Zakir Naik – Can a Muslim Greet a Non-Muslim with Assalaamu Alaikum
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The brother asked a common question that can
a Muslim
greet a non Muslim with a salamu alaykum?
Or if a non Muslim
greets a salamu alaykum, can you wish back?
And I'm aware
that there are many scholars
who do say
that when a Muslim wishes you
have to say.
And this answer
is based in several hadith which are given
in Sahih Muslim. And if you read Sahih
Muslim,
word number 3 in the book of Salam,
chapter number
904,
hadith number 5,380
to 5,390.
There are 11 hadith
mentioned in, say, Muslim regarding this topic.
But if you analyze the hadith,
the first few hadith say
that
when the Jews
wished
in Arabic means,
may death be on you.
When the Jews wish you
may death be on you, the prophet said,
wish them back
may it be on you too.
So the reference to context is that when
the non Muslims
knowingly
wish evil for you,
sounding similar
to When the wish, may death be on
you,
you have to wish back saying
on YouTube.
But many of the scholars say that when
even the non Muslims wish,
you have to wish back
which
if you go into details, you can get
the reply from the Quran and the Sahihadeel.
Let's see what does the Quran say
regarding
greeting back.
And I said in my talk in Surinissa,
chapter 4 was 86,
which says,
That's when anyone
greets you courteously,
wish back
more courteously
or a greeting
which is of equal
because Allah is careful in keeping of the
accounts. Where greeting back is concerned,
we can greet them back. So regarding
the question, if someone wish you
what should you reply based on this Quranic
verse, you can wish back more courteously
or at least the same. That's what the
Quran
says. Regarding, can you wish them first?
There are hadith of beloved prophet in the
same same Muslim who says that when you
meet a halikita, but you are a Christian,
don't wish them, etcetera. And there are various
different opinion in the various groups of scholars.
But when you go to the Quran,
Quran and the Sahid is the best example
to be followed.
The Quran says in,
chapter number 19, verse number 47, that when
Abraham, peace be upon him, when his father
who was a mushrik, removes him from his
house,
he says,
I will pray to Allah
to forgive you.
Quran says that Ibrahim told his father,
and I will pray to my
almighty God to forgive you.
Further, if you read in Surataha chapter number
20 verse 47,
it says
that Musa Alaihi Salam and Harun Alaihi Salam,
Moses and Aaron, peace be upon them.
They were commanded by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala,
that when they delivered the message to pharaoh
and his
people, to wish them by saying, peace be
on them, those who receive guidance. And this
was one of the way the prophet when
dictated
letters. He said to the non Muslim kings
that peace be on you, those who receive
guidance.
Further, if you read in Sura Far Khan,
chapter 25, verse 63, it says, that
when those approach you who are ignorant,
tell them
Tell them peace.
So when the ignorant come to you,
who give vain talks,
say wish them peace.
For they finish.
Chapter 28, verse 55 says that when you
are in the company of those people who
give vain talks
and who speak against Islam, tell them to
us it's our deeds, to you is your
deeds.
Peace be on you.
Wish them salaam. May those who speak against
Islam.
The Quran says, wish them salaam. So there's
no problem at all in wishing a non
Muslim salaam.
And if you read the the of the
Quranic verses,
if you read
the
regarding
Surah Mariam,
chapter 19, verse 47, it says that regarding
the explanation of this verse, when Ibrahim Al
Salam tells his father that peace be on
you,
I will ask Allah Subhanahu to forgive you.
Most of the scholars, the jammu,
scholars,
they say that here the peace
was only a form of greeting, like saying
favor.
It wasn't a form of asking protection.
So they say that this was a form
of greeting.
While in
his he
says that according
to,
he said that, yeah, it actually means peace.
And further, if you read
the statement
of Nakash, he said
that it is allowed
for the Muslims to wish salaam to the
non Muslim.
Though the majority of the scholars say
that, yeah, the greeting was only a form
of a greeting. It was not asking for
protection.
And further, if we read the statement which
says
that I agree more with the statement
of who said, and for his explanation, he
quotes
chapter number 60 verse number 8 and say,
Allah forbid not you
from being just to those people who fight
you not against religion,
nor drive you out of your house. For
Allah love those who are just.
That means you have to be just to
the people who fight you not
against your religion, or drive you not out
of your house. And he further says that
the Quran says,
chapter number 60 verse number 4, that verily,
in the lifestyle of Ibrahim Alaihi Salam, you
find a very good example. What Ibrahim
did?
You find a very good example. So when
he can wish peace to his father, why
can't you? So based on the scholars,
if you see that the various, even of
Tabri
and Ibn Kasir,
When he gives the translation
and the commentary
of chapter 4, 80, 60 says that this
was, which says that when anyone wishes you
courteously, wish back more courteously, does not refer
to the Muslim, it can refer to any
creature of Allah.
So if you analyze,
there are a few group of scholars who
say that it is preferable that you do
not wish them, only say alaikum, but there
are other group of scholars who say that
you can wish them, you can initiate the
greeting, as well as wish them back more
courtesy.
I agree more with those group of scholars
who say that you can greet
non Muslims. Because if you read the saying
of Ibn Masud,
may Allah be pleased with him, when he
was asked, can you greet
salaam to a non Muslim? He said yes.
And he did that to his companions, and
he said, we Muslims have come here to
spread peace.
If you read the saying that Abu Musaam,
alayhi, peace with him, he said that he
used to greet the non Muslims, whether Christian,
Jews, etcetera, with peace.
So there are scholar majority who do say
that you can wish, while many scholars who
say that it's preferable to say alaikum. I
agree more with those who say that you
can wish salaam to a non Muslim as
well as wish them back.
Hope that answers the question.