ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ
'Peace be upon you'
A thought:
Is it Christian to greet a stranger in a way which puts them at ease and welcomes them into your day?
Mass migration means that we are meeting people from countries with a dizzying number of cultures, languages and traditions! The immigrant or refugee is coming to a country which is alien to them. Many are grieving serious losses, are socially isolated and most are frightened. A few kind words can go a long, long way.
It is impossible to greet everyone in their own language — for example, there are over 517 native languages and dialects in Nigeria alone! [Wiki] That said, it is easy to greet every Muslim because even though ~90% are not native Arabic speakers, every Muslim learns some Arabic to understand the Koran.
There are 2 short and 2 long versions of the main greeting in Arabic. The easiest is “Assalam” (‘Peace’) or if you really want to surprise someone, try “Assalamu alaikum”! ('Peace be upon you.')
Either of the two short versions are very acceptable and could help to put you someone at ease. This is the message of Christ: ‘treat your neighbour as yourself.’
RESPONSES:
‘Salam’ = ‘Peace’
‘wa alaikum salam’ = ‘…and upon you, peace.’
(وَعَلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَامُ,
It is acceptable for a non-Muslim to greet a Muslim with the Salaam (listen below.)
Also, many Imams teach that it is very proper (Hadith) for a Muslim to respond to a Salaam given by a non-Muslim in good faith. (below.)
Probably few Westerners need to learn the extended response, because many Muslims will only initiate the Salaam with their fellow Muslim. The short responses are “Salam” or “wa alaikum salam.”
Remember: the first time you greet a Muslim in Arabic might be a surprise and some will be gob-smacked! If you get no response, try again another day (or maybe ask how to say the Salaam properly.)
HANDSHAKES
Man to man handshaking is a sign of trust and tolerance in many Islamic cultures.
That said, handshaking between a man and a woman is limited.
Traditional Muslim men will not shake hands with a woman who is not their wife or immediate family (Muslim or not.) Similarly, traditional Muslim women will typically only shake hands with same-sex friends and immediate family. (Some Muslim women have become ‘westernized’ and shake hands more regularly.)
A suggestion is to provide the Salaam and wait for a Muslim woman to proffer her hand first. The Salaam should be very reassuring to most Muslim women.
— EXPERT LEVEL! —
Some Christians may not wish to use the longer version greetings and responses. First, they are much harder to say, and to remember!
“As-Salamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullah” (‘Peace be upon you and God’s mercy.’)
“As-Salamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh” (‘Peace be upon you and God’s mercy and blessings.’)
Secondly, these phrases invoke God’s/Allah’s mercy and blessings. That should not be a bar, because as Tom Gjelten noted, Pope Francis said: “Christians and Muslims "worship the same God.” ” Also, the Second Vatican Council affirmed that Muslims "together with us adore the one, merciful God."
(**I do not have a reference to the original quotations.)
2.23 mins
Indeed, for a Muslim, responding to a Salaam is mandatory — wajib. (below)
The Salaam is so important, that a Muslim should respond to a direct Salaam even if they are in the middle of one of their 5 daily prayers (Salah.) Sadly, a small percentage of Muslims are extreme in their beliefs and may never accept a greeting of Peace from a non-Muslim. Keep working on the 80%!
Christians should note that Muslims consider Jesus Christ to be one of the greatest prophets, born of a virgin and that he performed many miracles. But, Muslims do not believe that he was the Son of God.
For more information try Google, or:
https://myislam.org/assalamualaikum-warahmatullahi-wabarakatuh/
ps: If something is incorrect, please e-mail the editor or DM me on 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) so we can correct the mistake!
Kevin Hay
(You can follow Kevin on 𝕏 — formerly Twitter — @ kevinhay77)