中文

What does “Assalamu Alaikum” mean and how to reply?

Short answer“Assalamu alaykum” is the Muslim greeting meaning “peace and safety from God be upon you.” The reply is “Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.” As-Salam is one of God’s names, and spreading the greeting builds love; it is a greeting for everyone.

The phrase and its pronunciation

Hadith
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh

Peace be upon you, and God’s mercy and blessings

The phrase and its pronunciation

Meaning

God’s peace and safety upon you.

When to say it

  • On meeting, entering and leaving.
  • Etiquette: the younger greets the elder, the one walking greets the one sitting.
  • A greeting for everyone, Muslim or not.

How to reply

Returning the greeting with the same or better is required: “Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.”

The evidence

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

有人以祝词祝贺你们的时候,你们当以更好的祝词祝贺他,或以同样的祝词回答他。安拉确是监察万物的。

An-Nisa 4:86
Hadith
لَا تَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا، وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا، أَوَلَا أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ؟ أَفْشُوا السَّلَامَ بَيْنَكُمْ

You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you something that, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread peace among yourselves.

Muslim 54

常见问题

May I greet a non-Muslim with salam?

Yes, greeting people in general is fine; scholars give detail about the form of the reply to People of the Book.

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