefore, some scholars said that if we know that a non-Muslim greeted a Muslim with an explicit word, saying "Peace be upon you," there is no harm in saying "Peace be upon you," because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the reason for us saying "Wa 'alaykum" in the return, which is that they used to say "As-Sam 'alaykum." Among what is related to the greeting of peace is that it should be spread and displayed, no matter how much it is, because in spreading and displaying it is obedience to the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), where he said:, and fulfilling the right of your Muslim brother, because among the rights of your brother is greeting him when you meet him. And because in spreading the greeting is bringing love between the Muslims, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Abi Dawud 5193Sahih (Al-Albani), meaning, display it and announce it so that it becomes widespread and apparent.
So, spreading the greeting of peace has these great benefits: mutual love, and that it is a cause for entering Paradise.
And it is regrettable that most of the people today do not spread the greeting of peace. He passes by you and his shoulder hits your shoulder, and he does not greet, except what Allah wills. And many people do not greet except those they know, and they do not greet those they do not know. This is contrary to the Sunnah. The Sunnah is to spread the greeting to those you know and those you do not know. When you greet, you obtain the benefits you have heard, and you obtain another reward, which is that every greeting contains ten good deeds. Do you not seize this opportunity? If you greeted thirty people in your passage from your house to the mosque, you would obtain three hundred good deeds. A good deed that you will find on the Day of Resurrection when you are most in need of it. If you left the greeting to those you met, you missed this reward, and there would occur in the heart of your brother who met you and you did not greet him what occurs of dislike, enmity, and hatred, and you would miss much good.
And consider if one of the rich people said: "Every person who passes by this market and greets those in it, and they are one hundred, and I will give him one riyal for each time." Would you find him neglecting the greeting? No, he does not neglect the greeting. He greets, and perhaps he greets twice so that he may obtain two riyals. This is from the lack of awareness. If the students of knowledge were the role model in that, and they spread the greeting among themselves and with the people, and called the people to this, the greeting of peace would spread in the Ummah. But everyone is negligent and careless. We ask Allah the Exalted to treat us with His forgiveness. Yes.
The questioner : O Allah, amen. May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. This is an important question, and we should be aware of some of the rulings regarding the greeting of peace.
The questioner : Okay, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : The greeting of peace is the greeting of the Muslims, and its form is to say "Peace be upon you" if one is greeting a single person, or "Peace be upon you" if one is greeting a group. It is to be said with the definite article "Peace be upon you" or "Peace be upon you". It is permissible to say it with the word "Salam" "Salam upon you", "Salam upon you". If one limits himself to saying "Salam," there is no harm in that. Indeed, Ibrahim (peace be upon him), when he returned the greeting to the angels when they said "Salam," said "Salam," meaning "Peace be upon you." Likewise, when initiating, the one who greets says "Salam," meaning "Salam upon you", or "As-Salam," meaning "Peace be upon you". There is no harm in this.
Returning the greeting of peace is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) for the one who is greeted. It is obligatory for the one greeted to return it, and his return should be better than the initial greeting or the same, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it
وإذا حييتم بتحية فحيوا بأحسن منها أو ردوهاSome people return with the same as what they were greeted with, but the manner differs. You find the one who greets greets with clear, distinct speech, then he returns with his nose, meaning he returns with a weak response that is heard or not heard. This return is not like the greeting, nor is it better than it.
Some people are greeted by a greeter while he is facing him with a pleasant face, and he returns to him with a frowning face, with arrogance and haughtiness. This is not a return with something better than the greeting, nor with the same. Allah Mighty and Majestic has made it obligatory for us to return with something better or with the same:
greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]
فحيوا بأحسن منها أو ردوهاAmong what is related to the greeting of peace is that the young person greets the old, the few greet the many, the rider greets the walker, and the walker greets the sitter. This is the best and most excellent. If that is not the case, let the other one greet. For example, if a young person meets you and does not initiate the greeting, you initiate it with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to greet the children when he passed by them. You initiate it with him so that you are humble, and this serves as upbringing for this boy, where he feels that this is the greeting of the Muslims. Among what is related to the greeting of peace is that it is not permissible to initiate the greeting to non-Muslims, whether they are Jews, Christians, or others, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Do not initiate the saluting of Jews and Christians (when you meet them), and if you meet any of them on the road, force him to go to the narrowest part of the road (i.e. do not give way for them to pass, but keep going).
لا تبدؤوا اليهود والنصارى بالسلام وإذا لقيتموهم في طريق فاضطروهم إلى أضيقهDo not precede the Jews and the Christians with the Salam
لا تبدؤوا اليهود والنصارى بالسلامwhen you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it
إذا حييتم بتحية فحيوا بأحسن منها أو ردوهاIf the People of the Book, from the Jews and Christians, or others from the polytheists, greet us, we return to them with the same as what they greeted us with. The Jews used to pass by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the city and say "As-Sam 'alayk," meaning death, praying for death upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that if they greet us, they say "As-Sam 'alaykum," and he ordered us to say "Wa 'alaykum" and not to mention anything else. We say "Wa 'alaykum." If they had said "As-Sam 'alaykum," then we returned to them with the same as what they said, meaning we prayed for them with death as they prayed for us. And if they had said "Peace be upon you," then we returned to them with the same as what they greeted us with, meaning we said "Wa 'alaykum as-salam."
Therefore, some scholars said that if we know that a non-Muslim greeted a Muslim with an explicit word, saying "Peace be upon you," there is no harm in saying "Peace be upon you," because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the reason for us saying "Wa 'alaykum" in the return, which is that they used to say "As-Sam 'alaykum." Among what is related to the greeting of peace is that it should be spread and displayed, no matter how much it is, because in spreading and displaying it is obedience to the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), where he said:
Spread the greeting of peace among yourselves.
أفشوا السلام بينكمBy him in whose hand my soul is, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another: should I not guide you to something doing which you will love one another: spread out salutation among you.
والله لا تدخلوا الجنة حتى تؤمنوا ولا تؤمنوا حتى تحابوا أفلا أخبركم بشيء إذا فعلتموه تحاببتم أفشوا السلام بينكمSo, spreading the greeting of peace has these great benefits: mutual love, and that it is a cause for entering Paradise.
And it is regrettable that most of the people today do not spread the greeting of peace. He passes by you and his shoulder hits your shoulder, and he does not greet, except what Allah wills. And many people do not greet except those they know, and they do not greet those they do not know. This is contrary to the Sunnah. The Sunnah is to spread the greeting to those you know and those you do not know. When you greet, you obtain the benefits you have heard, and you obtain another reward, which is that every greeting contains ten good deeds. Do you not seize this opportunity? If you greeted thirty people in your passage from your house to the mosque, you would obtain three hundred good deeds. A good deed that you will find on the Day of Resurrection when you are most in need of it. If you left the greeting to those you met, you missed this reward, and there would occur in the heart of your brother who met you and you did not greet him what occurs of dislike, enmity, and hatred, and you would miss much good.
And consider if one of the rich people said: "Every person who passes by this market and greets those in it, and they are one hundred, and I will give him one riyal for each time." Would you find him neglecting the greeting? No, he does not neglect the greeting. He greets, and perhaps he greets twice so that he may obtain two riyals. This is from the lack of awareness. If the students of knowledge were the role model in that, and they spread the greeting among themselves and with the people, and called the people to this, the greeting of peace would spread in the Ummah. But everyone is negligent and careless. We ask Allah the Exalted to treat us with His forgiveness. Yes.
The questioner : O Allah, amen. May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.