"Peace Be Upon You" - The Power Of Peaceful Greetings

splash

Recently I was walking through some tight, dark streets I’ve never walked through before, it felt eery and foreign to me, with strangers sitting on the side staring at the unfamiliar intruder barging their neighbourhood. Feeling uncomfortable and feeling the gaze piercing a hole through me, I tried avoiding eye contact and stared at the floor until I suddenly remembered this saying:

“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 one another. Shall I not tell you of something that if you do it, you will love one another? Spread (the greeting of) peace amongst yourselves.” — Prophet Muhammed(PBUH)(Sahih Muslim)

I gathered up my courage and greeted them with the greeting of peace. “Assalamu Alaykum! (peace be upon you)” I waved with a smile at the group and was reciprocated with an even better greeting of peace and cheerful smiles by the group, whose attitude had completely changed.

No longer was I a stranger, and nor were they to me. 

That was the profound effect of a simple greeting of peace! 

This simple greeting and way of life was something I hadn’t found outside of Muslim countries, having lived in many places around the world, including Europe, I often found people looked at strangers with animosity and people seldom greeted their own neighbours, let alone strangers! 

This greeting, prescribed in both the Quran and Hadith, serves as more than a polite exchange — it is a bond that unites Muslims worldwide and serves as a means to soften hearts, fostering friendship and dispelling animosity among people.

The Origin of “As-Salamu Alaikum”

The phrase “As-Salamu Alaykum” comes directly from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Quran itself. In Surah An-Nisa, Allah says:

“And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally.”(Quran, 4:86)

This verse illustrates the importance of returning a greeting with an equal or better response, emphasising the positive reinforcement of goodwill and kindness. By using peaceful greetings, Muslims not only comply with Islamic etiquette but also strengthen relationships and foster mutual respect.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) frequently mentioned the significance of spreading peace among people. In one well-known hadith, he said:

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak a good word or remain silent, and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be generous to his neighbour, and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be generous to his guest.”(Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Another hadith mentions the great reward of the Islamic greeting. A man once asked the Prophet (PBUH) about the best actions in Islam. The Prophet responded:

“Feed the hungry and greet with peace those whom you know and those whom you do not know.”(Sahih al-Bukhari)

Here, the Prophet extends the greeting beyond just family and friends, encouraging Muslims to greet everyone, familiar or unfamiliar, with peace. This practice helps bridge social divisions and reduce prejudice, making every person feel respected and acknowledged.

By greeting each other with peace, we can break down barriers of animosity and misunderstandings. This small yet powerful act has the potential to transform a tense interaction into a positive one. When someone greets another with “As-Salamu Alaikum,” they implicitly convey a message of goodwill, disarming any hostility and signalling openness.

Psychologically, offering peace disarms defensive feelings and creates a sense of safety. Both parties feel a sense of shared purpose and respect, reducing any initial feelings of judgment, bias, or hostility. The greeting sets a peaceful tone, creating an environment where people are more likely to listen to and respect one another.

By embracing the greeting of peace and sharing it with sincerity, Muslims can continue building bridges of understanding and harmony, dispelling animosity and contributing to a community rooted in respect, kindness, and unity.

---

For more about Islam visit: https://www.howtomuslim.org

Islamic Resources: https://www.howtomuslim.org/catalogue

Why Islam: https://www.howtomuslim.org/why-islam

Who was Prophet Muhammed (PBUH): https://www.howtomuslim.org/prophet-muhammed