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]
Similarly, there are many Ahaadeeth on it. In fact, all the six books of
Hadeeth maintain a separate chapter on greeting each other with the “Salaam”.
This all shows the importance of it.
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudree رضي الله عنه: The
Prophet صلى
الله عليه وسلم said: “Beware! Avoid sitting on the roads.” They
(the people) said: “O Allaah's Apostle! We can't help sitting (on the roads) as
these are (our places) where we have talks.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه
وسلم said: “If you refuse but to sit, then pay the road its right.”
They said: “What is the right of the road, O Allaah's Apostle?” He said: “Lowering your gaze, refraining from harming others, returning
greeting, and enjoining what is good, and forbidding what is evil.”
[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]
Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي
الله عنه: The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “You shall not enter
paradise so long as you do not affirm belief (in all those things which are the
articles of faith) and you will not believe as long as you do not love one
another. Should I not direct you to a thing which, if you do, will foster love
amongst you: (i.e.) give currency to (the practice of paying salutation to one
another by saying) as-salamu alaykum.” [Saheeh Muslim]
Rather it is from the best characteristics of a person that he greets the
people:
Narrated `Abdullaah bin `Amr رضي الله عنهما: A man
asked the Prophet صلى
الله عليه وسلم: “What sort of deeds or
(what qualities of) Islam are good?” The Prophet صلى الله عليه
وسلم replied: “To feed (the poor) and
greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know.” [Saheeh Bukhaaree]
The Companions keenness in spreading the Salaam
Abu
Ja`far al-Raazee reported from Husain that Ibn `Umar رضي الله عنهما said: “I
do not go outside, nor do I have any need to do so, except to give the
salutation (Salaams) to the people and that they greet me back.”
Mu`mar
narrated that Abi `Amr said: “I went outside with Ibn `Umar رضي الله عنهما, and he did not meet the young and the old except that he
greeted them.”
[Siyar
`alaam al-nubalaa’]
The sign before the Hour:
There
are many, many Ahaadeeth on this. But it is one of the signs of the Hour that
people will limit the “Salaams” to only those whom they know.
`Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood رضي
الله عنه reported: The Messenger of Allaah
صلى
الله عليه وسلم said: “Verily! Among the signs of the Hour is that greeting (of
Islam) is limited to those known only.” In another report: “A man will greet 'salaam' only to his intimate fellow.”
[Musnad of Imaam Ahmad (6/35) and graded as “Hasan” by Shaikh Ahmad Shaakir.
Shaikh al-Albaanee said in al-Saheehah (648): “The various chains make this
narration strong”]
Tariq said: We were sitting with 'Abdullah when his
doorkeeper came and said: 'The iqamah for the prayer has been given.' He got up
and we got up as well and went to the Masjid. He saw the people doing rukoo` at
the front of the Masjid. He said the takbir, bowed, and we went and did the same
thing that he had done. Then a man rushed past and said: ‘Peace be upon you,
Abu `Abdul-Rahmaan (kunya of Ibn Mas`ood).’ He said, ‘Allaah has spoken the
truth and His Messenger conveyed the Message.’ When we finished the prayer, he
returned and went back to his people. We remained sitting in out places,
waiting for him until he came out. We said to each other: 'Which of us will ask
him?' Tariq said: 'I will ask him,' and he did so. 'Abdullah said, 'From the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: “Before the Final Hour people will single out one
individual for the greeting, commerce will increase until a woman helps her
husband in business, people will sever their links with their relatives, knowledge
will spread, false testimony will appear and true testimony will be concealed.”
[Adab al-Mufrad of Imaam al-Bukhaaree (1049) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh
al-Albaanee. It was also reported by Imaam Ahmad (1-407-408) and graded as “Saheeh” by
Shaikh Ahmad Shaakir and by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah (647) and he
said: “It is Saheeh as per the condition of Imaam Muslim”]
So, on our part we should still greet the Muslims, irrespective of them
replying or not.
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