Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #115

From the Etiquettes of Greeting

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

857 - Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reported: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝A rider should greet a pedestrian; a pedestrian should greet the one who is sitting; and a small group should greet a large group (of people).❞ [Agreed upon]

In another narration of Saheeh al-Bukhaaree it is: ❝The young should greet the elderly.❞ [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6231, 6232, 6233) and Saheeh Muslim (2160)]

  

858 - Abu Umaamah Sudaiy bin `Ajlaan al-Baahilee رضي الله عنه reported: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝The person nearest to Allaah is the one who is the first to offer the greetings.❞ [Sunan Abu Dawood (5197) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

The narration in al-Tirmidhee is: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ was asked: “O Messenger of Allaah! When two persons meet, who should greet the other first?” The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝The person nearest to Allaah (i.e., one who is more obedient and therefore closer to Allaah) will (rush to) say the Salaam first.❞ [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (2694) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Saaleh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

These are some of the Ahaadeeth regarding the etiquettes of greeting (i.e. giving Salaam) which Imaam al-Nawawee رحمه الله has mentioned in his book Riyaadh al-Saaliheen. We have already discussed some of the etiquettes of greetings in the previous chapters. Thereafter, he (Imaam al-Nawawee) mentioned the Hadeeth of Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه regarding: Who should greet (first)? We say, firstly: The best person is he who is the first to greet others with Salaam. The Prophet ﷺ – and he was the most honorable of creation – used to initiate the Salaam whenever he met someone. Be keen that you are one who initiates the Salaam before your friend does, even if he is younger than you, because among the people, the best of them are those who are the first to greet with Salaam, and the ones nearest to Allaah are those who initiate the Salaam. Do you wish that you were among those who are the closest to Allaah? Every one of us wishes for that. Therefore, be the first one to greet the people with Salaam.

Furthermore, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned that the rider should greet the pedestrian, and the pedestrian should greet the one who is sitting, and the smaller group should greet the larger group, and the young should greet the elderly. This is because the one who is riding (a mount like a camel or a horse) is in a higher place so he should greet the one who is walking. The one who is walking is higher than the one who is sitting, so he (the pedestrian) should greet him. The smaller group should greet the larger group because the larger group has rights over the smaller group; and the young should greet the elderly because the elderly have rights over the young ones.

But if it happens that the smaller group is negligent (or unaware) and they do not greet (the larger group), in this case the larger group should greet them. And if it happens that the young ones are careless, then the elderly should greet them and should not leave the Sunnah, and this is what the Prophet ﷺ had mentioned. (The Hadeeth) does not mean that it is prohibited for the elderly to greet the younger ones, but it means that the young should be the ones to initiate the Salaam. But if the young one does not greet, then the elderly should greet so that he becomes the one who initiates the Salaam. As we have said earlier, the one who initiates is better, because the ones closer to Allaah are those who are the first ones to greet with Salaam.

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen (4/407-409)]

[TN: There are a few reasons why a person does not initiate the greetings with Salaam:

1) Ignorance – where people give little importance to the Islaamic greetings of saying: “السلام عليكم” and instead initiate their conversations with “Hello”, “Hi”, “good morning”, “good evening” or in Arabic as “صباح النور”, “مساء الخير”.

2) Negligence – not caring for the rights and honor of others.

3) Pride – Many elders and affluent people to not greet the young or the poor out of pride. They feel like it is humiliation to initiate the greetings to those who are younger to them or lower to them in status; or some will feel like: ‘he did not greet me, so I will not greet him either.’

4) Limiting the Salaam to only those who are known.

`Abdullaah Ibn Mas`ood رضي الله عنه reported: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝Verily, among the signs of the Hour is that greeting (of Salaam) is limited to those known only.❞ In another report: ❝A man will greet 'Salaam' only to his close friend.❞  [Musnad Ahmad (3535), and graded as “Hasan” (good) by Shaikh Ahmad Shaakir. Shaikh al-Albaanee said in al-Saheehah (648): “it is strong due to the various chains supporting it”]]