44. The People of the Book
عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيِّ قَالَ كَتَبَ أَبُو مُوسَى إِلَى رُهْبَانٍ يُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ فِي كِتَابِهِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَتُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ؟ قَالَ إِنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيَّ فَرَدَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ
✧ From Abu ʿUthman al-Nahdi, who said: “Abu Musa wrote to a monk, greeting him in his letter. It was said to him, ‘Do you greet him when he is an unbeliever?’ He said, ‘He wrote to me and greeted me, so I returned the greeting to him.’”
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ إِنِّي رَاكِبٌ غَدًا إِلَى يَهُودَ فَلاَ تَبْدَأُوهُمْ بِالسَّلاَمِ فَإِذَا سَلَّمُوا عَلَيْكُمْ فَقُولُوا وَعَلَيْكُمْ
✧ From the Prophet ﷺ, who said: “I am riding tomorrow to the Jews, so do not initiate the salam with them. If they greet you, then say, ‘And upon you.’”
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لاَ تَبْدَأُوهُمْ بِالسَّلاَمِ وَاضْطَرُّوهُمْ إِلَى أَضْيَقِ الطَّرِيقِ
✧ From the Prophet ﷺ, who said: “Do not initiate the salam with the People of the Book, and force them to the narrowest part of the road.”
عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا سَلَّمَ عَبْدُ اللهِ عَلَى الدَّهَاقِينَ إِشَارَةً
✧ From ʿAlqama, who said: “ʿAbdullah only greeted the village chiefs with a gesture.”
عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ مَرَّ يَهُودِيٌّ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ السَّامُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَرَدَّ أَصْحَابُهُ السَّلاَمَ فَقَالَ قَالَ السَّامُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأُخِذَ الْيَهُودِيُّ فَاعْتَرَفَ قَالَ رُدُّوا عَلَيْهِ مَا قَالَ
✧ From Anas, who said: “A Jew passed by the Prophet ﷺ and said, ‘Poison be upon you.’ His Companions returned the salam. He said, ‘He said, "Poison be upon you."’ The Jew was seized and he confessed. He said, ‘Return to him what he said.’”
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ الْيَهُودَ إِذَا سَلَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ السَّامُ عَلَيْكَ فَقُولُوا وَعَلَيْكَ
✧ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When one of the Jews greets you, he only says, ‘Poison be upon you,’ so say, ‘And upon you.’”
بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ {وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُمْ بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَا أَوْ رُدُّوهَا}
✧ Because Allah says: {And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet with one better than it or return it}
أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ رَكِبَ عَلَى حِمَارٍ عَلَيْهِ إِكَافٌ عَلَى قَطِيفَةٍ فَدَكِيَّةٍ وَأَرْدَفَ أُسَامَةَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ وَرَاءَهُ يَعُودُ سَعْدَ بْنَ عُبَادَةَ حَتَّى مَرَّ بِمَجْلِسٍ فِيهِ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ أُبَيٍّ ابْنُ سَلُولٍ وَذَلِكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْلِمَ عَبْدُ اللهِ فَإِذَا فِي الْمَجْلِسِ أَخْلاَطٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ وَعَبْدَةِ الأَوْثَانِ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ
✧ He informed him that the Prophet ﷺ rode a donkey with a packsaddle over a Fadak velvet cloth, and he mounted Usama b. Zayd behind him, going to visit Saʿd b. ʿUbada until he passed by a gathering in which ʿAbdullah b. Ubayy b. Salul was present, and that was before ʿAbdullah became Muslim. In the gathering there was a mix of Muslims, idolaters, and worshippers of idols, and he greeted them.
أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ بْنَ حَرْبٍ أَخْبَرَهُ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ هِرَقْلُ مَلِكُ الرُّومِ ثُمَّ دَعَا بِكِتَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ الَّذِي أُرْسِلَ بِهِ مَعَ دِحْيَةَ الْكَلْبِيِّ إِلَى عَظِيمِ بُصْرَى فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَيَّ هِرَقْلُ فَقَرَأَهُ فَإِذَا فِيهِ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِ اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ عَظِيمِ الرُّومِ سَلاَّمٌ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنِّي أَدْعُوكَ بِدِعَايَةِ الإِسْلاَمِ أَسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ يُؤْتِكَ اللَّهُ أَجْرَكَ مَرَّتَيْنِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ فَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ إِثْمَ الأَرِيسِيِّينَ وَ {يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ}
✧ He informed him that Abu Sufyan b. Harb informed him that Heraclius, the king of the Romans, sent for him, then he asked for the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that had been sent with Dihya al-Kalbi to the governor of Busra. Heraclius handed it to me, and I read it. In it was: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. From Muhammad, the servant of Allah and His Messenger, to Heraclius, the great one of the Romans. Peace be upon those who follow guidance. To proceed: I call you with the call of Islam. Submit, and you will be safe. Allah will give you your reward twice. If you turn away, then upon you is the sin of the peasants. And {O People of the Book, come to a word common between us and you} up to His saying {bear witness that we are Muslims}.
أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرًا يَقُولُ سَلَّمَ نَاسٌ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالُوا السَّامُ عَلَيْكُمْ قَالَ وَعَلَيْكُمْ فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ ؓ وَغَضِبَتْ أَلَمْ تَسْمَعْ مَا قَالُوا؟ قَالَ بَلَى قَدْ سَمِعْتُ فَرَدَدْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ نُجَابُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا يُجَابُونَ فِينَا
Jabir said, "Some of the Jews greeted the Prophet ﷺ by saying, 'Poison be upon you (as-Samu 'alaykum)' and the Prophet replied, 'And on you.' 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, said angrily, 'Didn't you hear what they said?' The Prophet replied, 'Yes, and I answered them. What I said about them will be accepted and what they said about me will not be accepted.'"
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1111No grade recorded
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي الطَّرِيقِ فَلاَ تَبْدَأُوهُمْ بِالسَّلاَمِ وَاضْطَرُّوهُمْ إِلَى أَضْيَقِهَا
✧ From the Prophet ﷺ, who said: "When you meet the polytheists on the road, do not initiate the greeting of peace with them, and force them to the narrowest part of it."
أَنَّهُ مَرَّ بِرَجُلٍ هَيْئَتُهُ هَيْئَةُ مُسْلِمٍ فَسَلَّمَ فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْغُلاَمُ إِنَّهُ نَصْرَانِيٌّ فَقَامَ عُقْبَةُ فَتَبِعَهُ حَتَّى أَدْرَكَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَحْمَةَ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتَهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَكِنْ أَطَالَ اللَّهُ حَيَاتَكَ وَأَكْثَرَ مَالَكَ وَوَلَدَكَ
✧ He passed by a man whose appearance was that of a Muslim, so he greeted him and he replied, “And upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.” A servant boy said to him, “He is a Christian.” So ʿUqbah stood up and followed him until he caught up with him, then said, “The mercy of Allah and His blessings are for the believers, but may Allah prolong your life and increase your wealth and children.”
قَالَ لِي فِرْعَوْنُ بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ قُلْتُ وَفِيكَ وَفِرْعَوْنُ قَدْ مَاتَ
✧ Pharaoh said to me, “May Allah bless you.” I said, “And you,” even though Pharaoh was already dead.
عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ كَانَ الْيَهُودُ يَتَعَاطَسُونَ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ رَجَاءَ أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللَّهُ فَكَانَ يَقُولُ يَهْدِيكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَكُمْ
✧ From Abū Mūsā, who said: The Jews used to sneeze in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ hoping that he would say to them, “May Allah have mercy on you.” But he used to say, “May Allah guide you and set your affairs right.”
أَنَّهُ نَصْرَانِيٌّ فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ رَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ رُدَّ عَلَيَّ سَلامِي
✧ He was a Christian, so when he realized that, he went back to him and said, “Return my greeting of peace to me.”
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لَهَا جِبْرِيلُ يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْكِ السَّلامَ فَقَالَتْ وَعَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ
✧ The Prophet ﷺ said to her, “Jibrīl sends you greetings of peace.” She said, “And upon him be peace and the mercy of Allah.”