Significance of salaams.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Dear Br.Burhan,
Jazakallah Khaira for your untiring efforts Bhai,may Allah unite our ummah.
Br. would u write in detail the significance,importance and how it helps people
that is the greeting "Assalamu alikum wrwb"
Wassalam,
Note:One brother was telling that it is the sign of qayamat that people
ignore/hesitant saying salam.is that true.
(There may be some grammatical and spelling
errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
Significance of
salaams
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His
help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear
witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear
witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
Your Question: Br.
would u write in detail the significance,importance and how it helps people
that is the greeting "Assalamu alikum wrwb"
It is only natural and an accepted norm and
etiquette in most civilized societies that when one meets another, one starts
their meeting or conversation with a greeting: Hi! Hello! Hey? Yo! What’s up?
Etc.etc……
Instead of using such absolutely useless terms of
greetings, Islam guides the believers to greet each other with the salutations
of peace, and preferably with a supplication of mercy and blessings as a
gesture and an extension of the genuine good will the Brotherhood in the
believing Ummah hold for one another.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah
Nisaa verse 86:
86 When a (courteous) greeting (salaam) is offered you, meet it with a
greeting still more courteous, (or at least) of equal courtesy. Allah takes careful account of all things.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah
Noor verse 61 (part):
But if ye enter
houses greet (declare salaams upon) each other, a greeting or blessing and
purity as from Allah. Thus does Allah
make clear the Signs to you: that ye may understand.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah
Anaam verse 54:
54 When those come to thee who believe in Our Signs say: "Peace
be on you: your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy:
verily if any of you did evil in ignorance and thereafter repented and amended
(his conduct) lo! He is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful."
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 849 Narrated by Abu Yusuf Abdullah ibn Salam
Abdullah heard the Prophet (saws) say: ‘O
believers! Spread the ‘Salams’ (greetings), feed (the poor and
needy), behave kindly to your blood relations, offer prayer when others are
asleep, and (thus) enter Paradise in peace.’
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.250 Narrated by Abu Huraira
The Prophet (saws) said, "The young
should declare ‘salaams’ to the old, the passerby should declare ‘salaams’ to
the sitting one, and the small group of persons should declare ‘salaams’ upon the
large group of persons."
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 861 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik
The Prophet (saws) said to him: ‘Son, when
you enter your home declare ‘salaams’ to your people with the salutation of
peace. It will be a source of blessing for you and for the members of your
family.’
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.253B Narrated by Abdullah bin Amr
A man asked the Prophet (saws): "What
Islamic traits are the best?" The Prophet (saws) said, "Feed the (poor
and needy) people, and declare ‘salaams’ to those whom you know and those whom
you do not know."
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.753 Narrated by Al Bara bin Azib
The Prophet (saws) ordered us to do seven
other things. ‘To pay a visit to the sick; to follow funeral processions; to
say, "May Allah be merciful to you" to a sneezer if he says
"Praise be to Allah"; to return the ‘salaams’, to
accept invitations; to help others to fulfill their oaths, and to help the
oppressed ones.’
Allah and His Messenger (saws) have Commanded and Guided
the believers to declare the ‘salaams’ upon each other, absolutely regardless
of whether one knows their brethren or not; for the declaration of the
‘salaams’ in Islam is a supplication one makes in earnest for his believing
brethren, and a source of blessing and ‘hasanah’ for those who declare it and
upon those to whom it is declared.
Such is the significance and magnitude of this simple but
weighty greeting of ‘As Salaam o Alykum’ in the Sight of Allah, that not only
are the believers guided and commanded by their Lord to declare it amongst
themselves whenever they meet in the life of this earth…..it is this very same
greetings of ‘Salaams’ with which they will be greeted time and time again in the
Realms of their eternal life in the Gardens of Paradise in the Hereafter.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah
Zumar verse 73:
73 And those who feared their Lord will be led to the Garden (of
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 19 Surah
Maryam verses 60-63:
60 Except those who repent and believe and work righteousness: for
these will enter the Garden (of
61 Gardens of Eternity; those which (Allah) Most Gracious has promised
to His servants in the unseen: for His Promise must (necessarily) come to pass.
62 They will not there hear therein any vain discourse but only
salutations of peace: and they will have therein their sustenance
morning and evening.
63 Such is the Garden which We give as an inheritance to those of Our servants
who guard against evil.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah
Yunus verses 9-10
9 Those who believe and work righteousness their Lord will guide them
because of their faith: beneath them will flow rivers in Gardens of Bliss.
10 (This will be) their cry therein (in
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 14 Surah
Ibraheem verse 23:
23 But those who believe and work righteousness will be admitted to
Gardens beneath which rivers flow to dwell therein for aye with the leave of
their Lord: their greeting therein will be: "Peace!"
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 36 Surah
Yaa Seen verses 55-58:
55 Verily the Companions of the Garden shall that Day have joy in all
that they do;
56 They and their associates will be in groves of (cool) shade
reclining on thrones (of dignity);
57 (Every) fruit (enjoyment) will be there for them; they shall have
whatever they call for;
58 "Peace!” a Word (of salutation) from
a Lord Most Merciful!
Your
Question: One brother was telling that it is the sign of qayamat that people
ignore/hesitant saying salam.is that true.
To the best of our knowledge, we have not come across such
a statement either in the Glorious Quran or in the authentic and established
Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws)……and Allah Alone Knows Best.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only
due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me
alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
