THE BOOK ON SALUTIONS AND GREETINGS INTRODUCTION Just as the face is the index to the mind, in the same way the words of greetings which are exchanged amongst people indicate the spiritual role of a society. The gestures, and the expressions of salutations are, therefore, the indicators of the ideals for which a particular society stands. The common practice with the pre-Islamic Arabs and thi modern West is to greet one another with Good Morning and Good Evening accompanied by a gesture of the hand or the nodding of head. These words have no spiritual and moral significance, but just a wish that one should find ones mornings and evenings happy. The words of greeting which Islam has exhorted its followers to use at the time of meeting are as-Salam-u-Alaikum which have a deep spiritual and moral significance behind them Since the predominant feature of Islamic faith and practice is peace within and peace without, it has, therefore, been made a watchword which should be repeated on every occasion when two Muslims meet so that the utmost importance of peace should be constantly inculcated in the mind of every Muslim, and he should have full consciousness of the great reality that he lives in this world as a messenger of peace for mankind. peace amongst individuals and nations.-The second important feature of words of greeting in Islam is that they convey the message of peace not only to the person who is greeted but to the whole of the Muslim society as it is the plural pronoun that is used for the blessing of peace. (The pronounAlaikum has a evry wide range and all the Muslims come within its orbit.) The two words as-Salam-u-Alaikum may be called the irreducible minimum which are essential for greeting one another. The Muslims have been commanded to add to this expression some other words with a view to excelling one another in showering blessing upon the Muslims. The words as-Salam-u-Alaikum are generally suffixed with these words Rahmat Allah wa Barakaatuh (mercy of Allah and His bleasings). These three words: peace... ,mercy and blessings of Allah in fact form the sum and substance of Islam and the Muslims are asked to shower upon one another these benedictions. so that they may be able to live in this world and the Hereafter in perfect peace and tranquillity and blessings and mercy of Allah around him. According to Imam Nawawl, greeting with the words of as-Salam-u-Alaikum is a Sunnah, and responding to it is Wajib (obligatory), but this essentiality is of the nature of Kifaya, meaning thereby that if a few persons out of the whole assembly or group respond to the greeting it will absolve all of the responsibility of response but if no response comes forth from any quarter all are held responsible for it. ******************** Chapter 1 : THE RIDER SHOULD FIRST GREET THE PEDESTRIAN AND THE SMALL NUMBER SHOULD GREET THE LARGE NUMBER OF PERSONS ____________________ Book 26, Number 5374: Abu Huraira reported Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The rider should first greet the pedestrian, and the pedestrian the one who is seated and a small group should greet a larger group (with as-Salam-u-Alaikum). ******************** Chapter 2 : THE DUTY THAT ONE OWES ON THE ROADSIDE IS TO RESPOND THE GREETING OF AS-SALAAM-U-ALAIKUM ____________________ Book 26, Number 5375: Abu Talha reported: While We were sitting in front of the houses and talking amongst ourselves, Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) happened to come there. He stood by us and said: What about you apd your meetings on the paths? Avoid these meetings on the paths. We said: We were sitting here without (any intention of doing harm to the passers-by) ; we are sitting to discuss matters and to hold conversation amongst ourselves. Thereupon he said: If there is no help (for you but to sit on these paths), then give the paths their rights and these are lowering of the gaze, exchanging of greetings and good conversation. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5376: Abu Said Khudri reported Allahs Prophet (may peace be upon him) as saying : Avoid sitting on the paths. They (the Companions) said: Allahs Messenger, we cannot help but holding our meetings (in these paths) and discuss matters (there). Thereupon Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: If you insist on holding meetings, then give the path its due right. They said: What are its due rights ? Upon this he said: Lowering the gaze, refraining from doing harm, exchanging of greetings. commanding of good and forbidding from evil. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5377: This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zaid b. Aslam with the same chain of transmitters. ******************** Chapter 3 : THE RIGHT OF A MUSLIM UPON ANOTHER MUSLIM IS THAT HIS GREETING SHOULD BE RESPONDED ____________________ Book 26, Number 5378: Abu Huraira reported Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Five are the rights of a Muslim over his brother: responding to salutation, saying Yarhamuk Allah when anybody sneezes and says al-Hamdulillah, visiting the sick. following the bier. Abd al-Razzaq said that this hadith has been transmitted as mursal hadith from Zuhri and he then substantiated it on the authority of Ibn Musayyib. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5379: Abu Huraira reported Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Six are the rights of a Muslim over another Muslim. It was said to him: Allahs Messenger, what are these? Thereupon he said: When you meet him, offer him greetings;when he invites you to a feast accept it. when he seeks your council give him, and when he sneezes and says: All praise is due to Allah, you say Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah show mercy to you); and when he fails ill visit him; and when he dies follow his bier. ******************** Chapter 4 : PROHIBITION OF SAYING FIRST AS-SALAM-U-ALAIKUM TO THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, AND HOW THEIR SALUTATIONS SHOULD BE RESPONDED ____________________ Book 26, Number 5380: Anas b. Malik reported Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When the People of the ____________________ Book offer you salutations, you should say: The same to you. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5381: Anas reported that the Companions of Allahs Prophet (may peace be upon him) said to him: The People.of the ____________________ Book offer us salutations (by saying as-Salamu- Alaikum). How should we reciprocate them ? Thereupon he said: Say: Wa Alaikum (and upon you too). ____________________ Book 26, Number 5382: Ibn Umar reported Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When the Jews offer you salutations, tome of them say as-Sam-u-Alaikum (death be upon you). You should say (in response to it): Let it be upon you. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5383: This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar through another chain of transmitters with a slight variation of wording. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5384: Aisha reported that a group of Jews came to Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) and sought his audience and said: As-Sam-u-Alaikum. Aisha said in response: As-Sim-u-Alaikum (death be upon you) and curse also, whereupon Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) said : Aisha, verily Allah loes kindness in every matter. She said: Did you bear what they said ? Thereupon he said: Did you not hear that I said (to them): Wa Alaikum. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5385: This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Zuhri that Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: I said Alaikam, and the transmitter did not make mention of the word and. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5386: Aisha reported that some Jews came to Allahs Prophet (may peace be upon him) and they said: Abul-Qasim (the Kunya of the Holy Prophet), as-Sam-u-Alaikum, whereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Wa Alaikum. Aisha reported: In response to these words of theirs, I said: But let there be death upon you and disgrace also, whereupon Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Aisha, do not use harsh words. She said: Did you hear what they said? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Did I not respond to them when they said that; I said to them: WaAlaikum (let it be upon you). ____________________ Book 26, Number 5387: This hadith has been reported on the authority of Aznash with a slight variation of wording. Aisha understood their meaning and cursed them and Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Aisha. (do not do that) for Allah does not like the use of harsh words, and it was at this stage that this verse of Allah. the Exalt. ed and Glorious. was revealed: And when they come to thee, they greet thee with a greeting with which Allah greets thee not (Iviii. 8) to the end of the verse. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5388: Jabir b. Abdullah reported that some people from amongst the Jews said to Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) Abul-Qasim. as-Sam-u-Alaikum, whereupon he said : Wa Alaikum, Aisha was enraged and asked him (Allahs Prophet) whether he had not heard what they had said. He said, I did hear and I retorted to them (and the curse that I invoked upon them would receive response from Allah), but (the curse that they invoked upon us) would not be responded. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5389: Abu Huraira reported Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you and when you meet any one of them on the roads force him to go to the narrowest part of it . ____________________ Book 26, Number 5390: This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Suhail with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording. The hadith transmitted on the authority of Waki, the words are When you meet the Jews. And in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Shuba, the words are: When you meet the People of the ____________________ Book. And in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Jarir the words are: When you meet them, but none amongst the polytheists has been mentioned explicitly by name. ******************** Chapter 5 : EXCELLENCE OF GREETING THE CHILDREN ____________________ Book 26, Number 5391: Anas b. Malik reported that when Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) happened to pass by young boys he would great them. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sayyar with the same chain of transmitters. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5392: Sayyar reported: I was walking with Thibit al-Bunani that he happened to pass by children and he greeted them. And Thibit reported that he walked with Anas and he happened to pass by children and he greeted them. and Anas reported that he walked with Allahs Prophet (may peace be upon.him) and he happened,to pass by children and he greeted them. ******************** Chapter 6 : PERMISSIBILITY OF GIVING PERMISSION (TO ENTER THE HOUSE) BY RAISING THE CURTAIN OR MAKING SOME OTHER SIGNS LIKE IT ____________________ Book 26, Number 5393: Ibn Masud reported : The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to me : The sign that you have been permitted to come in is that the curtain is raised or that you hear me speaking quietly until I forbid you. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5394: This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ubaidullah with the same chain of transmitters. ******************** Chapter 7 : PERMISSIBILITY OF WOMEN GOING OUT IN THE FIELDS FOR EASING THEMSELVES ____________________ Book 26, Number 5395: Aisha reported that Sauda (Allah he pleated with her) went out (in the fields) in order to answer the call of nature even after the time when veil had been prescribed for women. She had been a bulky lady, significant in height amongst the women, and she could not conceal herself from him who had known her. Umar b. Khattab saw her and said: Sauda, by Allah, you cannot conceal from us. Therefore, be careful when you go out. She (Aisha) said : She turned back. Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) was at that time in my house having his evening meal and there was a bone in his hand. She (Sauda) cline and said: Allahs Messenger. I went out and Umar said to me so and so. She (Aisha) reported: There came the revelation to him and then it was over; the bone was then in his hand and he had not thrown it and he said: Permission has been granted to you that you may go out for your needs. ____________________ Book 26, Number 5396: This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of transmitters, and the words are: She (Sauda) was a woman who looked to be significant amongst the people (so far as the bulk of her) body was concerned. The rest of the hadith is the same. ____________________
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