Some people enter the gathering without greeting, and some of them say to them, "And upon you be peace," to remind them and reprimand them. Is that permissible for them?
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The questioner : ... ؟
The Shaykh : He said: A man entered upon a group and did not greet them, so one of them said to him, "And upon you be peace," to remind him and reprimand him. What do you say? Correct.
The questioner : Is there not a prohibition in this, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : A prohibition against what?
The questioner : That he returns the greeting before it is offered to him.
The Shaykh : No, but this is not a return before the greeting is offered, and he did not say "upon you be peace" as an initial greeting, but he wants it as a response. However, if it were an initial greeting, we would say it is valid.
The questioner : Fine.
The Shaykh : The brother Muhammad says that this is good.
The questioner : He does not say: "And upon you be peace."
The Shaykh : And what? What does he say?
The questioner : He says: "Greet."
The questioner : Other than this thing.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I say to him: What does the one who enters say when he enters? This is like what happened with 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak: a man sneezed in his presence and did not praise Allah, so he said: "What does the sneezer say when he sneezes?" He said: "He says, Praise be to Allah." He said to him: "May Allah have mercy on you."
The Shaykh : Yes, this issue: Imam Ahmad was asked about a man who sneezes and does not praise Allah, should he be reminded? He said: Rather, he should be taught. I think he said, "Rather, he should be taught." What is the difference?
I mean, if he is from the people of knowledge who know that praising Allah when sneezing is a recommended practice, he is not reminded, because the fact that he did not remember it means what? Negligence and lack of care. But if he knows that he is not from the people of knowledge but is ignorant, then he is taught.
And this is also a good answer, distinguishing between the negligent one who knows it is a recommended practice but was negligent, and the ignorant person, so the ignorant one is taught.
So the result is that the one who enters—and I do not think anyone enters a gathering without a greeting—
The questioner : Except...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I say: Greet them with the greeting of peace.
The Shaykh : Yes, we understood its meaning. What do you have?
The questioner : ... I mean, I say "And upon you be peace" as a reminder.
The Shaykh : I mean, every time he passes by someone, "And upon you be peace," "And upon you be peace," it is not difficult.
The Shaykh : Especially students of knowledge, these situations happen with students of knowledge.
The Shaykh : No, in my case, if a student of knowledge does this, I hold him and talk to him, I say: "My brother, why did you not greet?"
Let him revive the Sunnah, and glory to Allah the Great, in the greeting there is affection from a person to his brother and love for him, and it is part of the perfection of faith, and faith is among the causes of entering Paradise, why do we not do it!
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : As a reminder, yes, correct, some people say it, but if he says: "And upon you be peace," and that one says: "Peace be upon you," do you suffice with the first response?
No, because it is before the existence of the cause, and doing things before their causes—we read this in the principles of jurisprudence: "A thing before its cause is void, just as before its condition", yes, the time is over.
The Shaykh : He said: A man entered upon a group and did not greet them, so one of them said to him, "And upon you be peace," to remind him and reprimand him. What do you say? Correct.
The questioner : Is there not a prohibition in this, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : A prohibition against what?
The questioner : That he returns the greeting before it is offered to him.
The Shaykh : No, but this is not a return before the greeting is offered, and he did not say "upon you be peace" as an initial greeting, but he wants it as a response. However, if it were an initial greeting, we would say it is valid.
The questioner : Fine.
The Shaykh : The brother Muhammad says that this is good.
The questioner : He does not say: "And upon you be peace."
The Shaykh : And what? What does he say?
The questioner : He says: "Greet."
The questioner : Other than this thing.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I say to him: What does the one who enters say when he enters? This is like what happened with 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak: a man sneezed in his presence and did not praise Allah, so he said: "What does the sneezer say when he sneezes?" He said: "He says, Praise be to Allah." He said to him: "May Allah have mercy on you."
The Shaykh : Yes, this issue: Imam Ahmad was asked about a man who sneezes and does not praise Allah, should he be reminded? He said: Rather, he should be taught. I think he said, "Rather, he should be taught." What is the difference?
I mean, if he is from the people of knowledge who know that praising Allah when sneezing is a recommended practice, he is not reminded, because the fact that he did not remember it means what? Negligence and lack of care. But if he knows that he is not from the people of knowledge but is ignorant, then he is taught.
And this is also a good answer, distinguishing between the negligent one who knows it is a recommended practice but was negligent, and the ignorant person, so the ignorant one is taught.
So the result is that the one who enters—and I do not think anyone enters a gathering without a greeting—
The questioner : Except...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I say: Greet them with the greeting of peace.
The Shaykh : Yes, we understood its meaning. What do you have?
The questioner : ... I mean, I say "And upon you be peace" as a reminder.
The Shaykh : I mean, every time he passes by someone, "And upon you be peace," "And upon you be peace," it is not difficult.
The Shaykh : Especially students of knowledge, these situations happen with students of knowledge.
The Shaykh : No, in my case, if a student of knowledge does this, I hold him and talk to him, I say: "My brother, why did you not greet?"
Let him revive the Sunnah, and glory to Allah the Great, in the greeting there is affection from a person to his brother and love for him, and it is part of the perfection of faith, and faith is among the causes of entering Paradise, why do we not do it!
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : As a reminder, yes, correct, some people say it, but if he says: "And upon you be peace," and that one says: "Peace be upon you," do you suffice with the first response?
No, because it is before the existence of the cause, and doing things before their causes—we read this in the principles of jurisprudence: "A thing before its cause is void, just as before its condition", yes, the time is over.