I am a confirmed Catholic, and have chosen also to raise my children in the church. Nevertheless, my heart is at all times with all believers in the last Day, Hebrews, Christians, and Muslims. Indeed, with all believers in good will. There is something which I feel unites us all under these faiths, and that is the way we should greet one another. “Peace be with you”, “Shalom”, “Salaam”. In the eastern traditions, this custom is also nurtured with Namaste or Sawaadieka. Yet how many of us have fallen into the modern trap of thinking that these greetings are “uncool” or “so not done”? In my experience, it is my Muslim brothers and sisters in God who remain most faithful to this beautiful tradition of greeting one another “in remembrance of Allah”.
Having never learned more than the opening prayer in Arabic and not having learned to read Arabic, I am often at a loss as to how to properly greet other believers. I recall being told by one disturbed person that “no one says peace anymore (I will spare you the rest of what he said about me)”, I decided to research this greeting of “(God’s) peace be with you” and found these notations written by Adil Salahi 03/01/2003
The word ‘Salam’, which means peace, is also a name of Allah. Using it in our greeting is a constant reminder of the special relation between a believer and Allah.
“When a greeting is offered you, answer it with an even better greeting, or (at least) with its like. God keeps count of all things.”
[Surah an-Nur; 4: 86]
A: Assalamu alaikum (peace be to you)
B: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu Allah (And to you be peace together with God’s mercy)A: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah (peace be to you together with God’s mercy)</fontB: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh (And to you be peace together with God’s mercy and God’s blessing)
To most senior persons, the greeting:Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah a barakatuh wa maghfiratuh wa tayyib salawatih.The added last phrases express a prayer that the addressee will also have Allah’s forgiveness and special blessings.
Related:
thats great . but whom you refer allah to?
You are a curious person!
That’s so nice of you. Now if only Islam mirrored your expressions:
Sura (9:30) – “And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!”
Sura (8:12) – “I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them”
Sura (9:29) – “Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.”
And then, of course, there are the more than 500 verses of the Qu’ran describing how ALL non-Muslims will be punished forever in hell. Cute.
Asalamu alaikum, hardrain.
Thank you for your visit. The surah you have blessed us with need to be interpretted within the contexts in which they are found. A warning to any readers: One’s interpretation is coloured by ones own frame of reference and ones state of mind and spirit. Where one person sees hate, another sees a loving warning from God against sin. The Hebrew Bible and the Gospel is similarly versed as these you quote here and even satan quoted texts out of context in order to try and tempt Our Lord Jesus.
Manas, yes, I am a curious and confused person seeking clarity in this life. Thank you for your observation.
Covert metaphor, I only see one God, the same God of Abraham and Moses. Hopefully, that clarifies your question. God bless you all.
I am a muslim and I agree that in modern society most people dont greet each other properly and am proud that I am religious enough to actually greet someone. i agree with you that we should respect other people.
Assalam Alaikum to you all. I have my own way to be religious, even i am born orthodox i do not stick to a “follow and DO NOT question”. Any Holly book is written in a certain period of time, mind or society status. Modern days we can speculate as we please, but there is only ONE GOD in all of us… No need of violence or totalitarism.
Assalam alaikum wa rahmatu Allah!
Dumnezeu sa va ajute
Shalom
Namaskar