Giving Salam in Islam: Why the Prophet ﷺ Said Spread It
Nowadays we mostly give salam to people we already know. During the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ the greeting was given to everybody, close or not. Offering salam shows that you love your brothers and sisters in Islam, and the Prophet ﷺ tied it to something much bigger: our love for one another, and our entry into Paradise.
At a glance
- Source: Sahih Muslim 54 (also Sunan Ibn Majah 68)
- Narrated by: Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him)
- Grade: Sahih (Muslim)
- Topic: Spreading the greeting of salam
- Put it into practice: Be the first to say salam, to people you know and people you do not
The hadith: spread salam among yourselves
لاَ تَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا . أَوَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى شَىْءٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ أَفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salam among yourselves.”
Sahih Muslim 54 · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
Ibn Majah narrates the same words (Sunan Ibn Majah 68, Sahih, Darussalam). Notice the chain: Paradise needs iman, iman needs love between believers, and one of the simplest ways to build that love is a greeting.
And the Prophet ﷺ did not limit it to friends. A man asked him which qualities of Islam are good, and he replied:
تُطْعِمُ الطَّعَامَ، وَتَقْرَأُ السَّلاَمَ عَلَى مَنْ عَرَفْتَ وَمَنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ
“To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 12 · Narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr · Translation from Sunnah.com
So salam is not only for friends and family. It is for every Muslim we meet: the stranger at the masjid, the new colleague, the neighbor we have never spoken to.
How to give salam and how to reply
The full greeting is Assalamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh: peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Most of us say the short form, Assalamu ‘alaikum, which is a complete greeting too.
The full reply is Wa ‘alaikumus-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh: and upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Allah tells us how to answer a greeting:
وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا۟ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَآ أَوْ رُدُّوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ 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]. Indeed Allāh is ever, over all things, an Accountant.
Surah an-Nisa 4:86 · Translation: Saheeh International (Quran.com)
So when someone says Assalamu ‘alaikum, we can reply with something better, such as adding wa rahmatullah, or at least the same. Replying to a greeting is the right of one Muslim on another; for the detailed rulings on giving and returning salam, ask a qualified scholar.
Who should greet first?
Such is the beauty of Islam that there is even an etiquette for who greets whom:
يُسَلِّمُ الرَّاكِبُ عَلَى الْمَاشِي، وَالْمَاشِي عَلَى الْقَاعِدِ، وَالْقَلِيلُ عَلَى الْكَثِيرِ
Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “The riding one should greet the walking one, and the walking one should greet the sitting one, and the small number of persons should greet the large number of persons.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 6232 · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Translation from Sunnah.com
In another narration, the younger person greets the older one (Sahih al-Bukhari 6234). But whoever you are, there is a reward for being first:
إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِاللَّهِ مَنْ بَدَأَهُمْ بِالسَّلاَمِ
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Those who are nearest to Allah are they who are first to give a salutation.”
Sunan Abi Dawud 5197 · Narrated by Abu Umamah · Grade: Sahih (al-Albani) · Translation from Sunnah.com
Reflection: the etiquette tells us who should start, but the reward goes to whoever starts. Don’t wait for the other person; let it be you.
Videos on giving and answering salam
How to put it into practice
- Greet first, at home, at the masjid, at work, even when the other person is younger.
- Say salam to Muslims you do not know, as the Prophet ﷺ taught in Bukhari 12.
- Reply with something better: add wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh when you answer.
- Teach your children to say salam when they come home and when they leave.
Key lessons
- Spreading salam builds love between believers, and that love is part of iman.
- Greet those you know and those you do not know.
- Reply to a greeting with a better one, or at least the same.
- The person nearest to Allah is the one who greets first.
Questions people ask
What is the importance of salam in Islam?
The Prophet ﷺ said we will not enter Paradise until we believe, and will not believe until we love one another, and that spreading salam is how that love grows (Sahih Muslim 54).
How do you reply to Assalamu alaikum?
Reply with Wa ‘alaikumus-salam, or better, Wa ‘alaikumus-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Allah says to return a greeting with a better one or at least the same (Surah an-Nisa 4:86).
Who should give salam first?
The one riding greets the one walking, the walking greets the sitting, and the smaller group greets the larger (Sahih al-Bukhari 6232). Whoever greets first is nearest to Allah (Sunan Abi Dawud 5197).
Giving salam is a symbol of love between Muslims: you are wishing Allah’s peace, mercy and blessings on your brother or sister. Offer your salam with a smile and receive it with a smile too. May our bonds as Muslims strengthen and our sins be forgiven.
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