How to Greet a Muslim

Follow certain courtesies when greeting Muslims.

There are certain formalities which one should use when greeting a member of Islam. They are certain, in some ways, to greetings used with those of other faiths, but also differ in important respects.

Instructions

1. When approaching a Muslim (a follower of the Prophet Muhammed) it is customary to give the greeting of peace: "assalamu alaikum." This greeting has a short meaning of "peace be upon you," similar to the Jewish greeting of "shalom alekum" and the Christian greeting "May the peace of the Lord be upon you." But assalamu alaikum has a deeper meaning: "May you remain safe from pain, sorrow or harm."

2. Pronounce the a's in the greeting "assalamu alaikum" not as the a in cart, i.e. "ah." Instead, but as the "a" in "cat."

3. At the same time as making the greeting "assalamu alaikum," it is customary to shake the other person's hand (only male to male or female to female), and to give a big, genuine smile.

4. The person being greeted may respond with the customary "walaikum as salaam" which means and peace unto you."

5. It is customary for the person approaching to initiate the greeting.

6. If one is approaching more than one person, one may use the same greeting (assalamu alaikum). It is also customary that one person in the group being approached to respond to the greeting. Each person in the crowd is not required or expected to respond individually. Muslim custom indicates that one may answer for all. However, the Muslim "Hadith" which describes religious and cultural traditions within Islam attributes the following to the Prophet Muhammad: "Those who are nearest to Allah are they who are first to give a salutation." So there is no hard or fast rule about being the first to greet.

7. Muslims do not bow to one another when greeting, no matter what Hollywood has popularized. Nor do they hug each other.

Tips & Warnings

• The greeting is not only a sign of peace, and an indication that the other person has good intentions, and does not wish to harm the other, it is also a part of a much larger religious ritual practiced by Muslims on a daily basis.

• Orthodox Muslims may respond with another phrase: "Alaykum" or "Assalamu ala man ittaba’a al-huda," which is not an offensive response, but rather a prayer offered to Allah on your behalf. This is not an insult, but an indication of a desire for you to become close to Allah.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish