Chapter on the prohibition of us initiating the greeting of peace to a disbeliever and how to respond to them, and the recommendation of greeting the people of a gathering in which there are Muslims and disbelievers
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The Reciter: "Chapter on the prohibition of us initiating the greeting of peace to a disbeliever and how to respond to them, and the recommendation of greeting the people of a gathering in which there are Muslims and disbelievers. From Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 2167a Narrated by Muslim. And from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 2163a Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. And from Usamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by a gathering in which there was a mixture of Muslims and polytheists, worshippers of idols and Jews, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) greeted them. Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim."
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This chapter was established by the author (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book *Riyad al-Salihin* regarding the ruling on greeting pure disbelievers and disbelievers who are mixed with Muslims. It has already been mentioned that greeting pure Muslims is a confirmed sunnah. As for greeting disbelievers, it is not permissible for us to initiate the greeting of peace to them. That is, it is not permissible for a person, if he passes by a disbeliever or enters upon a disbeliever, to say "Peace be upon you." This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) prohibited it, as in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). This is because our greeting them involves a kind of humiliation for them and a kind of honor for them, because the greeting and peace are an honor, and the disbeliever is not worthy of honor. Rather, the right of the disbeliever from us is that we anger him, humiliate him, and insult him. This is because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said in His great Book:[Al-Fath 48:29] He said: [Al-Fath 48:29] meaning they are strong against them, noble against them. [Al-Fath 48:29] This is the evidence. And He, the Exalted, said in Surat al-Tawbah: [At-Tawbah 9:120] And our initiating them with the greeting of peace is an honor for them and an elevation of their status. The believer should be noble in the eyes of the disbelievers. Allah, the Exalted, said: [Al-Ma'idah 5:54] They have nobility over the disbelievers, meaning the Muslim sees that he is nobler than the disbeliever and that he has nobility over him. For this reason, when Christian espionage became widespread among us today, the zeal (ghirah) disappeared. The zeal disappeared from the hearts, and it is as if the Christian, or the Jew, or the Buddhist, or the idolater, differs from us only as the Hanbali differs from the Maliki or the Shafi'i, and the like. Some people think that disbelief, in our difference with them, is like the difference between the four schools of jurisprudence in Islam. We ask Allah for safety. This is undoubtedly a sign of the death of the hearts, and it is never permissible for a person to honor the disbeliever.
Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you and when you meet any one of them on the roads force him to go to the narrowest part of it.
لا تبدؤوا اليهود ولا النصارى بالسلام، فإذا لقيتم أحدهم في طريق فاضطروه إلى أضيقهWhen the People of the Book offer you salutations, you should say: The same to you.
إذا سلم عليكم أهل الكتاب فقولوا وعليكمThe Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This chapter was established by the author (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book *Riyad al-Salihin* regarding the ruling on greeting pure disbelievers and disbelievers who are mixed with Muslims. It has already been mentioned that greeting pure Muslims is a confirmed sunnah. As for greeting disbelievers, it is not permissible for us to initiate the greeting of peace to them. That is, it is not permissible for a person, if he passes by a disbeliever or enters upon a disbeliever, to say "Peace be upon you." This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) prohibited it, as in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). This is because our greeting them involves a kind of humiliation for them and a kind of honor for them, because the greeting and peace are an honor, and the disbeliever is not worthy of honor. Rather, the right of the disbeliever from us is that we anger him, humiliate him, and insult him. This is because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said in His great Book: