The Manners Of Giving Greetings Of Peace
1) It Is Sunnah To Initiate Greetings Of Peace, It Is Waajib (Compulsory) To Return The Greetings
2) The Manner Of Giving Greetings Of Peace
3) It Is Disliked To Initiate A Greeting With “Alaikas-Salaam (Thus Reversing The Word Order, Which Is Correctly Done When One Responds To Another Person’s Greeting)”
4) If You Are Greeting A Large Gathering Or If You Doubt Whether The Person You Greeted Heard You, It Is Recommended To Repeat The Greeting Three Times
5) It Is Sunnah To Initiate Greetings And Respond To Them Out Loud
6) It Is Sunnah To Make One’s Greetings Inclusive Of Everyone – Of Those One Knows And Of Those One Does Not Know
7) It Is Recommended That The One Who Is Arriving Initiate The Greeting
8) It Is Sunnah For The Rider To Greet (The Pedestrian, The Pedestrian To Greet The One Who Is Seated, The Few To Greet The Many, And The Young To Greet The Old
9) Greeting A Stranger Women (i.e., A Women That One Is Not Allowed To Be In Seclusion With)
10) It Is Recommended To Greet Young Children
11) The Etiquette Of Greeting People Who Are Awake In A Place Wherein Some People Are Sleeping
12) It Is Forbidden To Initiate Greetings Of Peace To The People Of The Book
13) Answering A Greeting From The People Of The Book With “Wa-‘Alaikum (And The Same Upon You)”
14) When You Come Across A Gathering Which Consists Of A Mix Of Muslims And Disbelievers, It is Permissible To Initiate Greetings Of Peace
15) If One Has A Valid Islamic Excuse, He May Signal His Greeting Instead Of Uttering It
16) It Is Permissible To Greet Someone Who Is Praying, And The Latter May Respond With A Gesture (But Not With An Utterance Of The Greeting)
17) It Is Permissible To Greet Someone Who Is Reciting The Qur’an, And If One Extends The Greeting, The Reciter Must Respond
18) It Is Disliked To Greet Someone Who Is Relieving Himself
19) It Is Recommended To Extend Greetings Of Peace Upon Entering One’s Home
20) Conveying Greetings Of Peace On Behalf Of Others
21) Upon Entering The Masjid, One Should First Pray The Two Units Of Tahiyyatul-Masjid (two units which one prays upon entering the Masjid) And Then Greet Those That Are In The Masjid
22) While The Imam Is Delivering The Friday Khutbah (Sermon), It Is Disliked To Give Greetings Of Peace
23) When You Meet Another Muslim, It Is Recommended To Extend Greetings Of Peace To Him First And Then Begin Your Conversation With Him
24) Extending Greetings Of Peace To People That Are Known For Being Sinners Or Innovators
25) Before One Parts From A Gathering, It is Sunnah For Him To Give Greetings Of Peace

The Manners Of Giving Greetings Of Peace

Allah (Swt) said: “0 you who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and greeted those in them” (Qur’an 24:27) And Allah (Swt) said: “But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah (i.e., say, ‘Assalaamu ‘Alaikum – peace be on you) blessed and good” (Qur’an 24:61)
And Allah (Swt) said: “When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally” (Qur’an 4:86)

The Messenger of Allah said (Swt) “Allah created Adam, whose length was 60 arm-spans, and then Allah (Swt) said, ‘Go and give greetings of peace to those Angels, and listen to what they greet you with, [it is] your greeting and the greeting of your progeny.’ Then Adam (AS) said [to the Angels], ‘Peace be upon you,’ and they said, ‘Peace and the Mercy of Allah upon you,’ so they added, and the Mercy of Allah…” [Bukhaaree, 3326]

And the Messenger of Allah (Swt) said, “You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to something, which, if you do it, will make you love one another? Spread greetings of peace among yourselves.” [Muslim, 54]

And in yet another Hadeeth, the Messenger of Allah (Swt), said, “The rights of a Muslim upon another Muslim are six.” He (Swt) was then asked, “And what are they, 0′ Messenger of Allah?” He said, “If you meet a Muslim, then extend to him greetings of peace… ” [Muslim, 2162]

1) It Is Sunnah To Initiate Greetings Of Peace, It Is Waajib (Compulsory) To Return The Greetings

There are many proofs which show that it is Sunnah to initiate greetings of peace. We have just mentioned one of those proofs: “The rights of a Muslim upon another Muslim are six…If you meet a Muslim, then extend to him greetings of peace…” Another proof is the practice of the Prophet (Pbuh), or of his Companions; we will not mention proofs to that effect because their practice of extending greetings of peace to one another is so well known.

If person A extends greetings of peace to person B, the latter must return the greetings; otherwise, he is sinning. Among the many proofs that establish this ruling, is the saying of Allah (Sw)“When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally” (Qur’an 4:86) Ibn Hazm, Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr, and Ash-Shaikh Taqee-ud-Deen – each of these have said that there is a consensus among the scholars in this issue: that it is compulsory to return greetings of peace.

Question: If a man greets a group of people, does each one of them have to respond to his greeting, or is it sufficient for one of them to respond?

Answer: If a man greets a group of people, it is better for all of them to respond; however, if only one of them returns the greeting, the others do not have to return it as well, and there is no sin upon them for not returning it. ‘Alee Ibn Abee Taalib (RA) said, “When a group passes by, it is sufficient for one of them to give greetings of peace, and as for those who are sitting, it is sufficient for one of them to respond.” [Abu Daawood, 5210]

2) The Manner Of Giving Greetings Of Peace

In order of best, second best, and third best, these are the ways of extending greetings of peace:

1) “Assalaamu ‘Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuhu”: Peace as well as the mercy and blessings of Allah upon you.

2) “Asslaamu ‘Alaikum Warahmatullah”: Peace and the mercy of Allah upon you.

3) “Assalamu ‘Alaikum”: Peace upon you.

This order is proven by the narration of Abu Hurairah [RA], in which a man passed by the Messenger of Allah [Pbuh] who was seated in a gathering – and said, “Assalaamu ‘Alaikum.” The Prophet [Pbuh], said, “Ten good deeds [are written for him].” Another man passed by and said, “Assalaamu ‘Alaikum Warahmatullah,” and the Prophet [Pbuh] said, “Twenty good deeds.” Then another man passed by and said, “Assalaamu ‘Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuhu,” and the Prophet, said, “Thirty good deeds.” [At-Tirmidhee, 2689]

I mentioned the ways of extending greetings of peace from best to least best, and in responding to one of those greetings, one should give a similar or better greeting, for Allah [Swt] said: “When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally” (Qur’an 4:86)

And even if you are responding to the greeting of a single Muslim, you should use the plural pronoun: ‘Wa-‘Alaikumus-Salaam…’ instead of ‘Wa-‘Alaikas-Salaam.’

Question: Suppose someone gives us greetings of peace and ends his greeting with, ‘Wabarakaatuhu.’ In order to respond with a better greeting, as is mentioned in the verse “better than it“, may we add, ‘Wa-maghfiratuhu Wa-Ihsaanuhu… (And His forgiveness and generosity…)?

Answer: When responding to another person’s greeting, you should not add anything after, “Wabarakaatuhu,” even if that is where the other person ended. Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr said, “Ibn ‘Abbaas (R.A), and Ibn ‘Umar (R.A) said to, ‘Finish [greetings of] peace with Al-Barakah (i.e., ‘Wabarakaatuhu’), just as Allah (Swt) said about His righteous slaves: “The Mercy of Allah and His Blessings be on you, 0 the family [of Ibraaheem] (Qur’an 11:73). And they both disliked for anyone to add anything after ‘Wabarakaatuhu’ in his greetings of peace.”

3) It Is Disliked To Initiate A Greeting With “Alaikas-Salaam (Thus Reversing The Word Order, Which Is Correctly Done When One Responds To Another Person’s Greeting)”

There are authentic narrations that establish this ruling; for example, Jaabir Ibn Saleem Al-Hujaimee (R.A), said, “I went to the Prophet (Pbuh) and said, ‘Alaikus-Salaam,’ to which he (Pbuh) responded, ‘Do no say, ‘Alaikus-Salaam,’ but instead say, ‘As-Salaamu-Alaik.” [At-Tirmidhee, 2722]

And the wording of the Prophet’s answer is slightly different in Abu Daawood’s narration: “Do not say, ‘Alaikus-Salaam,’ for ‘Alaikus-Salaam,’ is the greeting of the dead. “[Sunan Abu Daawood, 5209] Therefore, it is disliked to initiate a greeting with, “Alaikus¬Salaam.”

4) If You Are Greeting A Large Gathering Or If You Doubt Whether The Person You Greeted Heard You, It Is Recommended To Repeat The Greeting Three Times

Anas (R.A) related that the Prophet (Pbuh) would repeat [important] statements three times and that when he would come across a group of people, he would give them greetings of peace three times. After he related Anas’s narration, An-Nawawee said, “This is taken to apply to situations wherein there are many people in the gathering.” [Fathul-Baaree, 11/29] Ibn Hajr added, “One does the same if he thinks the other person did not hear him, in which case it is Sunnah to repeat the greeting for a second and then a third time. But he should not go beyond three times.” [Fathul-Baaree, 6244]

5) It Is Sunnah To Initiate Greetings And Respond To Them Out Loud

It is from the guidance of the Prophet (Pbuh) that he would raise his voice when he gave and returned greetings of peace. One does not, therefore, receive reward for whispering greetings or saying them in such a low voice that no one but he can hear them – there is an exception to this ruling, which we will come to later on. Thaabit Ibn ‘Ubaid said, “I went to a gathering wherein ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (R.A) was present, and he said, ‘When you give greetings of peace, then let others hear you, for it is a blessed and good greeting.”‘ [Al-Adab Al-Haafidh, 1005]

Ibn Hajr pointed out that the Prophet (Pbuh) ordered Muslims to spread greetings of peace among themselves, but that order cannot be fulfilled when one gives greetings in a low, inaudible voice; hence, in order for one to comply with that command, one must initiate and return greetings in a loud voice. Consequently, it is not enough for one to signal his greetings with, for instance, a motion of the hand.

And An-Nawawee ruled that one who gives an inaudible greeting of peace has given no greeting whatsoever; hence, it is not compulsory – nor really possible – for the other person to respond. At the very least, one should return greetings, if not out loud, then at least in an audible tone; otherwise, he has not fulfilled the compulsory duty of responding to greetings of peace.

6) It Is Sunnah To Make One’s Greetings Inclusive Of Everyone – Of Those One Knows And Of Those One Does Not Know  

A man once asked the Prophet (Pbuh) “Which Islam is best?” The Prophet, (Pbuh) said, “Feeding food [to others] and saying ‘As-Salaam,’ both to those you know and to those you don’t know.” [Muslim, 39]

We are encouraged, in this Hadeeth, to spread greetings of peace because doing so entails many benefits, perhaps the greatest of which are uniting the hearts of Muslims and keeping their hearts free from rancor or hate for one another. On the other hand, it is not praiseworthy to give greetings of peace only to those whom one knows or only to those that have status in society, the practice of which is one of the signs of the Hour. Ibn Mas’ood (R.A) related that the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) said, “Verily, from the signs of the Hour is when greetings will be for acquaintances [only].”

And in another narration: “For a man to extend greetings of peace to another man, only doing so because he is an acquaintance (i.e., he does not give greetings to Muslims he does not know).” And in yet another narration, the Prophet -10, said, “Verily, before (or just before) the Hour, greetings of peace will be exclusive (to those one knows or to people of status)…”

7) It Is Recommended That The One Who Is Arriving Initiate The Greeting

This practice is widespread among the people, and it is supported by many revealed texts, which indicate that it is recommended for the person who is arriving, and not the person who is stationary, to initiate the greeting. We have hitherto mentioned the story of the three Companions (R.A) who went to the Prophet (Pbuh) – how each of them gave a different greeting, and each received a different reward for his greeting (the person who gave the most complete greeting received the reward of 30 good deeds). Each one of them was arriving, so it was upon them to extend greetings first. Similarly, if one passes by a person who is sitting, the former must initiate the greeting, regardless of whether he is the younger or older of the two, and regardless of whether the person sitting down is alone or is among a group of people sitting down.

8) It Is Sunnah For The Rider To Greet (The Pedestrian, The Pedestrian To Greet The One Who Is Seated, The Few To Greet The Many, And The Young To Greet The Old)

There are a number of authentic narrations that support this ruling. One example is a Hadeeth related by Abu Hurairah in which the Messenger of Allah (Swt) said, “The rider greets (greets here means to initiate greetings of peace) the walker, the walker greets the one who is seated, and the few greet the many.” [Muslim, 2160]

And this wording is related by Al-Bukhaaree: “The young one greets the old, the passer-by greets the one who is seated, and the few greet the many.”[Bukhaaree, 2631] Some scholars have discussed the reasoning behind those particular people initiating the greeting: the younger person greets his elder, because the latter has the right to be respected and honored by the former, and it is good manners for one to respect and honor his elders. The rider is situated higher than the walker – situated higher physically and even financially since he can afford a mount; so by the rider having to initiate the greeting, he is made to show humility and is reminded that he should not be arrogant. The passer-by initiates greetings to one who is seated, because the situation of the passer-by is likened to a person who enters upon the people of a household. And the few greet the many, because the rights of the many are more and greater.

Question: If the said order of precedence is not followed, are there any negative implications? For example, if the elder person initiates the greeting, if the walker initiates greetings to the rider, if the many greet the few, or if the seated person greets the walker, is there any sin involved?

Answer: When people go against the order of precedence outlined in the aforementioned Hadeeth, they are not sinning, but nonetheless, they are leaving the better deed. Al-Maaziree said, “When one avoids a recommended act, that does not necessarily mean that he is performing a disliked act; it may simply mean that he is forsaking the better deed. So if the person who is required to initiate the greeting does not do so, and the other person initiates the greeting instead, the former has forsaken a recommended deed, while the latter has performed the Sunnah deed, unless the latter did not give ample time to the former to initiate the greeting, in which case the latter has also forsaken a recommended deed.” [Fathul-Baaree, 11/19]

Second Related Question: If two pedestrians meet one another, or if two riders meet one another, who should initiate the greeting?

Answer: Based on the previously mentioned Hadeeth, the younger of the two should initiate the greeting. If they are of a similar age and are equal in all respects, then the one who initiates the greeting is the better of the two, for when the Prophet (Pbuh) was speaking about two people who sever ties from another, he (Pbuh) said, “And the better of the two is the one who initiates the greetings of peace.” [Bukhaaree, 6077]

And in a Hadeeth related by Jaabir (R.A) the Prophet (Pbuh) said, “When two pedestrians gather, whichever of the two initiates the greetings of peace is the better one. “[Bukhaaree, 994]

Third Related Question: When two people are walking together and are separated momentarily by a barrier – such as a tree or a wall – is it legislated for them to give each other greetings of peace when they meet again?

Answer: Yes, it is recommended for them to give greetings of peace, even if the same situation is repeated over and over again. Abu Hurairah (R.A) related that the Prophet (Pbuh) said, “When one of you meets his brother, he should give him greetings of peace; and if they [then] become separated by a tree or a wall or a [large] stone [as they are walking], he should greet him when they meet again (after having passed the barrier that separated them). ” [Abu Daawood, 5200]

9) Greeting A Stranger Women (i.e., A Women That One Is Not Allowed To Be In Seclusion With)

There are at least three opinions in this matter. Some scholars hold that it is forbidden for a man to greet a stranger woman; others maintain that it is permissible, so long as there is no fear of temptation; and yet a third group of scholars give a more detailed ruling. They say that if one comes across a young, beautiful woman, it is not permissible to greet her, but that if she is old, it is permissible. Imam Ahmad – may Allah have mercy on him – held this last opinion. Saaleh said, “I asked my father, ‘May one greet a [stranger] woman?’ He said, ‘As for an older woman, then no problem; but a young woman should not be prompted to speak.”‘ And Ibn Al-Qayyim was correct in saying, “One may greet the old woman and one’s Mahaarim (woman that one may be in seclusion with – such as one’s wife, mother, sister, etc.), but no other females.” The reason why one should not greet younger women is obvious: to block off the door to evil and to avoid the dangers of temptation. True, there are narrations indicating that the Messenger (Pbuh) and His Companions sometimes greeted stranger women; as for the Messenger (Pbuh) he was protected from wrongdoing and as such was safe from temptation. And as to the Companions (R.A) we can assume that they greeted stranger women in circumstances wherein they were safe from temptation. For example, Sahl (R.A) related that an old lady used to prepare a special dish for him and his companions and that every Friday they would go to greet her, after which she would proffer to them the dish. [Al-Bukhaaree, 6248]]

10) It Is Recommended To Greet Young Children

This is to encourage and train children from a very young age to apply Islamic manners. Anas Ibn Maalik (R.A) reported that when he used to walk with the Prophet (Pbuh), and when they would pass by a group of children, the Prophet (Pbuh), would extend greetings of peace to them. [Muslim, 2168] By greeting children one not only trains them to follow Islamic manners, but one also accustoms oneself to the qualities of humbleness and gentleness in dealings.

Question: When an adult (it is at the time of puberty that one becomes an adult in Islam) greets a child, is it compulsory for the child to return the greeting? And when a child greets an adult, is it compulsory for the adult to return the greeting?

Answer: It is not binding upon the child to return the greeting because compulsory acts of worship are not binding upon children (i.e., no sin is imputed to the child for not returning the greeting; nonetheless, children should of course be trained to extend and return greetings of peace). But when a young child greets an adult, the latter has to respond (i.e., he sins if he does not respond), an opinion that is held by the majority of scholars.

11) The Etiquette Of Greeting People Who Are Awake In A Place Wherein Some People Are Sleeping

In such a situation, the person who greets should lower his voice to such a pitch that those who are awake will be able to hear him, while those who are sleeping will not be aroused from their slumber. Al-Miqdaad Ibn Al-Aswad (R.A) related that when the Prophet (Pbuh), would come at night, he would give a greeting that would not arouse the one in slumber but would be audible to one who was awake. [Muslim, 2055] This is an example of the Prophet’s lofty manners: at the same time that he made sure not to disturb those who were sleeping, he also made sure not to miss out on the rewards of extending greetings of peace.

12) It Is Forbidden To Initiate Greetings Of Peace To The People Of The Book

The Prophet (Pbuh), said, “Do not initiate greetings of peace to the Jews and Christians, and if you meet one of them in the road, force them to its narrowest part (i.e., when there is narrowness in the road, do not be the one who makes way, but instead maintain the honor of Islam, and make the other person take the narrower part of the road).” This clear prohibition allows for no interpretation.

Question: When it is necessary to greet the People of the Book, may we greet them with greetings of peace?

Answer: The prohibition in the previous Hadeeth is clear and is not open to interpretation. When it is necessary to greet them, one should use a wording other than the Islamic greeting. For example, one may say, “How are you,” or anything similar. Abu Sa’ad said, “If one wants to greet a Dhimee (one from the People of the Book who lives in a Muslim land by agreement and under the protection of the Muslims), he should not do so with ‘As-Salaam,’ but with, ‘May Allah guide you,’ or, ‘May Allah make pleasant for you your morning.”‘ Commenting on Abu Sa’ad’s words, An-Nawawee said, “What Abu Sa’ad said is fine for when one needs to [greet them]. One may say, ‘Good morning,’ or, ‘Happiness to your morning,’ or, ‘Good health to your morning’…or anything similar. But if one does not need to do so, then the chosen view is to say nothing, for in saying those greetings, we show a display of love when we are ordered not to love them…And Allah knows best.”

13) Answering A Greeting From The People Of The Book With “Wa-‘Alaikum (And The Same Upon You)”

In a narration related by Anas Ibn Maalik (R.A), the Messenger of Allah (Swt) said,  “When [someone from] the People of the Book gives you greetings of peace, say, ‘Wa-‘Alaikum.” [Muslim, 2163]

Question: When we hear someone from the People of the Book clearly and unequivocally say, ‘As-Salaamu-‘Alaikum (Peace be upon you),’ should we respond with, ‘Wa-‘Alaikum,’ in applying the apparent meaning of the previous Hadeeth, or should we reply, ‘Wa-‘Alaikumus-Salaam’?

Answer: Some scholars maintain that, if we are sure that he gave greetings of peace, we should answer with, Wa-‘Alaikumus- Salaam.’ They say that this is in keeping with the principles of justice, and Allah (Swt) ordered us to be just and generous in our dealings. Others hold – and their opinion is stronger – that we should respond to their greetings with the wording that is related in the previously mentioned authentic Hadeeth: “Wa-‘Alaikum (And the same upon you).”

14) When You Come Across A Gathering Which Consists Of A Mix Of Muslims And Disbelievers, It is Permissible To Initiate Greetings Of Peace

The Prophet (Pbuh) was once riding on a donkey, upon which there was a saddle, and underneath the saddle there was a coarse Fadakee (ascribed to a place call Fadak) garment; and Usaamah Ibn Zaid (R.A) was seated behind the Prophet (Pbuh) The Prophet (Pbuh), was visiting Sa’ad Ibn ‘Ubaadah (R.A) in the precincts of Banee Al-Haarith Ibn Al-Khazraj, and this was before the Battle of Badr. They passed by a gathering that contained a mix of Muslims, polytheists that worshipped idols, and Jews. ‘Abdullah Ibn Ubai Ibn Sulool – who later outwardly accepted Islam and become well known as the leader of the hypocrites – and ‘Abdullah Ibn Rawaahah were among those seated in the gathering. When the dust of the mount was raised over the gathering, ‘Abdullah Ibn Ubai covered his nose with his robe and then said, “Do not raise dust upon us.” The Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) then extended to them greetings of peace, after which he (Pbuh) stopped, descended, and invited them unto Allah (Swt). And he recited the Qur’an to them…[Bukhaaree, 6254]

Scholars agree that it is permissible to initiate greetings of peace to a gathering that contains a mix of Muslims and disbelievers; An-Nawawee related this consensus. And this ruling is not in conflict with the Hadeeth in which the Prophet (Pbuh) forbade Muslims from initiating greetings of peace with the People of the Book, because that Hadeeth applies to situations wherein one encounters an individual from the People of the Book or a group of them (without any Muslims being among them). When there are both Muslims and disbelievers in a gathering, one extends greetings of peace with the intention of addressing the Muslims only. It was said to Imam Ahmad, “We have dealings with Jews and Christians, and we go to their homes. When we go to them, they [sometimes] have a group of Muslims with them, so should we give greetings of peace to [all of] them?” He said, “Yes, but you should intend your greetings of peace for the Muslims.” An¬Nawawee issued the same ruling, saying that it is Sunnah to greet them all but that one should have the intention that his greetings are only directed at the Muslim or Muslims that are present.

Question: When there is a group that contains a mix of Muslims and disbelievers, should one give this greeting: “As-Salaamu ‘Ala Man-Ittaba’al-Huda (Peace upon he who follows the [true] guidance).”

Answer: No, one should not give this greeting but should instead give the standard Islamic greeting, with the intention of directing it to the Muslims only. Ibn Al-‘Uthaimeen said, “If there is a mixed group, containing Muslims and Christians, one should give them the customary greetings of peace, ‘Assalaamu ‘Alaikum, with the intention of addressing the Muslims among them.”

15) If One Has A Valid Islamic Excuse, He May Signal His Greeting Instead Of Uttering It

It is generally forbidden to greet people with a gesture, because it is a practice that is common among the People of the Book, and we are ordered to differ from them. At-Tirmidhee related a Hadeeth in which it is made clear that it is forbidden to greet others with a gesture and that doing so is something that is particular to the People of the Book; however, At-Tirmidhee described the narration as containing some Gharaabah (an indication of weakness in the narration). About the same narration, Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr said, “Its chain contains some weakness.” Nonetheless, with a good chain, An-Nisaaee related the following Hadeeth from Jaabir (R.A) “Do not greet [one another] with the greeting of the Jews; their greeting is with their heads, their hands, and with a gesture.” [Fathul-Baaree, 11/16]

One might counter with this Hadeeth, in which Asmaa Bint Yazeed (R.A) said, “The Prophet (Pbuh) waved As-Salaam (i.e., with greetings of peace) to the women with his hand.” [At-Tirmidhee, 2697] We respond by pointing out that there is an indication that the Prophet (Pbuh) didn’t only wave, but also articulated, ‘As-Salaam.’ An-Nawawee said, “The understanding to be taken from this is that the Prophet (Pbuh) combined between waving and uttering the greeting. This is proven by Abu Daawood’s narration of the same Hadeeth, for the following is a part of it: ‘And he gave us greetings of peace (which indicates an utterance).’ [Abu Daawood, 5204] “[Al-Adhkaar, 356]

Al-Haafidh said, “The prohibition of giving As-Salaam with a gesture is specific to those that have the ability, both practicably and according to the Shariah, to utter the greeting. If one is busy or unable to utter the greeting – for example, one is busy with prayer, one is too far away from the other person, one is a mute, or the person is deaf – then it is legislated for him to extend the greeting with a gesture instead.”[Fathul-Baaree, 11/16]

16) It Is Permissible To Greet Someone Who Is Praying, And The Latter May Respond With A Gesture (But Not With An Utterance Of The Greeting)

Although many do not know this, it is in fact permissible to give ‘As-Salaam‘ to someone who is praying. The Prophet’s Companions (R.A) would greet him while he was praying, and he would neither reproach nor blame them for doing so. His silent approval proves that it is permissible to greet someone while he is praying. Once Jaabir (R.A) came across the Prophet (Pbuh)  while he was praying. Jaabir (R.A) gave him greetings of peace, and the Prophet (Pbuh) responded with a gesture. After he completed his prayer, the Prophet (Pbuh) called Jaabir (R.A) and said, “You gave me greetings of peace earlier, and I was praying.” [Muslim, 540]

In another narration, Suhaib said, “I passed by the Messenger of Allah (Swt) while he was praying, and I gave him ‘As-Salaam,’ and he returned the greeting with a gesture.” One of the narrators said, “From what I know, he said, ‘He gestured with his finger.” [Abu Daawood, 925] These and other narrations prove that it is permissible to greet someone who is praying and that he may respond with a gesture.

Question: When one is praying and responds to a greeting with a gesture, what form should that gesture take?

Answer: There is no specified way of gesturing a response to a greeting during prayer. This is because various narrations describe different ways in which the Prophet (Pbuh) signaled his response; sometimes it was with his finger (as in the above-mentioned Hadeeth of Suhaib (R.A); once it was with his hand, as is related in the Hadeeth of Jaabir (R.A); and once with a nod of his head, as in the narration of Ibn Mas’ood (R.A). The author of ‘Aoun Al-Ma’bood said, “From these different narrations, we gather that the Prophet (Pbuh), gestured one way on a certain occasion, and another way on a different occasion. Therefore, all of those forms of gesturing are permissible. And Allah (Swt) knows best.”

17) It Is Permissible To Greet Someone Who Is Reciting The Qur’an, And If One Extends The Greeting, The Reciter Must Respond

Some scholars have ruled that it is permissible to greet someone who is busy reciting the Qur’an, while others have ruled that it is forbidden to do so. The former group of scholars is correct, for there is no proof to show that the reciter is an exception to many revealed texts that exhort Muslims to spread greetings of peace to one another and that command Muslims to responds to those greetings. True, a reciter is occupied with the highest form of remembrance; but that does not prevent someone from greeting him, nor is it less than compulsory for him to respond.

The Permanent Council issued this ruling: It is permissible to initiate greetings of peace to one who is reciting the Qur’an, and he must return the greeting, for no established proof in the Shariah indicates that it is forbidden to greet a person who is busy reciting the Qur’an. And as with all proofs, the general proofs here, which establish that it is legislated to initiate ‘As-Salaam‘ and to respond to ‘As-Salaam,’ are comprehensive unless other proofs that limit the scope of the ruling are established.

18) It Is Disliked To Greet Someone Who Is Relieving Himself

In a narration related by Ibn ‘Umar (R.A), a man passed by the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh), who was just then urinating. The man greeted the Prophet (Pbuh), but he did not return the greeting. [Muslim, 370] Scholars agree that it is disliked for one to return greetings of peace while he is relieving himself (i.e., while he is defecating or urinating) and that it is recommended for him to later return the greeting, but only after he performs ablution, for that is related from the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) Al-Muhaajir Ibn Qunfudh (R.A) related that he went to the Prophet (Pbuh) who at the time was urinating. Al-Muhaajir (R.A) greeted him, but the Prophet (Pbuh) did not respond until he performed ablution. He (Pbuh) then excused himself, saying, “I indeed disliked that I should remember Allah ‘Azza Wa-Jall (The Most Mighty And Exalted) except while being in a state of purity.’ [Abu Daawood, 17]

19) It Is Recommended To Extend Greetings Of Peace Upon Entering One’s Home

If one’s house is empty, some from the people of knowledge – from the Companions (R.A) and others – have ruled that it is recommended for a man to greet himself upon entering. ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (R.A) said, “If one enters an uninhabited (or empty) house, then let him say, ‘As-Salaamu ‘Alainaa Wa-‘Alaa lbaadullahis-Saaliheen (Peace be upon us and upon Allah’s righteous slaves).'”[Al-Bukhaaree, 1055] And the same is related from Mujaahid and others. Ibn Hajr said, “The order to spread greetings of peace embraces greeting one’s own self when one enters a place in which there is no one, for Allah (Swt) said, “But when you enter the houses, greet one another (the literal translation is, ‘greet yourselves’)…” (Qur’an 24:61)

If you enter your home and your family is inside, then it is recommended for you to greet them as well. Abu Az-Zubair related that he heard Jaabir (R.A) say, “When you enter upon your family, then greet them ‘with a greeting from Allah, blessed and good.”‘[Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, 1095] It is not, however, compulsory to give greetings of peace when you enter your home. Ibn Juraij once asked ‘Ataa, “When I leave and then enter again, is it compulsory for me to greet them?” He answered, “No, and it being compulsory is not related from anyone; nonetheless, doing so is more beloved to me, and I do not forsake doing so except on occasions in which I forget.” After becoming aware of the inherent virtues of this practice, a Muslim should not abandon it. One of the virtues or rewards of this practice is mentioned in the following Hadeeth. Abu Umaamah (R.A) related that the Prophet (Pbuh) said, “Each of [the following] three has a guarantee with Allah – that if he lives, he is taken care of and if he dies, he will enter Paradise: one who enters his house with ‘Salaam’ has a guarantee with Allah ‘Azza Wa-]all (The Most Might and Exalted); one who goes out to the Masjid has a guarantee with Allah; and one who goes out in the way of Allah has a guarantee with Allah.” [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, 1094]

20) Conveying Greetings Of Peace On Behalf Of Others

This is related in the Sunnah; for example, a man once went to the Prophet, and said, “Verily, my father sends you greetings of peace,” to which the Prophet (Pbuh) answered, “Peace be upon you and upon your father.” [Bukhaaree, 6253]

In another narration, the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aaisha (R.A) reported that the Prophet (Pbuh) said to her, “Indeed, Jibreel sends you greetings of peace.” She (R.A) answered, “And upon him peace and the Mercy of Allah.” [Bukhaaree, 6253] And when the Prophet (Pbuh) conveyed Jibreel’s greetings of peace to Khadeejah (R.A), she said to the Prophet (Pbuh),”Verily, Allah is As-Salaam (The One Who is free from all deficiencies) and from Him is all peace. And peace upon you and upon Jibreel.” [Fathul-Baaree, 11/41] One ruling we derive from the above-mentioned narrations is that it is recommended, and not obligatory, to greet the person who is conveying greetings of person on behalf of another. We note that in ‘Aaisha’s narration, she returned Jibreel’s greeting without giving the same greeting to the Prophet (Pbuh) Ibn Hajr said, “Through the different narrations [of this Hadeeth] from `Aaisha (R.A) found nothing to indicate that she returned greetings to the Prophet (Pbuh), (i.e., she only returned greetings to the sender, Jibreel, and not to the conveyor, the Prophet (Pbuh)), which proves that doing so (i.e., returning greetings to the conveyor) is not compulsory.” [Fathul-Baareee, 11/41]

Related Note: Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr related that a man said to Abu Dharr (R.A), “So and so sends you greetings of peace.” Abu Dharr (R.A) answered, “[This practice is] a good guidance and a light load (i.e., the one who is conveying the greetings is carrying a light and easy load).”

21) Upon Entering The Masjid, One Should First Pray The Two Units Of Tahiyyatul-Masjid (two units which one prays upon entering the Masjid) And Then Greet Those That Are In The Masjid

When one enters the Masjid, it is recommended for him to greet the Masjid before its people. The well-known Hadeeth about the person who didn’t properly perform his prayer properly confirms this ruling. Abu Hurairah (R.A) related that the Prophet (Pbuh) entered the Masjid and then a man entered and prayed. The man then went and greeted the Prophet (Pbuh). The Prophet (Pbuh) returned his greeting and said, “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed…” [Bukhaaree, 7939]

About this incident, Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “The Prophet (Pbuh) reproached him for his prayer but not for delaying his greeting until after he prayed.” And Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “It was from the Prophet’s guidance that one who enters the Masjid should begin by praying two units for Tahiyyatul-Masjid. After that, he should greet the people who are present; therefore, one greets the masjid before greeting its people. The former is the right of Allah (Pbuh), while the latter is the right of people, and in such a matter, Allah’s right is more deserving of being given precedence.”

This applies to when there is a study circle in the Masjid or a group that is sitting down together; in these situations, it is Sunnah for one who enters the Masjid to first pray Tahiyyatul¬Masjid and then greet the people inside. However, if one enters the Masjid and finds that other worshippers have preceded him to the row, he should greet them and then pray Tahiyyatul-Masjid or, if the situation requires it, a compulsory prayer. And Allah (Swt) knows best.

22) While The Imam Is Delivering The Friday Khutbah (Sermon), It Is Disliked To Give Greetings Of Peace

The basis for this ruling is the Hadeeth of Abu Hurairah in which the Messenger of Allah (Swt) said, “On Friday, if you say to your companion, ‘Listen [attentively]!’ while the Imam is delivering the Khutbah, then you have Laghauta (literally, this means, ‘you have spoken falsehood’; however, in this Hadeeth, it means, ‘you have become preoccupied away from the Khutbah, and you have lost the reward for listening to it’).” [Bukhaaree, 934]

Since, during the Khutbah, it is not permissible to say a single word such as, ‘quiet!’ or, ‘listen!’ it follows that it is also not permissible to give greetings of peace (a greeting consists of more than one word), for the Prophets (Pbuh) commanded attendees of the Jumu’ah prayer to listen attentively to the Imam’s Khutbah.

Question: If one enters the Masjid and extends greetings of peace while the Imam is delivering the Friday Khutbah, is it permissible for those inside to respond to his greeting?

Answer: The Permanent Council issued the following ruling: First, when one enters the Masjid and hears the Khutbah, it is not permissible for him to initiate greetings to those inside. And second, even if one does greet those inside while the Imam is delivering the Khutbah, they should not verbally answer his greeting; however, if they answer with a gesture only, then that is permissible.

Question: And what should one do when someone beside him [not only greets him but also] shakes his hand during the Friday Khutbah?

Answer: The Permanent Council issued the following ruling: You may shake his hand but not respond with speech. You may verbally respond to his greeting after the Imam finishes the first Khutbah. If the person enters during the second Khutbah, then you may verbally answer his greeting after the Imam finishes the second Khutbah.

23) When You Meet Another Muslim, It Is Recommended To Extend Greetings Of Peace To Him First And Then Begin Your Conversation With Him

Upon meeting another Muslim, scholars from our pious predecessors and from later generations were known to give precedence to extending greetings of peace over anything else they needed or wanted to say. An-Nawawee said, “The Sunnah is to say ‘As-Salaam’ [upon meeting someone] before all other speech.” What we rely on as proof in this issue are the general implications of authentic Ahadeeth and the well-known as well as well-established practice of our pious predecessors; we do not, however, rely on the following Hadeeth: “As-Salaam is before speech.” Although this Hadeeth explicitly proves the ruling we mentioned, it is weak. At-Tirmidhee said, “This Hadeeth is Munkar (one of the categories of a weak Hadeeth).” [Al-Adhkaar, 362]

24) Extending Greetings Of Peace To People That Are Known For Being Sinners Or Innovators

As for those who do sins openly, you should extend greetings of peace to them and respond to their greetings. An-Nawawee gave a more detailed ruling for this issue: “If a Muslim is not well-known for either evildoing or innovations, then he should be greeted and his greetings should be answered. It is Sunnah to initiate greetings with him, and it is compulsory to answer his greetings. But if a sinner is well-known for his evildoing, should you refrain from greeting him? If, by not greeting him there is an overwhelming benefit – for instance, he will feel compelled to forsake his evil deeds when he sees that you have boycotted him – you should refrain from greeting him, in the hope that he will desist from his evil. But if the opposite is the case, and you are almost sure that you not greeting him will only increase him in evil, then you should greet him and respond to his greetings, thus seeking to minimize his evil, because there is no benefit in not greeting him. This issue is based on the [ruling for the] issue of boycotting [evildoers and innovators].”

The above-mentioned ruling applies to the people of evil, but what about innovators? Innovations are of two kinds: the practitioner of the first kind exits from the fold of Islam; the practitioner of the second kind does not exit from the fold of Islam. Under no circumstances should one greet the first kind of innovator. As for the second kind of innovator, the one who does not exit the fold of Islam because of his innovation, then the above-mentioned ruling for [well-known] sinners applies to him as well.

Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaimeen spoke about the ruling for boycotting evildoers and innovators; that ruling he issues also applies to refraining from greeting them, because it is one of the ways of boycotting someone’s company. The Shaikh said, “As for boycotting [innovators], then that depends on their innovation. If one’s innovation takes him outside of the fold of Islam, then it is compulsory to boycott him. And if his innovation is of a lesser kind, then we must look into his situation. If there is benefit in boycotting him, we do so; otherwise, we don’t. This is because the basic and general principle is that it is forbidden to boycott a believer, for the Prophet (Pbuh) said, “It is not permissible for a believing man to forsake the company (i.e., boycott) his brother for more than three [days].“

The story of Ka’ab Ibn Maalik (R.A) is another proof for the issue in question. It is the story of how he remained behind, not going with the Prophet to do battle, and of when Allah (Swt) accepted his repentance. In giving an account of this story, Ka’ab (R.A) said, “And the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) forbade the Muslims from talking to us three, from among those that remained behind [from the battle]. People stayed away from us and changed in [their dealings] with us. [The situation became so bad and I became so dejected] that the earth became strange to me in my self, not being the one that I had known. We remained upon that state for 50 nights. As for my two companions, they submitted [themselves to the situation], remaining in their homes and crying. As for me, I was the youngest and hardiest of the group; I would go out and attend prayer with the Muslims; I walked in the marketplace, though no one would speak to me; and I would go to the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh), and extend greetings of peace to him while he would be in his place of sitting after the prayer. And I would say to myself, ‘did he move his lips in answering my greeting [of peace] or no?”‘

25) Before One Parts From A Gathering, It is Sunnah For Him To Give Greetings Of Peace

Just as one gives ‘As-Salaam’ when entering upon a gathering, it is also Sunnah to give ‘As-Salaam’ when parting from that gathering. Abu Hurairah (R.A) reported that the Prophet (Pbuh) said, “When one of you ends up at a gathering, let him extend greetings of peace. Then if he intends to stand [and leave], let him extend greetings of peace. The first is not more of a right [duty] than the last (i.e., both are equally Sunnah).“[At-Tirmidhee, 2861]