What is the ruling on greeting someone who does not return the greeting?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh. What do you say, O Shaykh, about a man who greets you but does not return your greeting?
The Shaykh : No.
The questioner : He does not return your greeting, and after you have advised him, he has not stopped. So, do you greet him?
The Shaykh : I say:
The questioner : This is a widespread phenomenon.
The Shaykh : I say: Greet him, greet him, even if he does not return your greeting. For a person is commanded to greet his Muslim brother, and if you greet him, you receive the reward, while he bears the sin. This is indicated by the fact that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: He mentioned a third thing which I have forgotten. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: meaning Sahih Ibn Hibban 6:144 meaning: Continue, as if you are throwing hot embers on them. "Al-Mal" is: hot ash, or hot earth. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded him to maintain family ties, even if they are the ones cutting them off. So likewise, you should greet him, even if he does not return the greeting. Perhaps with repetition, he may feel ashamed and reconsider, saying: Why do I not return his greeting? Yes.
The questioner : And if he thinks that this is part of the religion, O Shaykh, he thinks that he is drawing near to Allah by this...?
The Shaykh : If he is boycotting you and thinks that this is religion, you said: He advised him, but he did not stop.
The Shaykh : No.
The questioner : He does not return your greeting, and after you have advised him, he has not stopped. So, do you greet him?
The Shaykh : I say:
The questioner : This is a widespread phenomenon.
The Shaykh : I say: Greet him, greet him, even if he does not return your greeting. For a person is commanded to greet his Muslim brother, and if you greet him, you receive the reward, while he bears the sin. This is indicated by the fact that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said:
O Messenger of Allah, I have relatives whom I maintain ties with, but they cut me off, and I am patient with them, but they wrong me
يا رسول الله إن لي قرابة أصلهم ويقطعونني، وأحلم عليهم ويسيئون إليَّIf
إن كانthe matter is as you say, then it is as if you are throwing hot embers on them
الأمر كما تقول فكأنما تسفهم الملThe questioner : And if he thinks that this is part of the religion, O Shaykh, he thinks that he is drawing near to Allah by this...?
The Shaykh : If he is boycotting you and thinks that this is religion, you said: He advised him, but he did not stop.