Islam has encouraged manners of greeting among members of society greet each other with Salaam due to love and
friendship which it produces. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said:
“You
will never enter Paradise until you believe, and you will never believe fully
until you love each other. Shall I not lead you to something that if you do it,
you will love each other? Spread the greetings of ‘Salaam’ amongst
yourselves.” [Muslim]
It is obligatory that one replies if he is greeted with Salaam.
Allah (s.w.t.) says:
When
you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it,
or (at least) return it equally. [4:86]
Islam has also clarified who must initiate the greeting. The Prophet
(s.a.w.) said:
“A
rider should greet a pedestrian, a pedestrian should greet one who is seated,
and a smaller group of people should greet a larger.” [al-Bukhari & Muslim]
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