بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Giving the greeting (salaam) is a sunna. [Nahlawi, al-Durar al-Mubaha fi al-Hadhr wa’l Ibaha]
`Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn al-`As reported that a man asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), “Which aspect of Islam is best?” He said, “Feeding people and greeting those you know and those you do not know.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘Whoever meets his brother, let him greet him with the salaam. If a tree or a wall comes between them, then he meets him again, let him greet with him the salaam.’ [Bukhari, “al-Adab al-mufrad” 1010]
When you meet a Muslim, you should greet him or her with the salaam before saying anything else. Then, if you become separated briefly, or an object, such as a tree, car, or column comes between the two of you, you should repeat the salaam once you are reunited. The same goes for leaving a gathering and returning shortly afterwards.
One day the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) instructed a man to pray again as he had not prayed properly, so the man left the group to pray close by, then returned and gave salaam again.
Teach this forgotten sunnah habit to the children and model it for others by doing it yourself.
How to Give the Salaam?
One optimally gives the greeting (salaam) with the complete form: ‘Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings’ (Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh). And one optimally returns the greeting (salam) with the complete form, too: ‘And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings’ (Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh)
`Imran ibn al-Husayn said, “A man came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), and said, ‘Peace be upon you.’ He responded to him and then the man sat down. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), said, ‘Ten.’ Then another man came and said, ‘Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah,’ and he responded to him and the man sat down. He said, ‘Twenty.’ Then yet another man came and said, ‘Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings,’ and he responded to him and that man sat down. He said, ‘Thirty.'” [Abu Dawud; al-Tirmidhi]
Responding to a Salaam
It is necessary (wajib) to respond, if alone and a communal obligation (fard kifaya) to respond, if given to a group.
The reason why it is necessary to respond is because the greeting (salaam) means peace, safety. Hence if a person gives the greeting and one does not respond, the person may feel uneasy and wrongfully suspect something, consequently, it is obligatory to do away with such potential suspicion. [Khadimi, al-Bariqa al-Mahmudiyya Sharh al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya]
Moreover, it is necessary (wajib) to respond aloud such that the other person hears the response. If this is not done, it is as if one did not in fact respond.
It is also an immediate duty to respond to the greeting (salaam) and prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) to delay it without an excuse.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone gives success.
Wassalaam
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