Questioner:

Is it permissible to add “wa maghfiratuh” when giving the greeting, and what is the authenticity of the ḥadīth related to it? And likewise, the ḥadīth related to returning the greeting?

Shaykh Muḥammad Nāsir al-Dīn al-Albānī:

In the ḥadīth of giving the greeting, there is no addition. This means, if a person gives the greeting; so, he must finish with “wa barakatuhū”, i.e. Assalāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāh wa barakātuhu. And the ḥadīth that came, or with a more accurate term, the ḥadīth that was narrated mentioning that, at the fourth time, the fourth amongst them said “Assalāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāh wa barakātuhu wa maghfiratuh”, then this narration is weak.

As for adding “wa maghfiratuh” when replying to “wa barakātuhu”, then this is correct. “wa maghfiratuh” when replying.

This means, if a man says: “Assalāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāh wa barakātuhu”, so we add in the reply “wa maghfiratuh”.

This is reported from the Prophet ﷺ, and we have previously mentioned it in the Silsilāt al-Aḥādīth al-Saḥīḥa ( the chain of the authentic ḥadīths) with a chain of narration which, on the one hand, establishes the proof, and which is, on the other hand, in accordance with the noble Qurʾān stating:

۞ وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَا أَوْ رُدُّوهَا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَسِيبًا

And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]”. (Q 4:86)

Therefore, if the person, who greets, says: “Assalāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāh wa barakātuhu”, the verse mentioning “greet [in return] with one better than it” is not invalidated, and this order is thus still present, namely, saying “wa maghfiratuh”.

This addition (i.e. “wa maghfiratuh” when replying) came in a ḥadīth, and then came in narrations (āthār) reported from some companions. Hence, we ended up with a result, whose summary is: The addition of “wa maghfiratuh” in the reply is legislated, and as for when giving the greeting, then this is not legislated.

Is this clear?

Questioner:

It is clear.