Greeting

وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٖ فَحَيُّواْ بِأَحۡسَنَ مِنۡهَآ أَوۡ رُدُّوهَآۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ حَسِيبًا ٨٦

When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it or (at least) return it equally. Certainly, Allah is Ever a Careful Account Taker of all things.

Surah 4 An-Nisa Verse 86

• Good manners and courtesy are to be matched by the Muslims. In fact, the mission entrusted to the Muslims requires them to excel others in this respect. Harshness, irritability and bitterness are not becoming in a people whose main function is to preach a message and invite people to it. While harshness and bitterness may at best satisfy one’s injured vanity, they are positively harmful to the cause that one seeks to promote.
• Narrated Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘By He is whose my soul is! You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love each other. Should I direct you to an action that would direct you to love each other? Spread the Salam amongst yourself’

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ يَهۡدِيهِمۡ رَبُّهُم بِإِيمَٰنِهِمۡۖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهِمُ ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ فِي جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٩ دَعۡوَىٰهُمۡ فِيهَا سُبۡحَٰنَكَ ٱللَّهُمَّ وَتَحِيَّتُهُمۡ فِيهَا سَلَٰمٞۚ وَءَاخِرُ دَعۡوَىٰهُمۡ أَنِ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ١٠

Verily, those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, their Lord will guide them through their Faith; under them will flow rivers in the Gardens of delight (Paradise). Their way of request therein will be Subhanaka Allahumma (Glory to You, O Allah!) and Salam (peace, safety from evil) will be their greetings therein (Paradise)! and the close of their request will be: Al-Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil-Alamin [All the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)].

Surah 10 Yunus Verses 9-10

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَدۡخُلُواْ بُيُوتًا غَيۡرَ بُيُوتِكُمۡ حَتَّىٰ تَسۡتَأۡنِسُواْ وَتُسَلِّمُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهَاۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ ٢٧ فَإِن لَّمۡ تَجِدُواْ فِيهَآ أَحَدٗا فَلَا تَدۡخُلُوهَا حَتَّىٰ يُؤۡذَنَ لَكُمۡۖ وَإِن قِيلَ لَكُمُ ٱرۡجِعُواْ فَٱرۡجِعُواْۖ هُوَ أَزۡكَىٰ لَكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ عَلِيمٞ ٢٨ لَّيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَدۡخُلُواْ بُيُوتًا غَيۡرَ مَسۡكُونَةٖ فِيهَا مَتَٰعٞ لَّكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تُبۡدُونَ وَمَا تَكۡتُمُونَ ٢٩

O you who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and greeted those in them; that is better for you, in order that you may remember. And if you find no one therein, still enter not until permission has been given to you. And if you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you. And Allah is All-Knower of what you do. There is no sin on that you enter (without taking permission) houses uninhabited, (when) you have any interest in them. And Allah has knowledge of what you reveal and what you conceal.

Surah 24 An-Nur Verses 27-29

• Soon after the revelation of this verse, the Prophet (pbuh) promulgated certain laws and rules of behaviour, as follows:

1. The Prophet (pbuh) declared the right to privacy a general rule. As a result, people were forbidden to peep into others’ houses, or to look at them from the outside, so much so that people were not allowed to read letters addressed to anyone else without his/her permission.

• Narrated Thawban (a freed slave of the Prophet, pbuh) that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘If someone’s sight enters (a person’s house) then there remains no occasion for seeking permission (to enter the house)’
• Narrated Huzayl that someone sought permission while standing right in front of the door. The Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Stand aside. The permission solicited is the permission to see’
• Narrated Abd Allah ibn Abbas that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Whoever looks at the letter of his brother without his permission it is as though he was peeping at the fire’
• In two Sahihs it is recorded that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘If a person looks into your house without your permission and you throw a stone at him and it puts his eye out, there will be no blame on you’

2. Some jurists are of the opinion that the interdiction against looking into someone’s house also applies to trying to hear conversations which take place in that house.
3. The injunction to seek permission before entering is not specific to entering the house of strangers. One is required to do the same while entering the homes of close relatives. Someone asked the Prophet (pbuh): “Should I seek the permission of my mother when I visit her?” The Prophet (pbuh) replied in the affirmative. The man again submitted: “There is no one besides me to attend to her. Should I seek her permission every time I visit her?” The Prophet (pbuh) replied: ‘Would you like to see your mother naked?’ Abd Allah ibn Masud says that even when one goes to one’s wife in one’s own house one should give some indication of one’s approach, thus avoiding suddenness.
4. The only exemption from the requirement to obtain prior permission before entering someone’s house is in situations of emergency (fire etc)
5. The Prophet (pbuh) once informed a visitor that the proper way to seek permission was to say: ‘Assalam-o-alaikum. May I enter?’ The name should also be mentioned while seeking permission. The Prophet (pbuh) also stated that a person should seek permission no more than three times. If there was no response after that, the visitor should go away.

• Some scholars also interpret that the Quranic injunction means that before entering a house one should make sure that the host is favourably disposed to oneself and one’s visit and that they feel at ease at your entering their houses.

لَّيۡسَ عَلَى ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ حَرَجٞ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَعۡرَجِ حَرَجٞ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلۡمَرِيضِ حَرَجٞ وَلَا عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَن تَأۡكُلُواْ مِنۢ بُيُوتِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ ءَابَآئِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ إِخۡوَٰنِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ أَخَوَٰتِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ أَعۡمَٰمِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ عَمَّٰتِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ أَخۡوَٰلِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ خَٰلَٰتِكُمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكۡتُم مَّفَاتِحَهُۥٓ أَوۡ صَدِيقِكُمۡۚ لَيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَأۡكُلُواْ جَمِيعًا أَوۡ أَشۡتَاتٗاۚ فَإِذَا دَخَلۡتُم بُيُوتٗا فَسَلِّمُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ تَحِيَّةٗ مِّنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُبَٰرَكَةٗ طَيِّبَةٗۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ ٦١

There is no restriction on the blind, nor any restriction on the lame, nor any restriction on the sick, nor on yourselves, if you eat from your houses, or the houses of your fathers, or the houses of your mothers, or the houses of your brothers, or the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your fathers brothers, or the houses of your fathers sisters, or the houses of your mothers brothers, or the houses of your mothers sisters, or (from that) whereof you hold keys, or (from the house) of a friend. No sin on you whether you eat together or apart. But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah (i.e., say: As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatahu - peace be on you and Allah’s Mercy and His Blessings), blessed and good. Thus, Allah makes clear the Ayat (these Verses or your religious symbols and signs) to you that you may understand.

Surah 24 An-Nur Verse 61

• ‘…greet one another…’ – Mujahid said: “And when you enter the Masjid, say: Peace be upon the Messenger of Allah; when you enter upon your families greet them with Salam; and when you enter a house in which there is nobody, say: As-Salamu Alayna wa Ibad-Allah-is-Salihin (peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah). This is what one is commanded to do, and it has been narrated to us that the angels will return his greeting”.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِيِّۚ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيۡهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسۡلِيمًا ٥٦ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡذُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ لَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٗا مُّهِينٗا ٥٧

Allah sends His Salat on the Prophet (Muhammad, pbuh) and also His angels. O you who believe! Send your Salat on him and greet him with the Islamic way of greeting. Verily, those who annoy Allah and His Messenger (pbuh) Allah has cursed them in this world and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating torment.

Surah 33 Al-Ahzab Verses 56-57

• The Salat of the Lord is mercy and the Salat of the angels is their seeking forgiveness
• Narrated Fadalah bin Ubayd that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘When any of you supplicates, let him start by praising and glorifying Allah, may He be exalted, then let him send salat upon the Prophet, and after that let him make his supplication as he wishes’
• Narrated Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Whoever sends one Salah upon me, Allah will send ten upon him’ Narrated Al-Husayn ibn Ali that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘The miser is the one in whose presence I am mentioned, then he does not send salah upon me’
• The occasions for saying Salah upon the Prophet (pbuh) are :

1. Following the call of prayer
2. When entering or exiting the Masjid
3. During funeral prayer
4. During Salah – Narrated Razin bin Muawiyah that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘A supplication remains suspended between heavens and earth and does not ascend any further until a person sends salah on me. Do not treat me like a spare water container, send salah upon me at the beginning of your supplication at the end and the middle’
5. During Qunut supplication
6. On Friday and on the eve of Friday – Narrated Aws bin Aws Ath Thaqafi that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘One of the best of your days is Friday; on this day Adam was created and died, on this day the Trumpet (Sur) will be blown and all will have swoon away. So on this day send plenty of salah upon me, for your salah will be presented to me’

• There is a consensus among scholars that invoking Salah upon the Prophet (pbuh) is a Sunnah in Islam, and it is mustahab (recommended) to recite it whenever his name is mentioned. There is also a consensus that it is ‘sunnah’ during the prayer.
• Annoyance of Allah – refers to:

1. Disobeying Allah
2. Tampering with Allah’s Command regarding what is lawful and what is not
3. Causing annoyance to the Prophet (pbuh) – by slander and accusations
4. Making pictures or images
5. Attributing Allah’s deeds to time, as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Allah says: “The son of Adam annoys Me by inveighing against time, but I am time, for I cause the alteration of night and day”’

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