Do you know about the Sunnah of saying Salam before entering home? No? This article is for you. Saying Salam before entering the home is rewarding in Islam. It is the formal way of meet & greet in Islamic culture and tradition. “Salam” means “Peace”. When a believer says Salam to his brother, it means he wishes peace, harmony, and security in his brother’s life. Saying Salam spreads love and compassion within the people and also secures the position of the other in your presence. Wishing peace (Salam) to the inhabitants of the house while entering the home strengthens the family ties also improve the compassion of a family, and encourages members to feel more secure and connected.
Importance of Salam in Islam
Salam is a way of salutation. It can bring countless blessings to the person who spread it. The more we send blessings of peace to another, the more rewards we acquire. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) laid the path for us to do acts that bring the best out of us. And saying Salam is one of those deeds. We gain rewards for wishing well to others, and we earn the reward for following the Sunnah.
Abu Hurairah narrated:
“Hadhf the Salam is a Sunnah.” [1]
The best way to promote harmony and goodwill in a society is to say, Salam. The saying of Salam allows us to invoke peace upon one another, and with the reply, we gain Allah (SWT)’s blessings. There is no price for saying, Salam. It is simply a good deed and a well-wish that we invoke onto another servant of Allah (SWT).
Respond to Salam with peace
It is also important that when someone says Salam to us, we respond to them with peace. It is commanded to us by Allah (SWT) to greet better or at least similar to the greeting that is said to us. The Holy Quran says,
وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍۢ فَحَيُّوا۟ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَآ أَوْ رُدُّوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَسِيبًا
“And when you are greeted, respond with a better greeting or at least similarly. Surely Allah is a vigilant Reckoner of all things.” [2]
By greeting with a Salam or responding with a similar greeting, we follow Allah’s (SWT) commandment. It is a great way to get the blessings of Allah (SWT) and increase rewards in this life and in the hereafter. It also builds the bonds of brotherhood and unity among people.
Saying Salam frequently
Spreading Salam frequently is the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The teachings of Islam put emphasis on saying Salam frequently. Muslims are taught to say Salam even if they are separated by a tree. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,
“When one of you meets a brother (in Faith) he should greet him. Then if a tree or a wall or a stone intervenes between them and then he meets him again, he should greet him” [3]
This hadith highlights the importance of incorporating Salam in our lives. Our religion made it mandatory for Muslims to say Salam frequently so the words of love and care spread in society.
In another narration, The Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
“The riding person 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.”[4]
Saying Salam is a noble deed
Saying Salam is considered a noble deed in Islam. The importance of saying Salam can be determined by the hadith of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr:
A man asked the Prophet (ﷺ), “What sort of deeds or (what qualities of) Islam are good?” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, ‘To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know” [5]
From this hadith, we get to know that greetings should be extended to everyone whether you know them or not.
Spreading Salam is the way of entering Paradise
Salam is nothing but peace. It fosters love and compassion among people and prevails the sense of harmony in society. Saying Salam frequently is one of the keys to entering Paradise. Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awwam narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“The disease of the nations before you is creeping towards you: Envy and hatred, it is the Haliqah. I do not speak of what cuts the hair, but what severs the religion. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love each other. Shall I tell you about what will strengthen that for you? Spread the Salam among each other.”[6]
Saying Salam while entering home
Islam is the religion of peace and discipline. It ensures the welfare of mankind in every aspect of life. Saying Salam while entering the home serves the purpose of building strong family bonds.
Greeting the inhabitants of the house:
Saying Salam when entering the home is a way to acknowledge the invaluable presence of family members in the house. When we get back home from School or Workplace, our saying Salam to the family members serves the purpose of acknowledging their whole day waiting for us. Most of the time, our mothers are awake and waiting for our arrival. So, saying Salam before entering the home allows us to acknowledge her unconditional love and care for us. We say Salam to pray to Allah (SWT) to grant them amity for their effort. As a result, Allah (SWT) blessed us and our families. Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me, “Dear son when you enter your house, say As- Salamu ‘Alaikum to your family, for it will be a blessing both to you and to your family.”[7]
Similarly, if we are guests, saying Salam out loud can be a good gesture of letting them know of your arrival. It will help them to get themselves prepared to attend to the guests.
Greeting the Unseen:
Salutations have been part of our faith from the time of Prophet Adam (A.S) and narrated by Abu Huraira:
“The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah created Adam, making him 60 cubits tall. When He created him, He said to him, “Go and greet that group of angels, and listen to their reply, for it will be your greeting (salutation) and the greeting (salutations of your offspring.” So, Adam said (to the angels), As-Salamu Alaikum (i.e. peace be upon you). The angels said, “As-salamu Alaika wa Rahmatu-l-lahi” (i.e. Peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon you). Thus the angels added to Adam’s salutation the expression, ‘Wa Rahmatu-l-lahi,’ Any person who will enter Paradise will resemble Adam (in appearance and figure). People have been decreasing in stature since Adam’s creation.” [8]
When we say Salam before entering home, we also greet the angel and acknowledge the unseen that live in a home. Although we may not hear the answer, we are being responded to.
Not Responding During Salah:
While it is encouraged to say Salam before entering home or greeting our fellow Muslims, the exception of not sending salutations lies during Salah. If we perform obligatory or nafl prayer, we are not forced to respond. Similarly, when we say Salam to a person performing Salah, we must not pressure them into responding. Narrated `Abdullah:
“We used to greet the Prophet (ﷺ) while he used to be in prayers, and he used to reply to our greetings. But when we came back from Najashi (the King of Ethiopia) we greeted him (while he was praying) and he did not reply to us. We said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! We used to greet you in the past, and you used to reply to us.” He said, “Verily, The Mind is occupied and busy with more important matters during the prayer.” (So one cannot return One’s greetings.)” [9]
Conclusion
Saying Salam before entering the home is a noble and rewarding act. It is encouraged for its significance and the rewards we receive upon saying, Salam. We acknowledge the habitants of our house, the seen and the unseen. It is an effective way of spreading love and kindness in society. For the sake of Allah (SWT), we should wish well on others, and saying Salam is a great way to do so. We should become habitual of saying Salam before entering the home and make it a part of our nature.
Saying Salam before entering the home is rewarding in Islam and a part of an amazing content series. For more, you are encouraged to follow our whole series, Time to Revive, where we discuss the forgotten Sunnah or Prophet Muhammad, Peace be Upon Him, and try to revive them by considering most of the perspectives of the modern world. Reading them and making them a habit is now your choice.
By Jowairia Shahid
References
- Jami` at-Tirmidhi 297, Book 2, Hadith 149
- Al-Quran 4:86
- Riyad as-Salihin 860, Book 5, Hadith 17
- Sahih al-Bukhari 6233: Book 79, Hadith 7
- Sahih al-Bukhari 12: Book 2, Hadith 5
- Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2510, Book 37, Hadith 96
- Riyad as-Salihin 861: Book 5, Hadith 18
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3326: Book 60, Hadith 1
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3875: Book 63, Hadith 100
