159. The ways to greet people.
The verses (4:94, 6:54, 7:46, 10:10, 11:69, 13:24, 14:23, 15:52, 16:32, 19:33, 19:47, 19:62, 24:27, 24:61, 25:63, 25:75, 27:59, 28:55, 33:44, 33:56, 36:58, 37:79, 37:109, 37:120, 37:130, 37:181, 39:73, 43:89, 51:25, 56:26, 56:91, 97:5) of the Quran talk about ways to greet each other while meeting.Prophet Muhammad followed the manners, and the community continued to follow the same for the past 1442 years.
But when certain verses of the Quran are observed we find them conveying different words other than Assalam Alaikum while greeting each other.
The verses 7:46, 13:24, 16:32, 39:73 of the Quran say the good people in paradise will be greeted by the angels with a salutation Assalamun Alaikum.
Similarly in verse (6:54) of the Quran we find it saying, to greet each other with the salutation Salamun Alaikum.
Verse (28:55) of the Quran says, the good will greet each other saying “Salamun Alaikum”
In verses 10:10, 11:69, 14:23, 15:52, 19:32, 25:63, 25:75, 33:44, 36:58, 37:79, 37:109, 37:120, 37:130, 37:181, 43:89, 51:25, 56:26 of the Quran we find only ‘Salam’ and not “Salamun Alaikum” We find the word ‘Salaam’ mostly.
In verse 19:47 of the Quran we find the word “Salamun Alaika” be used while greeting each other.
Through verse (19:33) of the Quran, we come to understand the use of the prefix ‘As’ with ‘Salaam’ while greeting each other.
While greeting each other saying “Salam” (or) Salamun Alaikum (or) “ Salamun Alaika” stands to gain the same and does not go against the Quran.
Prophet Muhammad has used the term Assalam Alaikum at many instances, and we using the same is not against the above cited verses.
.Because saying Salamun Alaikum and Assalam Alaikum are two different dimensions of the same word.Salamun Alaikum means “May peace be on you” and Assalam Alaikum means “May that peace be upon you.
Meaning ‘That’ peace which Allah has mentioned in the Quran be upon you.
The salaam which Muslims practice has a deep meaning in it.
This greeting that has been taught to us by the Quran is a suitable one fitting all times and all occasions..
This greeting translates as ‘ Let peace and blessings of God be upon you.
This greeting can be conveyed to any one at times of marriages as well at times of grief, where peace is a necessity.,
And can be conveyed at any time,either be it in the morning,evening or night.
This can be conveyed by elders to young or by young to elders.
Can be conveyed by a healthy person to an ill ,or by a patient to a healthy person.
By a teacher to a student or from a student to a teacher.
This form of greeting is devoid of any ignominy. or disrespect to anyone There are different ways of greetings being practiced in this world,.Some greetings conveying the good part of the day cannot be expressed taking into consideration the situation at that part of the day causing an embarrassment to the person being greeted. Similarly certain greetings seem to bring down the self respect of the person expressing the greeting.This form of greeting that prays for the well being of the person being greeted is an unique one.
Majority of Muslims believe this form of greeting should be conveyed only to Muslims and as a result with hesitation they greet non Muslims with words that bring discomfiture to them and also at times with words creating an equal to the AlMighty. There are no two opinions about violating a rule in the Quran or the guidance of Prophet Muhammad when greeting a person. But Allah or his Prophet had not made any strictures against greeting non Muslims with a ‘Salam’.
In verses 2:130, 2:135, 3:95, 4:125, 6:161, 16:123, 22:78 of the Quran Allah emphasizes the need for us to follow the footsteps of Prophet Ibrahim in life…Prophet Ibrahim sought forgiveness from Allah for his father who did not accept monotheism. But once he realized he made a mistake he refrained from it.Except for that mistake, Allah says in verse (60:4) of the Quran Prophet Ibrahim is a role model for the entire Muslim community (of the world till the end times)
Verse (19:47) tells about Prophet Ibrahim saying “ Let the Peace and blessings be upon you, I will seek forgiveness for you from my God.He is very kind to me.
We need to take Prophet Ibrahim greeting his father with ‘Salam’ as a model, though his father created an equal to God Almighty.
Some erroneously question the greeting of non Muslims with a ‘Salam.’This is a wrong question.
The meaning of the greeting ‘Assalam Alaikum” is “May the peace of God be with you”.
This Islamic greeting also holds within itself to mean’ let the peace be upon’ those who accepted Islam as their way of life..And it also means let peace be upon the non Muslims We can pray for the worldly benefits of non Muslims in this world, there is no restrictions in doing so.
Hence there is no justification in refusing to greet a non Muslim with “Salam”
Hadith Book Bukhari:(12, 28, 6236).
Prophet Muhammad has said to greet persons whom we knew and those others. (Hadith Book Bukhari:12, 28)
Had there been a restriction to greet only Muslims with “Salam” Prophet Muhammad would have done and said so. But he says in the above cited Hadith to greet all.
“Greeting all” includes persons we know and those we do not, hence from this we can come to the conclusion that we are to greet non Muslims also.
Moreover the verses (25:63, 28:55, 43:88,89) of the Quran says when we happen to converse with ignorant persons say ‘Salam’ This verse speaks about some ignorant among the non Muslims who entered into fallacious argument with Prophet Muhammad.
A superficial perusal of these verses will convey that we can greet non Muslims also with a Salam.
Some people argue citing the following hadith that non Muslims should not be greeted with a ‘Salam’
“When the People of the Book,” greet you with a ‘Salam’ reply to them with ‘Wa Alaikum’ meaning ‘the same to you’
Hadith Book Bukhari:6258.
Their argument is that since Prophet Muhammad has asked to reply to ‘People of the Book’ with the word “wa alaikum’ when greeted by them, there is no need to reply with only a ‘Salam’.
When Prophet Muhammad issues an order without assigning reason, it is incumbent upon us to follow the same without question is a well accepted fact. And when he prohibits a certain thing specifying reasons ,this is not to be taken as a general rule is also known.
As far as replying to ‘Salam’ of ‘People of the Book’ is concerned Prophet Muhammad has made it clear the reason behind it.
By saying “When the Jews greet you they say ‘Assamu Alaika’ meaning death to you leaving out the ‘la’ in the Assalam, hence you reply by saying ‘Wa Alaika’ meaning the same to you.
Hadith Book Bukhari :6257, 2935, 6256, 6024, 6030, 6395, 9401, 6927
.Because the Jews did not say ‘Assalam’ the prophet asked the Muslims to reply in the same way, And we can understand from this, had the Jews greeted with the word ‘Assalam’ the reply would have been appropriate. Moreover this is the right way to approach the hadiths without any contradiction as previously explained by us.
