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)]

  

Greeting by waving the hand or nodding the head

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

The Islaamic greeting of saying: “السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته” is from the actions of the tongue (except when you are writing a message or letter to someone). So, one cannot substitute it by merely raising or waving the hand in the air, or nodding the head.

But if the person is at a distance and the voice is not audible, then raising/waiving the hand along with saying “السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته” will be right and In shaa Allaah will not be regarded as imitation.

Narrated `Amr bin Shu`aib from his father, from his grandfather, that the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ❝He is not one of us who resembles other than us; do not resemble the Jews or the Christians. For indeed greeting of the Jews is pointing the fingers, and the greeting of the Christians is waving with the hand.❞ [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (2695) and graded as “Hasan li ghairihee” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah (2194)]

Imaam al-Nasaa’ee reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ❝Do not greet with the greetings of the Jews or the Christians, for their greetings is merely with (gesturing with their) hand, (nodding with their) heads, and (pointing with their) fingers.❞ [Sunan al-Kubraa (10100) and the narrators in this chain are all reliable]

The meaning of the Muslim greeting: السلام عليك

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

❝The Muslim greeting: السلام عليك is a supplication for peace and safety. Meaning: May Allaah protect you from affliction and harm - in your Deen (religiosity) and your worldly life, in your own self and your family, and in your home and your wealth; i.e. seeking protection in everything. This is the meaning with which a person starts (his conversation) when he meets his brother: السلام عليك. You are asking Allaah to protect him from every calamity, disaster and ordeal; and from every harm and adversity (and unpleasant things). This is the meaning of السلام, which also enacts as a greeting, generous reception and buoyancy when meeting a person. This is why when you come across a person and he does not greet you, automatically you sense (an ill) feeling within you against him. But when he greets you, whatever (ill) feeling you had goes away, and you now know that he is your brother who loves you.*

So with this the meaning of السلام عليك becomes: “I seek Allaah’s protection for you from every harm - in your Deen and Dunya, and in your family and wealth and in everything.❞

[al-Liqaa’ al-Shahree (13/3)] 

*Note: Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ❝By Him in Whose Hand is my soul! You will not enter the Jannah until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I inform you of something which, if you do, you will love one another? Spread the greetings of Salaam amongst yourselves.❞ [Saheeh Muslim (96)]

Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #48

Some Voluntary acts are better than obligatory

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (3/529) of Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله]

The Shaikh رحمه الله said:

The one who initiates the greeting of Salaam is better than the one who answers back, even though answering is obligatory while (initiating) it is voluntary. However, when an obligatory act is based upon this voluntary act, then the voluntary act is better than the obligatory one, because (here) obligatory act is based on a voluntary one.

Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #31

Greeting the Kuffaar

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen, pg. 2/594]

Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

What is required from you is that whenever you meet a Muslim brother, you should greet him (with Assalaam `Alaikum). As for other than the Muslims, then you should not (be the first one to) greet them. Because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #28

Boycotting for more than 3 days

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen, pg. 2/540]

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لا يحل للمسلم أن يهجر أخاه فوق ثلاث يلتقيان فيعرض هذا ويعرض هذا وخيرهما الذي يبدأ في بالسلام

“It is not lawful for a Muslim to desert (not to speak to) his brother Muslim for more than three days while meeting, one turns his face to one side and the other turns his face to the other side. Lo! The better of the two is the one who starts greeting the other.” [1]

Importance of Greeting and the state of the Muslim Ummah

 بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Question: Should we still greet those who do not reply back to us?

Answer: The greeting of Salaam and the reply to it is a right of one Muslim upon another. There are many Aayaat in the Qur’aan where we have been commanded to greet each other, for e.g.:

{When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally. Certainly, Allaah is Ever a Careful Account Taker of all things.} [Surah al-Nisaa’ (4): 86]