The Importance of Spreading the Greeting of Peace

The Shaykh : We have reached the hadith of the three men who entered, and he said to the first: ten, to the second: twenty, and to the third: thirty. The meaning of this hadith is that a Muslim should be eager to increase his good deeds. I wanted to say earlier, but we were occupied. I wanted to say that a Muslim, no matter how righteous he is, is exposed to sins. Therefore, our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) has provided us with a way to have our sins forgiven by increasing our good deeds: . Then, out of His grace and generosity toward His servants, our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) has made it easy for them to increase their good deeds so that these good deeds may overcome the sins. I think that in most of us, the sins are more numerous than the good deeds. Therefore, each of us should be eager to increase his good deeds. Glory be to Allah, there are good deeds that require effort, toil, and struggling against the desires of the soul, such as standing in prayer at night while people are sleeping. How few are those who do it among people! But there are lawful means that are very easy and facilitated so that a Muslim’s scale of good deeds may outweigh his scale of sins, and he may be successful before Allah, no matter how many his sins are. Among these means is that when you enter, my brother, you say "As-salamu alaykum" (Peace be upon you), and when you leave the mosque, you say "As-salamu alaykum." The lady of the house is entering or exiting, the master of the house, and so on, from room to room. We are calculating how many good deeds will have accumulated for the one who frequently says the greeting upon entering and exiting. Similarly, among the easy means, as we always say, is that when you are praying, you watch the imam. When he finishes , do not precede him with "Ameen." If your "Ameen" coincides with the imam's "Ameen," Allah will forgive you your previous sins. All of this is easy and does not burden you, unlike standing in prayer at night while people are sleeping. Yet you find people who are heedless, or perhaps even disapproving. They disapprove of the one who enters and says "As-salamu alaykum" and leaves saying "As-salamu alaykum." My brother, what will you do for us? It is a task. Glory be to Allah, this is disapproved of, even though it is the Sunnah. But which is closer to reason: that one mentions the name of Allah frequently, saying "As-salamu alaykum" frequently, or that he sits in the assembly and says "Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah" and no one denies what he is doing? He is remembering Allah. Well, this is the one who enters and says "As-salamu alaykum"; he is truly remembering Allah and following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). This is because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: This greeting upon entering and exiting is part of spreading it. Therefore, consider it an opportunity and do not worry about the custom of people. Every time you enter a room of your family, say "As-salamu alaykum." In the Syrian expression, do you know what "As-salamu alaykum" means? It means "May Allah be upon you." Well, what is wrong with this? It is a good supplication: "May Allah be upon you." If someone kept saying to you "May Allah be upon you, May Allah be upon you," you would say to him, "May Allah reward you with good." How much more so when it is a brief moment, and he may leave after ten minutes, after a quarter of an hour, and so on. "May Allah be upon you." Ha ha. And with this, the discussion is completely finished.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And beware of that.