Assalaamu 'alaykum Do's & Dont's

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#16 [Permalink] Posted on 14th July 2011 00:11

The ordinance of the salaam and its Benefits (Khutbah)

By Sh. Haatim 19th Jumada Al Thani -1417

Brothers and Sisters in Islam! One of the greatest ordinances in Islam is spreading the Salaam, which is the greetings of the People of Islam, the angels, the people of Jannah as well as of the Mu`min on the Day when they meet their Rabb. Allah ordered the Muslims to greet each other with the Salaam when visiting each other. In S. An Noor: (24:27)

"O you who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and greeted those in them, that is better for you, in order that you may remember."

In S. An Noor it also says: (4:61)

"....But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah - i.e. say: As Salaamu Alaykum, blessed and good..... "

In a Hadeeth the Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam said, "When one of you meets his brother, he should say Salaam to him. If a tree, a wall or a rock comes in between them, and then they meet again, he should again say Salaam to him". This has been reported by Abu Dawood.

It is commanded that you must greet with the Salaam when entering upon, or departing from, a gathering of Muslim brothers. In a Hadeeth narrated by Abu Huraira, "the Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam said, 'If one of you join a gathering he should greet with the Salaam, and if he wanted to depart he should do so again, because the first greeting is not better than the second.'"

The Sunnah for the person who is riding, is to greet the person who is walking, the person who is walking, is to greet the one who is sitting, the small group is to greet the bigger group of people and the young is to greet the old. The way in which the Salaam is performed by the one greeting is to say, "As Salaam Alaykum Warahmattullaahi Wa Barakaatuh." For the one replying to say, "Wa Alaykumul Salaam Warahmattullaahi Wa Barakaatuh." This Brothers and Sisters is the most complete form of greeting. If the one who is greeting, shortens the greeting to just, As Salaam Alaykum, and the other replied by saying, "Wa Alaykumul Salaam", then that would be sufficient. However, it is better to reply in the first form because Allah says in S. An Nisaa:(4:86)

"When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or at least return it equally."

Ibn Katheer explained this verse by saying: "If the person greeted you with the Salaam you should reply in a better form, or reply similarly. However, the extended form is preferable, but the shorter is compulsory. Which means that greeting is preferable but the greeting in return is compulsory, and it should be in the form of the Salaam and not in any other form."

The Muslims of today have fallen into the habit of exchanging the greeting of the Salaam by saying Good Morning, Hi etc., and this Brothers and Sisters is not a Salaam. The greeting of the Salaam should be verbally and it is not enough to just wave the hand or nod the head since it has been forbidden.

In a Hadeeth narrated by Umar bin Shuaib by his father by his grandfather, that the Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam said, "He does not belong to us who imitates other people. Do not imitate the Jews or the Christians, for the Jews salutation is to make a gesture with the fingers and the Christians salutation is to make a gesture with the palms of the hands."

The Salaam is a religious observance of one Muslim upon another, except for the innovator or the faasiq - who is someone who do not fear Allah, hence cannot be trusted and should not be greeted with the Salaam or answered when they greet with the Salaam till they repent. The Prophet Muhammad, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam abandoned the three Companions who missed the Battle of Tabook until they repented to Allah Almighty. It is forbidden to greet the Disbeliever with the Salaam and if they do, then we should reply with, 'Wa Alaykum' - which means, 'And upon you', because of the Hadeeth which has been narrated by Abu Huraira, that the Prophet Muhammad, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam said: " Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you and when you meet anyone of them on the roads, force them to go to the narrowest part of it."

Abdullah ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet Muhammad, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam said: "When the Jews greet you, they usually say, As Samu Alaykum - which means Death be on you, so you should say in reply to them, Wa Alaykum - which means And on you".

Brothers and Sisters! There are situations in which we should not greet with the Salaam and that is:

While the person is relieving himself or in the toilet.

While the Khutbah of Jumu'ah is being delivered, a person should not greet the congregation with Salaam because they were ordered to listen, and not to return the Salaam.

We should not do what some people are doing and that is to shake hands after the Salaat and greet with the Salaam, because this Salaam is not approved. When it is performed regularly, then it becomes an innovation. If it is done for a certain reason for eg. seeing a person you have never met before or to discuss a certain situation, then it is no problem.

With reference to shaking hands when meeting, this is encouraged. In a Hadeeth the Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam said, Two Muslims will not meet and shake hands having their sins forgiven them before they separate. Reported by Abu Dawud.

Regarding hugging and kissing, it is allowed when meeting a person arriving from a journey, but it is not allowed under normal circumstances.

It is forbidden to bow when greeting with the Salaam because the Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam, was asked about a man meeting his brother by bowing down for him. He replied, "No". Reported By At Tirmidhee. Since bowing is a form of Rukoo, and the Rukoo and the Sujood are allowed only for Allah. We should pay attention to the rule and the honour regarding standing up for the Salaam.

Standing up for a person arriving from a journey or entering a gathering of people while they are sitting, is allowed to be greeted with the Salaam.

On the other hand, standing up to show respect for someone and not for the Salaam, as in the case of kings, queens etc., is forbidden.

Sheikh ul Islam Ibn Taimiyah said, It was not the habit of the Salaf at the time of the Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam, and the Righteous Caliphs to stand up every time they saw the Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam. Anas bin Maalik said, "Although there was no person more beloved to them, they - the Companions would not stand up for the Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam, because he use to dislike it". The Companions use to stand up for a person arriving from a journey by welcoming him, as it has been narrated that the Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam, stood up for Ikrima and said to the Ansaar when Sad bin Muaadh arrived, "Stand up for your Master".

The people should get used to following the Salaf and what they use to do at the time of the Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam, because they were the best of generations. The best of words is that of Allah and the best of guidance is that of the Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam.

The Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam said, "Whoever likes the people to stand up for him, he should prepare himself for his place in Hell". That is, when the people stand up while he is sitting and not for his arrival. It has been reported in Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam, ordered his Companions to sit down when he led the prayer in a sitting position during his sickness. He also said, "Do not over glorify me like the disbelievers glorify each other, and he forbid his Companions from standing in the Salaat while he was sitting, so he would not imitate the disbelievers".

Dear Brothers and Sisters! Whoever receives the Salaam from an absent person, he should return it in the same form or reply better, so fear Allah and spread the Salaam among each other, because of the benefits and blessings that it contains. It is also a form of softening the heart and reviving the Sunnah.

In the Second Khutbah the noble Sh. continued by saying....

Brothers and Sisters! Spreading the Salaam among you is beneficial in the following ways:

It is one of the causes for gaining access to Jannah. The Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam said, "O you people! Spread the Salaam, feed the poor and needy, behave kindly to your blood relations, sever your relations, offer prayer when others are asleep, and thus enter Paradise in peace."

It will bring love into the heart. The Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam said, "You will not be admitted to Jannah till you believe, and will not believe, till you love each other. Should I guide you to a thing, that if you do it, you would love each other. Spread the Salaam among you."

The Salaam and the shaking of hands are two causes of forgiveness from sins. The Prophet, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam said, "If a Muslim meets his brother and shakes his hand, their sins will fall off as a tree sheds its leaves on a windy day even if it were as much as the foam of the ocean".

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#17 [Permalink] Posted on 27th July 2011 13:37

This is one of my favourite videos on you tube.

It mentions Salaam at the gates of Heaven and Hell.

Awesome recitation and video.

Youtube Video

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#18 [Permalink] Posted on 27th July 2011 14:01

"Anonymous" wrote:

off topic but relavant to abu mohammeds post... one cannot post the arabic Sallalahu alaihe wassalam on this forum when copying and pasting stuff. Therefore the sallalahu alaihe wassalam is totally missed out e.g

"abu mohammed" wrote:

beloved Prophet Muhammad. Here we present [/quote]

"abu mohammed" wrote:

Hazrat Ali that the Holy Prophet said,

[quote="abu mohammed"] Hazrat Abu Hurairah that the Holy Prophet said

Radhiallahu anhu is also missed out can the mods fix this

Salaam Guest, I just realized that the Arabic does not get copied from Inter-Islam, because the Salutations are not in a text format, rather they are jpeg images.

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#19 [Permalink] Posted on 21st January 2012 00:07

An email forwarded to my wife to me to you. (so we have a chain)

ASSALAAMU ALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAAHI

BARAKAATUHU !

The Best Greeting There Could Ever Be By Asma bint Shameem with inputs by

Did you wake up this morning and say "As-Salaamu Alaikum" to your spouse or your child ? Or did you greet them with a "Good Morning" or even a casual "hi" ?

Have we been teaching our children the importance of greeting each other with salaam ?Or when we see them off to school, do we send them off with a 'bye', instead of "As-Salaamu Alaikum", the dua for peace and blessings?

For some of us, this may seem a minor issue. Or it may even be a 'progressive' issue. But, in our haste to 'adapt', we forget that saying "As-Salaamu Alaikum" is the best greeting there could ever be.

This was the practice and teaching of Prophet Muhammad (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam), the best example for mankind. And it was Allaah Himself that prescribed the manner of greeting among Muslims as "As-Salaamu Alaikum" [not 'salaams' or 'good morning' or 'hey' or 'hi' or whatever]

"When those who believe in Our Ayaat (proofs, verses, signs, etc.) come to you, say: "Salaamun Alaikum" (peace be on you)....." (Surah al-An'aam:54)

Ibn al-Qayyim says: "Allaah, the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Peace, prescribed that the greeting among the people of Islam should be 'As-Salaamu Alaikum', which is better than all the greetings of other nations which include impossible ideas or lies, such as saying, 'May you live for a thousand years,' or things that are not accurate, such as 'An'im sabaahan (Good morning),' or actions that are not right, such as bowing in greeting. Thus the greeting of salaam is better than all of these, because it has the meaning of safety which is life, without which nothing else can be achieved...." (Badaai al-Fawaaid)

"As-Salaamu Alaikum" is the best Dua The word 'salaam' comes from the root 'salema', which implies to disassociate oneself from evil and harm. Thus, when we greet other Muslims, the greeting means: "No harm shall come to you from me (may no evil come to you, may no harm come to you)

And since As-Salaam is also one of the Beautiful Names of Allaah, the greeting of salaam also means, "May the blessing of His Name descend upon you, may Allah be with you, may Allah guide and protect you." Subhaan Allaah! What a beautiful greeting!

Yet, it is utterly tragic to see that some of us have exchanged something so beautiful for something ugly, when we stopped saying Assalaamu Alaikum and started with 'Good Morning' or 'Hi'. It is especially sad to see some of our youth, who don't even know how to say the words clearly and properly. Some say 'Saakum", some just mumble something incomprehensible under their breath and some don't even bother to say anything at all! And if they are being really nice to you, they just might throw you a 'hey' from afar.

And even those of us who do say salaam, some of us are so stingy or hesitant in doing so. Although, at the time of the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) the Sahaabah would compete with each other to see who could give salaams first. They would go to the market just to say salaam to people they knew and to the people they did not know.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "The best of the two persons is the one who begins with salaam." (Related by an-Nawawi)

BENEFITS OF "AS-SALAAMU ALAIKUM"

1."As-Salaamu Alaikum" is a means of immense reward

A man passed by the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) while he was sitting with others, and said "As-salaamu 'alaykum." The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "[He will have] ten hasanaat." Another man passed by and said "As-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullaah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah)." The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "[He will have] twenty hasanaat." Another man passed by and said "As-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings)." The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "[He will have] thirty hasanaat."

2."As-Salaamu Alaikum" is an aspect of Imaan

Once a man asked the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) about which aspect of Islam was best. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) replied: "Feeding the hungry, and saying salaam to those you know and those you don't know." (Bukhaari and Muslim)

3. "As-Salaamu Alaikum" is a means of entering Jannah

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you about something which, if you do it, you will love one another?Spread salaam (the greeting of peace) among you." (Muslim)

4. "As-Salaamu Alaikum" gets rid of sins

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) also said, "When two Muslims meet (give salaam), and shake hands, they are forgiven their sins before they part (with each other)." (Abu Dawud)

5. "As-Salaamu Alaikum" is the greeting of the people of Jannah

"Then, those that feared their Lord shall be driven in companies into Paradise . When they draw near its gates will be opened, and its keepers will say to them: "Salaamun 'Alaikum" (Peace be upon you), you have done well. Enter and live in it for ever." (Surah Zumar:73)

6. Even Allaah سبحانه وتعالى says "As-Salaamu Alaikum"

Allah sends His Salaam upon the people who believe in Him, especially the prophets such as Nuh, Ibraheem, Ismaeel, Musa, etc.(Surah as-Saaffaat) as well as other pious people.

Jibreel came to house of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) and Khadeeja was there. Jibreel said: "Allah sends his salaam to Khadeeja." The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "O Khadeeja, Allah is sending His salaams to you." She said, "Allah is As-Salaam. And upon you O Jibreel, be as-salaam and upon you Rasulullah be as-salaam." [Bukhaari]

It is obligatory to return the greeting of "As-Salaamu Alaikum"

"The Muslim has five rights over his fellow-Muslim: he should return his salaams, visit him when he is sick, attend his funeral, accept his invitation, and pray for mercy for him & [say "Yar ha'mu kallaah"] when he sneezes." (Bukhaari, Muslim)

We should say "As-Salaamu Alaikum" when we enter our homes "When you enter houses, greet (with peace) one another with a salutation from Allah, blessed and good. As such Allah makes clear to you His verses so that you understand." (Surah an-Nur: 61)

"As-Salaamu Alaikum" is also to be said at time of leaving

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "When one of you joins a gathering, he should greet those present; and when he leaves them he should salute them, because the first salutation is not better than the last one." (Abu Dawud and Tirmithi)

Why would you want to give up something beautiful for something ugly??

It is sad to see that when it comes to the matters of Dunya, we strive our utmost to give our families and friends the best. Yet when it comes to greetings, we forget the most beautiful and comprehensive greeting "As-Salaamu Alaikum", which is also a prayer....a prayer of peace and blessing....of security and protection from all harm and all evil.....a blessing that Allaah Himself sends down to His beloved slaves......a greeting of the people of Jannah itself.

Important note: The head should NEVER be bent or bowed as a sign of greeting. We bend our heads only to Allah. It must also be emphasized that other body gestures in any form or shape (for example, raising eyebrows, extending the arms, smiling, winking, etc.) cannot replace the beautiful greeting of "As-Salaamu Alaikum".

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#20 [Permalink] Posted on 20th August 2012 12:54

Mufti Ismail Menk Explains the Deeper Meanings and the Understanding of the Islamic Greetings of "Asslam-o-Alaikum Wa Rehmatullahi Wa Barakatuh."

Halalified YT Audio

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#21 [Permalink] Posted on 28th May 2014 08:59

Excellent thread ماشاء الله

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#22 [Permalink] Posted on 13th July 2014 17:22

INITIATING THE SAYING OF SALAAM TO NON-MUSLIMS

Muslim scholars in Islam have three major views concerning the saying of salaam to members of others faiths, such as Christians, Zoroastrians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Animists. One group of scholars prohibits it, while a second group permits it. Yet a third group takes a midway position by saying when conditions call for it or make it necessary, Muslims may initiate the greeting of salaam.

It has been authentically reported from the Prophet (Peace be upon him) that he said:

"Do not initiate Salaam with them...." But it was said that this injunction was specifically when they were going to Banu Quraizah9. But the question is, is this a general rule applying to all non-Muslim citizens, or only to those who exhibits hostilities to Muslims as did the Banu Quraizah? This is a point of deliberation (among scholars).

Ι. PROHIBITION OF INITIATING THE SAYING OF SALAAM TO NON-MUSLIMS

A good number of Islamic scholars are of the view that it is prohibited to initiate the greeting of salaam to non-Muslims. They say salaam is meant to be exchanged among Muslims and that the verse of the Qur'an which spoke of greeting with salaam is referring to Muslim alone. This was the view of Ata' bin Rabah They went further to say that salaam is to Muslims as shalom is to Jews. They backed their position with the Hadith reported by Abu Hurairah, where the messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: "You must not initiate the (greetings of) salaam with Jews and Christians,". They say, salaam is a greeting of honor and a non-Muslim (kafir) does not deserve to be honored. Ahmad Bin Hanbal commented on the above Hadith: "Going by this Hadith is better than any other contrary opinion". Ibn Hajar is of similar opinion, while commenting on the above Hadith, he said: "The most credible of all these (views) is what is evident in the above Hadith, although it is specific to the People of the Book. Ibn Katheer also, while commenting on the verse on greeting (Qur'an 4:86) said: "But as to non-Muslim citizens (Alum Dimmit) one should not initiate to them the greetings of salaam" Abu Haneefah and Malik Bin Anas detested initiating salaam with non-Muslims.

Proponents of this opinion argue further that the salaam meant for greeting is among the peculiarities of this Ummah of Prophet Muhammad as reported by Anas bin Malik, who said that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah has given my Ummah three things that were not given to any other Ummah before me: saying salaam, and it is the greeting of the people of Jannah (Paradise)..."

Imam An-Nawawi reconciled between the ahadith that enjoyed greeting and those that prohibit initiating salaams to non Muslims as follows: "The ahadith that enjoined spreading the greetings of salaam is a generalization (A'am), from which the people of the book were excluded"

This group go further to assert that the salaam that Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) said to his father in Qur'an 19:47 was a mere farewell and good will, and it was not meant as a greeting.

From among the contemporary scholars, Ibn Uthaimeen holds a similar opinion. He believed initiating greetings of any sort with non-Muslims is a sort of honor given to them which they don't deserve. He categorically spelt out that it is prohibited (Haraam) to greet them with salaam. He further said: "Because it is a humiliation for a Muslim when he starts to honor a non-Muslim". Shaykh Abdul-Azeez Bin Baaz while commenting on the Hadith earlier stated, said: "This indicates that we respond to them if they initiate it. It is initiating it that is prohibited" Scholars of the Shafii Madhhab uphold the prohibition of initiating salaam to a non-Muslim citizen. However, they permitted initiating with other local greetings only when the need arises, because it is an expression of love. They argued further that Allah the Most High has warned: "You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger,.. However, some of the Shafi'i Madhhab scholars consider it to be merely detestable (Makruh).

II. PERMISIBILITY OF SAYING SALAAM TO NON-MUSLIMS

Another group of scholars consider it permissible to commence the saying of salaam to a non-Muslim. They say this view is in harmony with how Qur'an represents the Islamic greeting of peace as a universal greeting. They advance their argument on the basis of the following texts:

"O you who believe, enter not into houses other than yours without first announcing your presence and invoking peace (saying salaam) upon the folk thereof. That is better for you, that you may be heedful"

"And servants of (Allah) the Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, Peace (Salaam)!"

"Consider his cry: 'O my Lord! Surely they are a people who do not believe! So turn away from them and say 'Salaam' (Peace) for they shall soon come to know".

Also, "And when they hear ill speech, they turn away from it and say, 'For us are our deeds and for you are your deeds, peace be upon you; we seek not the ignorant"

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Greet with Peace those whom you know and those whom you do not know" He also informed us that when Allah created Adam, He commanded him "Go to that assembly" and they were an assembly of seated angels - " and listen to how they greet you. Indeed, it is your greeting and the greeting of your descendents". He said: "Peace be upon you" they said: "Peace be upon you and Allah's Mercy"

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) also said: "Spread the greeting of peace"

In response to the hadith quoted by the first group, they agree that it relates to the state of hostilities which erupted between the Jews and the Muslims at the time of campaign against Banu Quraizah. They supported this assertion by a Hadith where the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "We are going forth in the morning against a group of Jews, so do not initiate the greeting of 'Peace' with them"

More so, a good number of the companions hold the same opinion. Abdullahi bin Mas'ud once said salaam to a non-Muslim. When asked: "Are we not warned against initiating salaam with them?" He replied: "It is a right of companionship". He once wrote a letter to a non-Muslim and said therein, 'Assalamu alaik' - "Peace be upon you". Abu ad-Darda', Abdullahi bin Abbas, Fudalah bin Ubaid and Ibn Muhairiz were also of the same view. It was equally reported that, Abu Umamah Al-Bahily do used to say salaam to whoever he passed by, Muslim or non-Muslim, and used to say, "it is a greeting for the people of our religion, and an assurance of security to our non-Muslim citizens, and a Name among the Names of Allah we spread among ourselves". Notable among the prominent pious predecessors of the second generation was Sufyan bin Uyaynah, who when asked whether a Muslim can salute a non-Muslim with salaam, replied in affirmation and quoted the saying of Allah "Allah does not forbid you in respect of those who do not fight you because of your religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous and dealing justly towards them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly"

Imam Awzaiy said: "If you say salaam to them (the non-Muslims), then surely (some) pious people did the same, and if you don't, indeed, (some) pious people did the same." Umar Bin Abdul-Azeez said: "I feel no qualm in initiating salaam to them, because of the saying of Allah: "So turn away from them and say 'salaam' - (Peace), for they shall soon come to know" Al-Sha'abi is also of the same understanding. He once said to a Jew "Peace and Allah's Mercy be upon you" (Alaikas-Salam wa Rahmatullah), so it was said to him "You told a Jew Warahmatullah"? He replied back saying: "Isn't he living in Allah's Mercy?

Proponents of this view explained that the rationale behind the prohibition of initiating salaam was that some of the Jews used to greet the Prophet with 'As-Saamu alaik' meaning "Death be upon you". However, if they change, and there is peaceful co-existence, nothing stops us of from initiating salaam. This view is equally supported by Imam Qurtubi.

III PERMISIBILITY ON CONDTION

The third category of scholars are those that see salaam to be permissible on necessities such as seeking help from them, companionship, a journey, or some other necessity, or if such non-Muslim are relations. This view tries to reconcile between the first two. They say that the Hadith of prohibition is applicable when conditions do not call for saying salaam. They support this assertion by a Hadith related by Usamah bin Zaid that the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed by a company of people which comprised Muslims, idol worshippers and Jews, and he greeted them with the salutation of peace (salaam)

. They say the only way to reconcile between the Hadith of prohibition and the above is permissibility but only when necessary. Notable among members of this group are: Ibrahim An-Nakhaiy, Alqamah and Al-Sha'by.

It is observable that the Prophet did not state any condition for His action in this hadith. Did He intend the greeting for only the Muslim s in the group, with the non Muslims as collateral beneficiaries? Or did He intend the greeting for all irrespective of their faith? In as much as the hadith exclude any condition, it is safe to assume that the Prophet's greeting was directed to everyone in the group, Muslim or non Muslim.

SECTION B

RESPONDING TO SALAAM FROM NON-MUSLIMS

Nearly all the scholars have unanimously agreed that it is compulsory to reply salaams from a non-Muslim just as if he or she were a Muslim. This ruling is based on the verse of the Qur'an where Allah is says: "And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet (in return) with what is better or (at least) return it (in a like manner)..."

Sufyan At-Thawri reported from Al-Hasan Al-Basari: "Initiating the saying of salaam is voluntary, but replying to the greeting of salaam is compulsory". Ibn Katheer said: "This statement of Al-Hasan Al-Basari is the position of all scholars unanimously.

From the Madh-hab point of view, Hanafis and Malikis consider responding to salaam from a non-Muslim to be permissible, while scholars from Shafii and Hanbali Madh-habs consider it to be compulsory. However, scholars differ on how the reply should be.

The first category believe that the response to their greeting of salaam should be 'wa'alaikum (And upon you too) or Alaikum' (let it be upon you) and no more. Their evidence is the popular Hadith of Anas Bin Malik related by Bukhari and Muslim; that the Messenger of Allah said: "When the people of the Book offer you salutations, you should say: the same to you" (wa'alaikum). In another tradition it is related that the companions said to the Prophet: "The People of the Book offer us salutations (by saying as-Salaamu-alaikum). How should we reciprocate?'' There upon he said: say: 'Wa'alaikum' (and upon you too). In the text narrated by Abdullahi bin 'Umar: Allah's Messenger said: "When the Jews greet you, they usually say, 'As-Saamu alaikum (Death be on you), so you should say (in reply to them), 'wa'alaikum (And on you too)." In the same vein, Aisha narrated: The Jews used to greet the Prophet by saying, 'As-Samu 'Alaika (death be upon you), so I understood what they said, and I said to them, "As-Samu alaikum wal-la'na (Death and Allah's curse be upon you)". The Prophet said, "Be gentle and calm, O 'Aisha, as Allah likes gentleness in all affairs" I said, "O Allah's Prophet! Did you hear what they said?" He said, "Didn't you hear me answering them back by saying, 'Alaikum (the same be upon you).

Ibn Abbas commented on Qur'an 4:86 thus: "Greet (in return) with what is better" applies to a believer, but if it is a non-Muslim, reply with what the Messenger of Allah has instructed to be said to them "wa'alaikum" (And upon you too) Imam Al-Tabari while commenting on the same verse said "And already, the Sunnah has excluded non-Muslims from benefiting from the response that is better by the instruction to respond with "Wa'alaikum" Therefore, it is not befitting for anybody to transgress the bounds laid by the messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) in that regard. They supported this assertion with a Hadith reported by Anas, where he said: "We were instructed not to say more than 'wa'alaikum' (And upon you) in response to the greeting of the People of the Book.

The second category of scholars in this regard believe that in replying the salaam of a non-Muslim, one can go as far as saying "Wa'alaikumus-Salaam" (And Peace be upon you) provided one is sure the person's salutation is an actual greeting salaam. They say when Allah was instructing the reply to a greeting, it was a generalized instruction that came in passive form "And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet (in return) with one better than it or (at least) return it (in a like manner)". He (Allah) did not say "And if you were greeted by a Muslim"

Ibn Mas'ud said: 'Even if Pharaoh (Fir'aun) said good words to me, I would respond to him with similar (good words). Abdullah bin Abbas also said while explaining the verse on greeting (Q4:86) "Whoever says salaam to you among the creatures of Allah reply him, even if he is a Zoroastrian (Majus). A group of scholars from the Shafii Madh'hab also hold this view"

Some of the members of the group believe one can say "Wa'alaikumus-Salam' (Peace be upon you also) only, without warahmatullah (And Allah's Mercy) while majority of them believe the response should be according to the greeting. This group went further to interpret the reply to a non-Muslim to mean supplication and good will.

Notable among proponents of this opinion include Shaikh AbdulAziz bin Baaz where he said:

"If a non-Muslim greets us, we respond in the same manner that he/she greets us with. So if one (of the non-Muslims) says: 'As Salaamu 'Alaikum' clearly when greeting us, we respond by saying 'Alaikum as Salaam', if one says 'Ahlan wa Sahlan' we respond with 'Ahlan wa Sahlan', and if they say "good morning", we respond by saying "good morning". We greet them in the same way that they greet us acting on the order of Allah the Mighty and Majestic (Q4:86)

Shaikh Muhammad Bin Salih al-Uthaimeen also share similar view in the statement below:

"If a non-Muslim greets a Muslim by saying "al-saamu 'alaykum" (Death be upon you), then we should respond by saying 'wa 'alaykum (and also upon you). The fact that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "wa alaykum" (And upon you also) indicates that if they were saying "as-salaamu 'alaykum" (Peace be upon you), then peace will also be upon them, that is, whatever they say to us, we say to them. Hence some of the scholars said that if a Jew, Christian or other non-Muslim clearly says "al-Salaamu 'alaykum", it is permissible for us to say "Alaykum al-Salaam" (upon you peace be)

To wind up this segment of the discussion, let us cite the statement of Ibn Qayyim:

"If it is confirmed that the non-Muslim citizen (Dhimmi) said salaam 'alaikum' (clearly), the dictates of the principles of Jurisdiction and the rulings/evidence of the Shariah is in line with replying with 'wa 'alayka as-salaam' (and upon you be peace), because this is more of just and kind. More so, Allah the Most High has said: "And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet (in return) with what is better or (at least) return it (in like manner)...." He thus encourages replying with what is better and has mandated justice. And this in no way contradicts any of the ahadith in this chapter, because, the instruction of replying with 'wa 'alaykum" (and upon you too) was in consequence of what the Jews deliberately did in their greeting. The Hadith of Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) pointed to this, while the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Don't you see me responding to them by saying 'wa 'alaykum' (And upon you)? Then he instructed: "If the people of the book say salaam to you (in greetings), say to them 'and upon you'. Although the entirety of the text is considered, the context and the factors underlying it are also important.... So, if the precursor ceased, and the People of the Book say: "Salaamun 'alaykum wa Rahmatullah" (Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon you), justice in greeting demands that they should be replied in similar way. Perfection belongs to Allah"

CONCLUSION

This paper has attempted to show that the Hadiths specifically excluding the People of the Book from the salutations of Salaam have been understood by a group of scholars to be a generalized injunction. They therefore ruled that it is unlawful to initiate salutations of salaam with non-Muslims such as Jews, Christians, Pagans, and Zoroastrians and others.

Another group considers the related verses of the Qur'an, several Hadiths and the context surrounding the specific Hadith on prohibition, and viewed it to be permissible to initiate greetings of Salaam with a non-Muslim. This group understands the Hadith on prohibition to be specific to a particular instance and context. In accordance with the view of this group of scholars, therefore, it is only the presence of similar hostile condition that warrants the prohibition of initiating salaams with non Muslims.

It is worth mentioning that some Companions saw the salutations of Salaam to be a right of companionship. This implies that the context may also be important.

However, virtually all scholars seem to have no problem with responding to Salaam from non-Muslims in consideration of the instruction of Allah in Qur'an 4:86.They only differ on the format of the reply.

Greeting in whatever form is considered by Scholars of Principles of Jurisprudence (Usool al-Fiqh) to be among social transactions (Mu'amalat) regarding which the basic principle of Jurisprudence governing it is permissibility, except otherwise prohibited by Islamic Law (Sharia).

Sufyan At-Thawri was reported to have said "If you see a man doing something over which there is difference of opinion among scholars, and which you believe to be forbidden, you should not forbid him from doing it"

He also said: "If you say salaam (to the non-Muslims), then surely (some) pious people did the same, and if you don't, indeed, (some) pious people did same."

After affirming that Allah knows best concerning all affairs, it is only befitting to end this discussion with the beautiful greeting in question,

Assalaamu 'Alaikum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh.

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#23 [Permalink] Posted on 13th July 2014 18:24

السلام عليكم

Question assalaamu alaikum

I just wanted know whether it is permissibe to make salaam to somebody when they are eating.
Yesterday I entered my grandparents house and said "assalaamu alaikum", I was then scolded by my grandfather who said it is not permissible to greet somebody when they are eating.
I have never heard of such a thing before and just wanted to confirm whether it is true or not.

jazaakallah

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Alhamdulilah we are very pleased to see your great enthusiasm in learning the Aadaabs and ethics of Deen. There are five constitutional branches of Islam namely Aaqaaid (beliefs), Ibaadaat (worship),Muamalaat (mutual dealings and transactions), Akhlaaq (moral character) and lastly Aadabul Muasharaat (social etiquette).

In reference to your question, it is Makrooh (Abominable - disliked) to make Salaam to a person who is partaking one's meals. However, if you could determine that the morsel of food is not in the person's mouth, it will not be Makrooh.

يكره السلام على العاجز عن الجواب حقيقة كالمشغول بالأكل أو الاستتفراغ.
(رد المحتار ،سعيد، ص617،ج1)
( قوله كآكل ) ظاهره أن ذلك مخصوص بحال وضع اللقمة في الفم والمضغ وأما قبل وبعد فلا يكره لعدم العجز وبه صرح الشافعي.
(رد المحتار،سعيد، ص415،ج6)
(فتاوى محموديه،جامعه فاروقيه ، ص81،ج19)

Hakimul Ummat Hadhrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi Rahmatullahi Allai in his book Aadabul Muaasharaat has mentioned the following etiquettes of Salaam.

1. In a gathering where a talk or discussion is taking place, the person entering should not draw attention to himself by making salaam. He should not interfere in the talk. He should lower his gaze and silently sit down. When later the opportunity arises, he should make Salaam.

2. Adopt the practice of mutual salaam. Whenever meeting a Muslim, say: Assalamualaikum. In reply say Walaikumus Salaam.
All other ways are baseless.

3. When a person conveys the Salaams of another to you, reply: Alayhim Wa Alaikumus Salaam. This is best. If someone replies: Walaikumus Salaam, It will also suffice.

4. One person of the group making Salaam will be representative of the whole group. His Salaam will be adequate on behalf of the group. Similarly, if from the gathering one person replied, it will suffice on behalf of the whole gathering.

5. The one initiates the Salaam obtains greater thawaab (reward).

6. When replying to the Salaam of a person, the Salaam should be made verbally, not by a sign of the hand or a nod of the head.

7. Better repayment for a favour will be when the repayment is somewhat more than the act of favour rendered. Thus, the reply should be more than the Salaam (greeting). If Assalamualaikum was said, the better reply will be Walaikumus Salaam Warahmatullah. If Wa Barakaatuhu is also added it will be an added merit.

8. It is Wajib (obligatory) to reply to the Salaam which is written in a letter. This reply may be in writing or verbally.

9. The Fuqaha have said that in a reply to the Salaam which is written in a letter, one may say Alaikumus Salaam or even Assalamu Alaikum.

10. In a letter in which a dua is written, the Salaam should be written first since this is the sunnah method.

11. Instead of writing or saying the Salaam, to say any other term or to adopt the greeting of any other community is bidah. Such an alien greeting is in fact alteration of the Shariah.

12. A person who is engrossed in a conversation or in some work should not be greeted. The new-comer should not intrude with his hand-shaking. Such an act is uncultured and causes distress to others.

13. It is Makrooh (Abominable - disliked) to greet a person involved in deeni or natural activity. Thus, to make Salaam to a person eating is Makrooh while it is not Makrooh (Abominable - disliked) to engage in conversation while eating.

14. It is not permissible to bow and make salaam.

15. Before entering a house or any place of privacy it is necessary to seek permission. Do not enter without permission.

16. Stand outside and proclaim the Salaam, then ask permission in any language. Use such terms which convey the full meaning. However, as far as the Salaam itself is concerned only the terms of Shariah should be used.

17. When answering the call of nature neither reply to anyone's Salaam nor offer Salaam.

18. On promising to convey a person's Salaam it becomes wajib to do so, otherwise not.

19. When making Salaam to elders adopt a low voice. Do not express your self in such terms which convey arrogance or disrespect.

(Aadabul Muaasharat -etiquettes of social life-, publisher YMMA, Pg 12)

And Allah knows best

Wassalam u Alaikum

Ml. Luqman Hansrot,

Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai (db)

Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah

Askimam

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#24 [Permalink] Posted on 13th July 2014 18:55

What is the ruling of Salaam when Maulana Yasin's avatar says "Assalamu Alaykum (my username)"?

Do I have to give Jawaab (reply)?

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#25 [Permalink] Posted on 13th July 2014 18:58

samah wrote:

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I believe this was discussed before and I believe the answer was no.

I think the example was, "if a parrot gives salaam, do we have to reply?"

Maybe someone can find that thread.

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#26 [Permalink] Posted on 13th July 2014 19:05

abu mohammed wrote:

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In my grandfather's house there is a real live parrot, and when I pass by it, it greets me and says 'al-salamu 'alaykum". In this case do I have to return the greeting of this bird?

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:�

Al-Fayyoomi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:�

The babgha (parrot) is a well-known bird. The word babgha may be masculine or feminine, and the plural is Babghawat.�

Al-Misbah al-Muneer fi Ghareeb al-Sharh al-Kabeer, 1/35�

Secondly:�

It seems that it is not prescribed to return the greeting of a parrot which has learnt how to say salams (Islamic greeting), because saying salam is an act of worship and a supplication which requires intention on the part of the one who said it, and there is no such intention on the part of this trained creature. So one should not return its greeting. The ruling is the same as that on a tape on which the greeting is recorded and can be heard. It is a transmission of sound and does not come under the ruling on greeting when it is broadcast live, in which�case returning the greeting is prescribed and is a communal obligation (fard kifayah).

Al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Sometimes the greeting may be recorded and they put it on the tape and run it. If it is recorded then you are not obliged to return the greeting, because this is just a transmission of sound.�

Liqa' al-Bab al-Maftooh, 28/229�

Based on this, the parrot does not intend to give the greeting of salam, because it does not possess the power of reason, and when it speaks it is just repeating what it has been taught, without meaning what it says.�

Some of the scholars have stated that it is not prescribed to prostrate if one hears a verse from a parrot or from a recorded tape.�

One of the conclusions of the book Bahjat al-Asma' fi Ahkam al-Sama' fi'l-Fiqh al-Islami by Prof. 'Ali ibn Dhariyan ibn Faris al-Hasan al-'Anzi (published by Dar al-Manar in Kuwait) is:�

The listener need not do the prostration of recitation if he hears it from a source that is not human, such as a trained bird like a parrot or hearing it from an echo. End quote.�

And Allah knows best.

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#27 [Permalink] Posted on 13th July 2014 19:09

Q:�When a recording like the voicemail on a telephone has a taped�salaam, does one need to reply?

A:�Yes, one should reply to the Salaam.

And Allah Ta'ala knows best.

وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَا أَوْ رُدُّوهَا إِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَسِيبًا ﴿النساء: ٨٦﴾

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

muftionline.co.za/node/2052

(interesting)

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#28 [Permalink] Posted on 13th July 2014 19:30

samah wrote:

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As long as the Salaam reply is to me and not the pixels on the screen. Otherwise no, a reply is not required.

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#29 [Permalink] Posted on 15th January 2015 15:58

Couldn't believe what I saw this morning, I was waiting for a meeting in a waiting area and two guys meet up at the lift, they knew each other, one Muslim the other non Muslim, they said hello to each other...

Then the Muslim said... oh brother I wish I could say Assalamualaykum to you but I can't,I really wish I could say it but I cant, so the non Muslims says..doesn't that just mean...peace be upon you? The Muslim guy says yes but I cant say it to you....the non Muslim guy says....so it's like saying I can't say....God bless you..

By now the argument is getting louder and heated and they go into the lift continuing to argue.

Why do people have to make an issue out of something that isn't an issue to begin with?

Every action is going to have a reaction!

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#30 [Permalink] Posted on 18th February 2015 08:34

MashaAllah all my Muslim brothers shared very nice information for us, JazakAllah.

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