Is it obligatory to return the greeting to a disbeliever?

The questioner : Your Eminence, is it obligatory to return the greeting to a disbeliever if he is the one who left it?

The Shaykh : Yes, it is obligatory to return the greeting to a disbeliever, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: And this is the wisdom, and Allah knows best, that Allah said: and He did not say "if some of you greet others" and He did not say "if your brothers greet you." He said: So it is obligatory to return it. But if a Muslim says "Welcome so-and-so" or "So-and-so is welcome," is it obligatory to return it? The apparent meaning of the Noble Qur'an is that it is obligatory to return it, because this is called a greeting by custom, even though the best greeting is to say "Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah." But since people have become accustomed to saying "Welcome," "Greetings," or "May Allah greet you" as a greeting, the apparent meaning of the Noble Qur'an requires that you return it. Yes, that is right.