Imām Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Khalaf al-Barbahārī (d. 329 AH / 941 CE) ؒ wrote, in point 127:
والتسليم على عباد الله أجمعين.
“Greetings are given to all the servants of Allah.” (Al-Barbahārī, Sharḥ as-Sunnah.)
The Explanation
Shaykh Ṣāliḥ ibn Fawzān ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Fawzān explains:
One of the rights Muslims have over one another is to spread greetings of peace among themselves. Allah said:
وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَا أَوْ رُدُّوهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَسِيبًا
“When you are greeted, return a better greeting or its equal. Indeed, Allah takes account of all things.” [Q 4:86]
He also said:
فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُم بُيُوتًا فَسَلِّمُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةً مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُبَارَكَةً طَيِّبَةً
“When you enter houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah, blessed and good.” [Q 24:61] (excerpt)
This means that they should greet one another, because believers are like one person and one body. Salām is the believers’ greeting on the day they meet Allah :
تَحِيَّتُهُمْ يَوْمَ يَلْقَوْنَهُ سَلَامٌ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَرِيمًا
“Their greeting on the day they meet Him will be ‘Peace’, and He has prepared a generous reward for them.” [Q 33:44]
Allah will greet them, and the believers will hear His speech and greeting. They will reply:
اللهم أنت السلام ومنك السلام.
“O Allah, You are as-Salām, and from You comes peace.” (Quoted in al-Fawzān’s explanation.)
The greeting exchanged by the people of Paradise is likewise as-salāmu ʿalaykum, just as they greet one another with it in this world. Spreading greetings of peace is a means of entering Paradise in peace, as stated in the ḥadīth quoted by the commentary:
من أطعم الطعام، وأفشى السلام، وصلى بالليل والناس نيام، دخل الجنة بسلام.
“Whoever feeds others, spreads greetings of peace and prays at night while people sleep will enter Paradise in peace.” (Wording quoted by al-Fawzān; compare Ibn Mājah, no. 1334.)
Spreading salām among Muslims is therefore sought and desired. As-salāmu ʿalaykum is a supplication for their safety. It is also said to mean that Allah’s name is upon them, because one of His names is as-Salām. This is a great expression circulated among Muslims.
The Prophet Muḥammad said:
لا تدخلون الجنة حتى تؤمنوا ولا تؤمنوا حتى تحابوا. أولا أدلكم على شيء إذا فعلتموه تحاببتم؟ أفشوا السلام بينكم.
“You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I direct you to something which, if you do it, will make you love one another? Spread greetings of peace among yourselves.” (Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ, no. 54a.)
Spreading salām brings love into people’s hearts. If a Muslim meets you without greeting you, you may feel something against him and wonder why he did not greet you. If he greets you, that feeling disappears, you feel at ease with him and love him. This confirms the Prophet’s words about spreading salām to bring about mutual love. It has a great effect upon Muslims.
It is insufficient merely to say ḥayyāka Allah, “How are you this morning?” or “How are you this evening?” These expressions follow the greeting of peace. Say as-salāmu ʿalaykum, then ask how the person is or how his morning has been.
Likewise, a hand gesture alone is insufficient. The commentary describes this as the greeting of the Jews. A gesture is used when the Muslim being greeted is far away: pronounce as-salāmu ʿalaykum and gesture with your hand to indicate that you have greeted him, so that he may return the greeting.
Translator’s Note
Shaykh Abū ʿAbd Allah ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn Bāz (d. 1420 AH / 1999 CE) ؒ said:
لا يجوز السلام بالإشارة، وإنما السنة السلام بالكلام بدءا وردا. أما السلام بالإشارة فلا يجوز؛ لأنه تشبه ببعض الكفرة في ذلك؛ ولأنه خلاف ما شرعه الله، لكن لو أشار بيده إلى المسلم عليه ليفهمه السلام لبعده مع تكلمه بالسلام فلا حرج في ذلك؛ لأنه قد ورد ما يدل عليه، وهكذا لو كان المسلم عليه مشغولا بالصلاة فإنه يرد بالإشارة، كما صحت بذلك السنة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم.
“It is not permissible to greet with a gesture; the Sunnah is to initiate and return greetings verbally. Greeting with a gesture alone is not permissible, because it imitates some non-Muslims and contradicts what Allah has prescribed. But if someone gestures to indicate his greeting to a person who is far away while also uttering the greeting, there is no harm, because evidence supports this. Similarly, someone occupied with prayer may respond with a gesture, as established in the Sunnah of the Prophet.” (Ibn Bāz, Majmūʿ Fatāwā wa-Maqālāt Mutanawwiʿah, 6:444.)
References
The Qurʾān, 4:86; 24:61 (excerpt); 33:44. The existing article gives longer extracts from Q 24:61 and 33:44 than those quoted in the commentary; their Arabic and English are aligned here.
Al-Barbahārī, Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Khalaf, Sharḥ as-Sunnah, point 127.
Al-Fawzān, Ṣāliḥ ibn Fawzān ibn ʿAbd Allah, Itḥāf al-Qārī bi-t-Taʿlīqāt ʿalā Sharḥ as-Sunnah li-l-Imām al-Barbahārī, vol. 2, official electronic text, pages 1–2 of the section 2/135–134
Ibn Bāz, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbd Allah, Majmūʿ Fatāwā wa-Maqālāt Mutanawwiʿah, 6:444, official answer; the same answer is also attributed to 26:199 on the official site. The existing 6:352 reference does not match the located attribution.
Ibn Mājah, Abū ʿAbd Allah Muḥammad ibn Yazīd (d. 273 AH / 887 CE), Sunan Ibn Mājah, no. 1334, through ʿAbd Allah ibn Salām
Muslim, Abū al-Ḥusayn Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj (d. 261 AH / 875 CE), Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 54a, through Abū Hurayrah, for the mutual-love report.
At-Tirmidhī, Abū ʿĪsā Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā (d. 279 AH / 892 CE), Al-Jāmiʿ, no. 1855, through ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr, for a distinct feeding-and-greeting report without the night-prayer clause. The commentary also cites Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Al-Musnad, no. 7932, and an-Nasāʾī, As-Sunan al-Kubrā, no. 10172 for the gesture discussion.
