Al-Adab al-Mufrad

Chapter

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), forbade people to sit in courtyards and roads. The Muslims said, "We will not be able to avoid it. We cannot undertake it." He said, "If not, then give it its due." They said, "What is it due?" He said, "Lower the eye, guide the traveller, wish for mercy on the person who sneezes when he praises Allah and return the greeting."

Chapter

Abu Hurayra said, "The most miserly of people is the person who is miserly with the greeting. The one who is cheated of good is the one who does not return it. if a tree comes between you and your brother, and you are able to be the first to begin the greeting before the other person, then do it."

Chapter

Salim, the mawla of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, said, "When Ibn 'Umar was greeted, he returned it with increase. I came upon him sitting down and said, 'Peace be upon you,' and he said, 'Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.' Then I came another time and said, 'Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah,; and he said, 'Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.' Then I came to him another time and said, 'Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings,' and he said, 'Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings and the bet of His prayers.'"

Do not greet an openly sinful person

'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'as said, "Do not greet anyone who drinks wine."

Do not greet an openly sinful person

Al-Hasan said, "There should be not sense of respect between you and a deviant person."

Do not greet an openly sinful person

'Ali ibn 'Abdullah was heard expressing his dislike for chess and said, "Do not greet someone who plays it. It is a kind of gambling."

Not greeting a man wearing khaluq-perfume or a sinner

'Ali ibn Abi Talib said, "The Prophet, (ﷺ), walked past some people who included a man who used khaluq perfume. He looked at them and gave them the greeting, but turns away from that man. The man asked, 'Have you turned away from me?' He replied, 'There is redness between your eyes.'"

Not greeting a man wearing khaluq-perfume or a sinner

Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah reported that a man came to the Prophet, (ﷺ), wearing a gold signet-ring on his finger. The Prophet, (ﷺ), turned away from him. When the man saw his dislike of the gold, he threw the ring away. He made an iron ring and wore that. He came to the Prophet, (ﷺ), who said, "This is worse. This is the ornament of the people of the Fire." The man went away, threw it off and put on a silver ring and the Prophet, (ﷺ), did not say anything about it."

Not greeting a man wearing khaluq-perfume or a sinner

Abu Sa'id said, "A man came from al-Bahrayn to the Prophet, (ﷺ), and greeted him, but the Prophet (ﷺ) did not answer him. The man was wearing a gold ring and a silk robe. The man went away in sorrow. He complained to his wife and she said, 'Perhaps the Messenger of Allah objects to your robe and your ring. Throw them away and then go back.; he did that and then the Prophet (ﷺ) returned his greeting. he said, 'I came to you yesterday and you turned away from me.' He said, 'You had a coal of the Fire on your hand.' He said, 'I came then with any coals.' He said, 'As for what you brought, there is no one who is free from dependence on these stones. But it is the enjoyment of the life of this world.' He said, 'What should I make a ring from?' 'From silver, brass, or iron,' he replied.

Greeting the Amir

'Umar ibn 'Abdu'l-'Aziz asked Abu Bakr ibn Abi Hathama, "Why did Abu Bakr write, 'From Abu Bakr, the Khalifa (Successor) of the Messenger of Allah' and then 'Umar wrote after him, 'From 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, the khalifa (successor) of Abu Bakr'? Who was the first to write 'the Amir al-Mu'minin'?" He replied, "My grandmother, ash-Shifa', related to me, and she was one of the first to write 'the Amir al-Mu'minin'?" He said, "My grandfather, ash-Shifa' related to me, (and she was one of the first Muhajirun and when 'Umar ibn al-Khattab entered the market, he visited her), saying, ''Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote to the governor of Iraq requesting him to send him two trustworthy noble men so that he could question them about Iraq and its people. He sent him a master of Iraq, Labid ibn Rabi'a and also 'Adi ibn Hatim, and they came to Madina. They made their camels kneel in the courtyard of the mosque, entered it and found 'Amr ibn al-'As. They said to him, ''Amr, ask permission for us to visit the Amir al-Mu'minin, 'Umar.' 'Amr got up and went to 'Umar. He said, 'Peace be upon you, Amir al-Mu'minin.' 'Umar said to him, 'Ibn al-'As, what made you use this name? You have deviated from what you normally say.' He said, 'Yes, Labid ibn Rabi'a and 'Adi ibn Hatim came and said to me, "Ask permission for us to visit the Amir al-Mu'minin." I said, "You two, by Allah, have hit upon the correct name. He is the amir and we are the believers."' The title originated on that day."

Greeting the Amir

'Ubaydullah ibn 'Abdullah said, "Mu'awiya went on his first hajj when he was the khalifa and 'Uthman ibn Hanif al-Ansari came to him and said, 'Peace be upon you, Amir, and the mercy of Allah.' The people of Syria objected to that and said, 'Who is this hypocrite who shortens the greeting of the Amir al-Mu'minin!' 'Uthman made his camel kneel and said, 'Amir al-Mu'minin! These men object to something which you know better than them. By Allah, I used to this greeting for Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman, and none of them objected to it.' Mu'awiya said to those of the people of Syria who had spoken, 'Take it easy! It was partly as he stated. But when the civil war engaged the people of Syria, they said, "Do not shorten the greeting of our khalifa in our presence (i.e. from Amir al-Mu'minin to Amir)." People of Madina, I will treat you as friends even though you use 'Amir" for a zakat collector.'"

Greeting the Amir

Jabir said, "I visited al-Hajjaj and did not greet him."

Greeting the Amir

Tamim ibn Hadhlam said, "I will mention the first to be greeted as 'Amir' in Kufa. Al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba left by the Bab ar-Rahba and a man of Kinda came up to him. They claim that it was Abu Qurra al-Kindi. He greeted him and said, 'Peace be upon you, O Amir, and the mercy of Allah.' He disliked it. So the man said, 'Peace be upon you, O Amir, and the mercy of Allah. Peace be upon you. Am I one of you or not?'" Sammak ibn Salama ad-Dabi said, "After that it became an established practice."

Greeting the Amir

Ziyad ibn 'Ubayd (ar-Ru'ayni) said, "We went to Ruwayfa', the Amir of Antabulis. A man came and greeted him, saying, 'Peace be upon the Amir.' From 'Abda, he said, 'Peace be upon the Amir.' Ruwayfa' said to him, 'If you had greeted us, we would have returned the greeting. But you greeted Maslama ibn Mukhallad (Maslama was in charge of Egypt). Go to him and he will return your greeting.'"

Greeting someone asleep

Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad said, "The Prophet, (ﷺ), used to come at night and would give the greeting in such a way that it would not awaken anyone asleep, but the person who was awake would hear it."

(The greeting) May Allah preserve you

'Umar said to 'Adi ibn Hatim, "May Allah preserve you from recognition."

Welcome

'A'isha said, "Fatima walked in the same manner that the Prophet, (ﷺ), walked. He used to say to her, 'Welcome, my daughter!' Then he would have her sit down on his right or his left."

Welcome

'Ali said, "'Ammar asked for permission to enter to visit the Prophet, (ﷺ), and the Prophet (ﷺ) recognised his voice and said, 'Welcome with the best and purest greeting!'"

How to return the greeting

'Uqba ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr who said, "While we were sitting with the Prophet, (ﷺ), in the shade of a tree while travelling between Makka and Madina, a bedouin, who was an example of the coarsest and fiercest kind of people came up and said, 'Peace be upon you,' and they said, 'And upon you.'"

How to return the greeting

Abu Jamra said, "I heard Ibn 'Abbas say when he was greeted, 'And upon you and the mercy of Allah.'"

How to return the greeting

Qayla reported that a mans aid, "Peace be upon you, (ﷺ)." He said, "And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah."

How to return the greeting

Abu Dharr said, "I came to the Prophet, (ﷺ), when he had finished his prayer. I was the first person to be greeted with the greeting of Islam. He said, 'And on you and the mercy of Allah. From where have you come?' I said, 'From Ghifar.'"

How to return the greeting

'A'isha reported, "The Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), said, ''A'ish! This is Jibril who sends you greetings.' I said, 'And peace be upon him and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. You see what I do not see." By that she meant the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ).

How to return the greeting

Mu'awiya ibn Qurra said that his father said to him, "My son, when a man passes by you and says, 'Peace be upon you (plural).' Do not say, 'And on you (singular)' as if you were singling out that greeting out for him alone. Rather say, 'Peace be upon you (plural).'"

Someone who does not return the greeting

'Abdullah ibn as-Samit said, "I said to Abu Dharr, 'I passed by 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam and I greeted him and he did not answer me at all. He said, 'Nephew, what harm have suffered from that? Someone better than him answered you ? the angel on his right."