Chapter 4 - On Greeting and Hugging

Umm Salamah narrated: “One morning Ameer al-Momineen (a.s) came and knocked at our door. God's Prophet (a.s) asked me to get up and open the door. I opened the door, but Imam Ali (a.s) held the door so that it did not open wide and he could not see me. I went to my room and he requested permission to enter and entered the house when permission was granted.”

“Greet others as God has ordained. In fact, divine greeting do not reach the oppressors.”

“Greet and shake hands when you meet each other, and seek God's forgiveness when you depart.”

Imam Baqir (a.s) said: “Greet aloud whenever you want to greet. Do not say they did not reply, since they may have not heard you. Also reply aloud when you want to respond to someone who is greeting so he does not say he greeted and no one replied.” He then added: “Imam Ali (a.s) said: Do not get angry. Do not make others angry. Greet aloud. Speak fair to the people. Pray at night when others are asleep so that you can safely enter Heaven. Then he recited: “The Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety.” [The Holy Quran: Hashr 59:23]

Ameer al-Momineen (a.s) said: “There are seventy benefits associated with greeting, sixty-nine of which are for the one who greets first, and the last one is for the one who greets in return.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Greeting one you see is a form of humbleness.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “A miser is one who is stingy about greeting.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “One who is riding should greet those who are not riding, one who is walking should greet those who are sitting. When a small group of people meet a larger group, those in the smaller group should greet first, and when one meets a group of people, he should greet first.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “The people in a smaller group should greet those in a larger group. Those who are riding should greet those who walk. Those who are riding a horse should greet those who ride a mule, and those who are riding a mule should greet those who are riding a donkey.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Whenever one of the people in a group greets you, it suffices for the group. And whenever someone greets a group and one of the people in that group greets in return, it suffices for the group.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Whoever says “Greetings to you” ten good marks will be recorded for him. Whoever says “Greetings and God's Mercy be upon you”, twenty good marks will be recorded for him. And whoever says “Greetings and God's Mercy and His blessings be upon you”, thirty good marks will be recorded for him.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “God's Prophet (a.s) used to greet women and return their greetings. Ameer al-Momineen used to greet women and return their greetings, but did not like to greet young women and said that he was afraid that hearing their voices might cause him to go into a state of mind which brings him more loss than the reward he expected to get from greeting them.”

God's Prophet (a.s) said: “Whenever one of you get up to leave a meeting, say “Salam” to depart.”

God's Prophet (a.s) said: “Whenever you meet one of your believing brothers, greet him and shake hands. God the Almighty respects the angels for greeting, and you should follow the angels in this respect.”

“God's Prophet (a.s) forbade greeting four people: a drunk person, a sculptor, one who throws dice and one who gambles. I will add one case and forbid you to greet one who plays chess.”

Imam Baqir (a.s) said: “Do not greet Jews, Christians, Magians (adherents to Mazdaism), idol worshippers or those who are drinking alcoholic beverages. Do not greet those who play chess, with dice, or men who behave like women do, poets who accuse married women, or one who is praying since he cannot greet in return. Greeting is recommended, but its reply is obligatory. Do not greet usurers, those who are in the toilet or are bathing or corrupt people who display their corruption.”

Ameer al-Momineen (a.s) said: “There are six groups of people who do not deserve to be greeted, and there are six acts which are those that the people of Lot did. Those who do not deserve to be greeted are: Jews, Christians, chess players, dice players; people of alcohol (alcoholics), Barbat and Tanbour, those who joke around by swearing at each other's mother, and poets. The following are things that the people of Lot did: shooting round bullets using a kind of sling; chewing gum; leaving their shirt's unbuttoned (so that their chest is seen).”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Whenever a Christian, a Jew or an Infidel greets you just say “to you”.

Ameer al-Momineen (a.s) said: “Do not initiate greeting to the people of the Book, but whenever they greet you just say “Alaykum” meaning “be upon you”.”

“Say may God bless you in this world.”

Al-Ays ibn al-Qasim asked Imam Sadiq (a.s) how to greet the people of the Book when writing a letter. He said: “Write: “And Peace to all who follow guidance” [The Holy Quran: Ta- Ha 20:47] in the beginning, and write: “And Peace on the apostles. And Praise to God, the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds” [The Holy Quran: Saffat 37:181-182] at the end of the letter.”

Zaerih asked Imam Sadiq (a.s) about greeting the Jews and the Christians, and responding to their letters. Imam Sadiq (a.s) said that it is not recommended to respond to their letters.

God's Prophet (a.s) said: “Do not invite anyone to eat food with you unless he greets you.”

God's Prophet (a.s) said: ““Salam” is one of the names of God. Make it common among you by greeting each other. If one greets a group of people and they do not respond, the One who is better and purer than them will respond.”

God's Prophet (a.s) said: “I swear by the Lord who has control over my life that you shall not enter Heaven unless you believe. You will not believe unless you love each other. Do you want me to tell you what to do to help you love each other? Establish saying “Salam” (peace, greetings, hello) as the official way to greet each other.”

“Peace be upon you.” The Prophet explained: “Whenever a man says “Peace and God's Mercy be upon you” to another man, it means that he has pledged to God not to gossip about him, not to find faults in what he says, not to seek his faults. Whenever the other man responds by saying “And peace and God's Mercy and His Blessings be upon you”, it means that he makes the same pledge to God plus hoping for God's Mercy upon you, and also takes God as a witness to them.”

“Women should say “Upon you be peace” and men should say “Peace be upon you.”

“The basis of humbleness is to greet whoever you see, respond to whoever greets you, sit in the lower ranks in a meeting, and not get pleased with people admiring you.”

God's Prophet (a.s) said: “The most incapable ones are those who are incapable of supplication, and the most stingy ones are those who are stingy about greeting.”

Am'mar ibn Yaser may God bless him said: “Whoever possesses the collection of the following three has acquired faith: charity at times of poverty, self-sacrifice, and greeting everyone.”