Saying Salam (Islamic Greetings) to Non-Muslims: A Right To Companionship.

Unknowingly to me, I have being sharing a working space with someone who have being following me for over three years on facebook. I didn't know him in person. Amazingly, he told me, just yesterday that he recognized me the very first time he saw me. But he kept it to himself for months now. He is a Muslim.

Yesterday after spending couple of minutes in front of a mall in Kano, discussing, a school friend of mine approached with his family. The very first thing he said to me was "Assalamu'alaikum (peace be upon you), 'Misbau'." I answered "wa'alaikussalaam wa rahmatullah" (Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon you too). We embraced each order happily. I extended my greetings to his wife and a beautiful little daughter she was holding, and they went in to the mall. The man is a very learned Christian I respect dearly.

My colleague who was just about to drive off, standing by his vehicle's door was not happy with the way I welcomed my Christian friend even though he was the one who initiated the greetings. He complained obnoxiously that he never thought "I could be such naive to greet a non-muslim with the Islamic greetings." Of course I was shocked by his understanding, but two things made me upset; the fact that he benightedly addressed me in the presence of his friends and drive off and that he couldn't give me a chance to speak. He was such a mouthy person. But I believe he will be reading this, and this is why I write. To enlightene him.

As far as initiating Salam (greetings) to non-muslims is concern, I'm quite aware of the differences of opinion even among the Sahabas (companions of the Prophet (p) (Allah be please with them) down to the scholars on whether or not a Muslim should initiate the greetings. And this difference of opinion is mainly on the Ahlul Dhimma (the citizen Jews and Christians). But I also know that it is unanimously agreed that responding to them is not just permissible but even compulsory in Islam. Even if I had the chance to speak to my mouthy less informed friend at the spot, I can't waste time in proving him the later. I'd rather take the bull by the horn to prove him my stand on the former - initiating is permissible not just responding!

Greetings in whatever form is considered by scholars of principles of Jurisprudence (Usulul Fiqh) to be among 'social transactions' (mu'amalat) regarding which the basic principle of Jurisprudence governing it is permissibility, except otherwise prohibited by Islamic Law. Base on this, I personally choose to initiate Salam to non-muslims for the following reasons:

i. I see the concept of Islamic greetings as universal. Allah didn't make any distinction when He command in Qur'an 24:27 that before we set foot in houses other than ours, we should announce our presence by invoking peace (saying Salam) upon the folk thereof.

ii. Allah Most Gracious describe His servants in Qur'an 25:63 as (only) those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the 'ignorant' address them, they say Salam (Peace)."

iii. In Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet (p) was quoted to have said (in a hadith which I can't recall the number) that "Greet with Salam (Peace) those whom you know and those whom you do not know." The non-muslims are undoubtedly included in this hadith, and it's Sahih (authentic).

iv. One of my most revered champions among the Sahaba was Abdullahi bn Mas'ud (r). He once said the greeting (first) to a non-muslim as narrated Qurtubi. When asked "are we not warned against initiating salam with thwm?" He replied: "it is a right of companionship."

My colleague and many other zealous Muslim especially the youths may be holding the view of of course an authentic hadith where the Prophet was quoted to have said "do not initiate Salam with 'them'." But it was said that this injunction was when they are going on a campaign against Banu Quraizah. And that's the 'them' in this hadith. The Banu Quraiza was a group of Jews who signed a peace pact with the Prophet (p) in Madinah but later betrayed their trust.

Yes, non-muslims differ, and considering the fact that their attitudes towards muslims vary from one society or community to another, I see it plausible or even essential to treat them differently in accordance with the Divine injunction of Qur'an 3:113.

Lastly, as I established from start that this is still an issue among scholars, as a student, I also established my stand with the Qur'an, Hadith and words of a companion (r). With this, I rest my case with the words of Sufyan At-thauri who was quoted to have said "if you see a (Muslim) man doing something which there is difference of opinion among scholars, and which you believe to be forbidden, do not forbid him from doing it."

May Allah increase us in knowledge and wisdom.