There is common misconception that one may not greet non-Muslims with the salam. Or that you should only reply to them with ‘walaikum‘ not ‘walaikum asalam‘. This opinion is based on the hadith narrated by Suhayl bin Abi Salih, from his father, Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be please with them) narrated that the Prophet (peace be on him) said: حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ، – يَعْنِي الدَّرَاوَرْدِيَّ – عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ لاَ تَبْدَءُوا الْيَهُودَ وَلاَ النَّصَارَى بِالسَّلاَمِ فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمْ أَحَدَهُمْ فِي طَرِيقٍ فَاضْطَرُّوهُ إِلَى أَضْيَقِهِ ‏” ‘Do not greet the Jews and the Christian’s before they greet you, and when you meet any of them on the road force him to go to the narrowest part of it’ [Sahih Muslim] In his 44-page research paper, Dr Hakem Al-Mutairi (Al-I’lam A Study of the Hadith: Do not initiate the Salam to the Mushrikeen), made a detailed examination about the issues which make this narration problematic and explained why we cannot use it as source for ruling that one must not initiate greetings to non-Muslims. If we come across an ayah or a hadith which goes against the grain of main Islamic principles, we need to delve deeper and discover why that is the case. The context is always at the core of any ruling. When scholars of hadith look at this narration, there are many reasons why taking it at face value is wrong. First impressions of a hadith If you have not come across this hadith before, it is disturbing, because it appears to suggest that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is commanding believers to be rude to people of other faiths, telling them not to greet non-Muslims and even push … Continue reading Deconstructing the hadith on greeting non-Muslims with the salam. Insight into the sciences of hadith.