Salaam

“Salaam is the greeting between people, which sows seeds of love and friendship in their hearts, as does giving food. There may be some weakness in the heart of one of them, which is dispelled when he is greeted, or there may be some hostility, which is turned to friendship by the greeting.”

Al-Sanoosi; Ikmaal al-Mu’allim (1/244):

Islam taught Muslims to say Assalamu Alaykum (Peace be upon you), in this small greeting is hidden an excellent and comprehensive prayer, kindness and affection for the young, and respect and attention for the elders.

Almighty Allah employs the same greeting in the Glorious Quraan to address His beloved Prophets as a mark of His favor and esteem on them. "Peace be unto Nuh among the people" (37:79); "Peace be unto Ibrahim" (37:109) "Peace be unto Musa and Harun" (37:120); "Peace be unto Ilyas" (37:130); "Peace be unto those sent (to warn)" (37:59); and "Peace be on His slaves whom He hath chosen" (27:59). Believers will also be welcomed into Paradise with the same expression: "Enter them in Peace" (15:46) and "Peace be unto you because you preserved. Ah, passing sweet will be the sequel of the (heavenly) home" (13:24).

Salaam is a distinctive practice of Islam and Muslims which has been recommended to make common the greeting. The Messenger of Allah, Sallallaho Alayhi Wasallam, said: "Oh people! Worship Allah, The Beneficent, feed His bondsmen, and spread Salaam much, and you will reach Heaven in safety." (Tirmidhi)

Divine reward for the blessed act of performing Salaam is explained in a Hadith. Once a person came to the Prophet, Sallallaho Alayhi Wasallam, and said: "Assalaamu Alaykum." The Prophet, Sallallaho Alayhi Wasallam, returned the greeting, and when the man had sat down, he said: "Ten good deeds have been written in his name owing to this Salaam." Thereafter another person came and said: "Assalaamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi" (Peace be with you, and the mercy of Allah). The Prophet, Sallallaho Alayhi Wasallam, returned the greeting, and when the man had sat down, he said: "Twenty good deeds have been written in his name." Then, another man came and said: "Assalaamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh" (Peace be with you, and the mercy of Allah, and His blessings). The Prophet, Sallallaho Alayhi Wasallam, returned the greeting, and when the man had sat down, he said: "Thirty good deeds have been written in his name." (Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood)

Such was the value of Salaam in the early Muslims that it is related Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar, Radhiyallo Anhu, would go to the market solely for the purpose of making greeting to whoever he saw.

Salaam has a deep spiritual side, besides signifying the sentiments of joy, regard and well wishing. The Messenger of Allah, Sallallaho Alayhi Wasallam, said: "He who is the first to greet, is free from pride." (Baihaqi) Therefore to take precedence in making the greeting is a sign of freedom from vanity. It can also mean, it is a cure for the grave sin of pride.

The Prophet, Sallallaho Alayhi Wasallam, who advised that Salaam should be exchanged a second time if after meeting a Muslim, even for a brief moment, they are separated by a tree, wall, or rock, and they meet again, further emphasizes the importance of Salaam.

Salaam should be said when entering or leaving one's home. A Hadith informs us that this is a source of blessing to the person saying it as well to the family members. Similarly, the person arriving at a congregation should be the first to greet those who are present; the young are instructed to take the lead in greeting the elders; those passing should greet those sitting; and men of a smaller group should greet men of the larger group.

To shake the hand simultaneously with greeting marks the fulfillment of the aim and object of Salaam. The Messenger of Allah, Sallallaho Alayhi Wasallam, said: "Shaking hands denotes the completion of greeting." (Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood)

Salaam is in essence a really wonderful teaching of Islam. It not only increases love and affection between Muslims but is also a cause of their forgiveness. The Prophet of Allah, Sallallaho Alayhi Wasallam, said: When two Muslims meet and shake hands, and at the same time glorify Allah, and beg forgiveness for themselves, they will be forgiven." (Abu Dawood)

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made spreading salaam a part of faith. Al-Bukhaari (12, 28 and 6236), Muslim (39), Ahmad (2/169), Abu Dawood (5494), al-Nisaa’i, (8/107) and Ibn Hibbaan (505) narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar that a man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “What is the best thing in Islam?” He said, “Feeding others and giving the greeting of salaam to those whom you know and those whom you do not know.”

Ibn al-Qayyim; Badaa’i' al-Fawaa’id (144): 

“i.e., do not single out anybody out of arrogance or to impress them, but do it to honor the symbols of Islam and to foster Islamic brotherhood.”

Ibn Hajar; al-Fath (1/56):

“The hadeeth makes the connection between feeding others and spreading salaam because this combines good actions in both word and deed, which is perfect good treatment (ihsaan). Indeed, this is the best thing that you can do in Islam after the obligatory duties.”

Ibn Rajab; al-Fath (1/43):

“Here the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was urging the believers to soften their hearts. The best Islamic attitude is to love one another and greet one another, and this is achieved by words and deeds. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) urged the Muslims to foster love between one another by exchanging gifts and food, and by spreading salaam, and he forbade the opposite, namely forsaking one another, turning away from one another, spying on one another, seeking out information about one another, stirring up trouble and being two faced.

Love is one of the duties of Islam and one of the pillars of the Islamic system. One should give salaams to those whom one knows and those whom one does not know, out of sincerity towards Allah; one should not try to impress other people by giving salaams only to those whom one knows and no-one else. This also entails an attitude of humility and spreading the symbols of this ummah through the word of salaam.”

Thus the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained that this salaam spreads love and brotherhood. Muslim (54), Ahmad (2/391), and al-Tirmidhi (2513) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you about something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salaam amongst yourselves.”  

Al-Qaadi; Ikmaal al-Mu’allim (1:276):

“This is urging us to spread salaam, as mentioned above, among those whom we know and those whom we do not know. Salaam is the first level of righteousness and the first quality of brotherhood, and it is the key to creating love. By spreading salaam the Muslims’ love for one another grows stronger and they demonstrate their distinctive symbols and spread a feeling of security amongst themselves. This is the meaning of Islam.”

Al-Qaadi ‘Ayaad; al-Ikmaal (1/304):

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also explained the reward earned by the one who says salaam, as was reported by al-Nisaa’i in ‘Aml al-yawm wa’l-laylah (368) and al-Bukhaari in al-Adab al-Mufrad (586) and by Ibn Hibban (493). They reported from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man passed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) whilst he was sitting with some others, and said “Salaam ‘alaykum (peace be upon you).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “[He will have] ten hasanaat (rewards).” Another man passed by and said “Salaam ‘alaykum wa rahmat-Allaah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “[He will have] twenty hasanaat.” Another man passed by and said “Salaam ‘alaykum wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “[He will have] thirty hasanaat.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded us to return salaams, and made it a right and a duty. Ahmad (2/540), al-Bukhaari (1240), Muslim (2792), al-Nisaa’i in al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah (221) and Abu Dawood (5031) all reported that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Muslim has five rights over his fellow-Muslim: he should return his salaams, visit him when he is sick, attend his funeral, accept his invitation, and pray for mercy for him [say “Yarhamuk Allah”] when he sneezes.”

It is clear that it is obligatory to say salaam and return salaams, because by doing so a Muslim is giving you safety and you have to give him safety in return. It is as if he is saying to you, “I am giving you safety and security,” so you have to give him the same, so that he does not get suspicious or think that the one to whom he has given salaam is betraying him or ignoring him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us that if Muslims are ignoring or forsaking one another, this would be put to an end when one of them gives salaam. Al-Bukhaari (6233) reported that Abu Ayyoob (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘It is not permissible for a Muslim to forsake his brother for more than three days, each of them turning away from the other if they meet. The better of them is the first one to say salaam.’”

Reference:

Meaning and Message of the Traditions; Chapter, Rules and Proprieties of Meeting. by Maulana Muhammad Manzoor Numani, Rahmatullahi Alayh.