Allah the Exalted said:
رياض الصالحينAbū Zakariyyā Muḥyī al-Dīn Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī١٣١ - باب فضل السلام والأمر بإفشائه
١٣١ - باب فضل السلام والأمر بإفشائه
O you who have believed, do not enter houses other than your own houses until you ascertain welcome and greet1 their inhabitants. That is best for you; perhaps you will be reminded [i.e., advised].
And He the Exalted said:
لَّيْسَ عَلَى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ حَرَجٌ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْأَعْرَجِ حَرَجٌ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْمَرِيضِ حَرَجٌ وَلَا عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَن تَأْكُلُوا۟ مِنۢ بُيُوتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ ءَابَآئِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ إِخْوَٰنِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَخَوَٰتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَعْمَـٰمِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ عَمَّـٰتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَخْوَٰلِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ خَـٰلَـٰتِكُمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكْتُم مَّفَاتِحَهُۥٓ أَوْ صَدِيقِكُمْ ۚ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَأْكُلُوا۟ جَمِيعًا أَوْ أَشْتَاتًا ۚ فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُم بُيُوتًا فَسَلِّمُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةً مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُبَـٰرَكَةً طَيِّبَةً ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
There is not upon the blind [any] constraint nor upon the lame constraint nor upon the ill constraint nor upon yourselves when you eat from your [own] houses or the houses of your fathers or the houses of your mothers or the houses of your brothers or the houses of your sisters or the houses of your father's brothers or the houses of your father's sisters or the houses of your mother's brothers or the houses of your mother's sisters or [from houses] whose keys you possess or [from the house] of your friend. There is no blame upon you whether you eat together or separately. But when you enter houses, give greetings of peace1 upon each other - a greeting from Allāh, blessed and good. Thus does Allāh make clear to you the verses [of ordinance] that you may understand.
وقال تَعَالَى:
And He the Exalted said:
وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا۟ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَآ أَوْ رُدُّوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَسِيبًا
And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed Allāh is ever, over all things, an Accountant.
وقال تَعَالَى:
And He the Exalted said:
هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٱلْمُكْرَمِينَ
Has there reached you the story of the honored guests of Abraham?1 -
وعن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص ﵄: أنَّ رجلًا سأل رسول الله - ﷺ: أيُّ الإسْلاَمِ خَيْرٌ؟ قَالَ: «تُطْعِمُ الطَّعَامَ، وَتَقْرَأُ السَّلاَمَ عَلَى مَنْ عَرَفْتَ وَمَنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ». متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
On the authority of ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (may Allah be pleased with them both): a man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), "Which aspect of Islam is best?" He said: "That you feed others, and that you offer the greeting of peace to those you know and those you do not know." Agreed upon (al-Bukhārī and Muslim).
وعن أَبي هريرة - ﵁ - عن النبيِّ - ﷺ - قَالَ: «لَمَّا خَلَقَ اللهُ آدَمَ - ﷺ - قَالَ: اذْهَبْ فَسَلِّمْ عَلَى أُولئِكَ - نَفَرٍ مِنَ المَلاَئِكَةِ جُلُوس - فَاسْتَمِعْ مَا يُحَيُّونَكَ؛ فَإنَّهَا تَحِيَّتُكَ وَتَحِيَّةُ ذُرِّيتِكَ. فَقَالَ: السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ، فقالوا: السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ، فَزَادُوهُ: وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ». متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
On the authority of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: "When Allah created Adam (peace be upon him), He said: 'Go and greet those—a group of angels sitting there—and listen to how they greet you in return, for it shall be your greeting and the greeting of your descendants.' So he said: 'Peace be upon you,' and they replied: 'Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah,' adding to it: 'and the mercy of Allah.'" Agreed upon (al-Bukhārī and Muslim).
وعن أَبي عُمَارة البراءِ بن عازِبٍ ﵄، قَالَ: أمرنا رسول الله - ﷺ - بِسَبْعٍ: بِعِيَادَةِ المَرِيضِ، وَاتِّبَاعِ الجَنَائِزِ، وَتَشْمِيتِ العَاطِسِ، وَنَصْرِ الضَّعيفِ، وَعَوْنِ المَظْلُومِ، وَإفْشَاءِ السَّلاَمِ، وَإبْرَارِ المُقسِمِ. متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ، هَذَا لفظ إحدى روايات البخاري.
On the authority of Abū ʿUmārah al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to do seven things: to visit the sick, to follow funeral processions, to invoke a blessing upon one who sneezes, to support the weak, to help the wronged, to spread the greeting of peace, and to help the one who swears an oath to fulfil it. Agreed upon (al-Bukhārī and Muslim); this is the wording of one of al-Bukhārī's narrations.
وعن أَبي هريرة - ﵁ - قَالَ: قَالَ رسول الله - ﷺ: «لاَ تَدْخُلُوا الجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤمِنُوا، وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا، أوَلاَ أدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ؟ أفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ». رواه مسلم.
On the authority of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not truly believe until you love one another. Shall I not direct you to something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread the greeting of peace among yourselves." Narrated by Muslim.
وعن أَبي يوسف عبد الله بن سلام - ﵁ - قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رسول الله - ﷺ - يقول: «يَا أيُّهَا النَّاسُ، أفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ، وَأطْعِمُوا الطَّعَامَ، وَصِلُوا الأرْحَامَ، وَصَلُّوا والنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ، تَدْخُلُوا الجَنَّةَ بِسَلاَم». رواه الترمذي، وقال: «حديث حسن صحيح».
On the authority of Abū Yūsuf ʿAbd Allah ibn Salām (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "O people, spread the greeting of peace, feed others, maintain the ties of kinship, and pray during the night while people sleep—you will enter Paradise in peace." Narrated by al-Tirmidhī, who said: "A good and sound ḥadīth."
وعن الطُّفَيْل بن أُبَيِّ بن كعبٍ: أنَّه كَانَ يأتي عبد الله بن عمر، فيغدو مَعَهُ إِلَى السُّوقِ، قَالَ: فإذَا غَدَوْنَا إِلَى السُّوقِ، لَمْ يَمُرَّ عَبدُ الله عَلَى سَقَّاطٍ وَلاَ صَاحِبِ بَيْعَةٍ، وَلاَ مِسْكِينٍ، وَلاَ أحَدٍ إِلاَّ سَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ، قَالَ الطُّفَيْلُ: فَجِئْتُ عبد الله بنَ عُمَرَ يَوْمًا، فَاسْتَتْبَعَنِي إِلَى السُّوقِ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: مَا تَصْنَعُ بالسُّوقِ، وَأنْتَ لا تَقِفُ عَلَى البَيْعِ، وَلاَ تَسْأَلُ عَنِ السِّلَعِ، وَلاَ تَسُومُ بِهَا، وَلاَ تَجْلِسُ في مَجَالِسِ السُّوقِ؟ وَأقُولُ: اجْلِسْ بِنَا هاهُنَا نَتَحَدَّث، فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا بَطْنٍ - وَكَانَ الطفَيْلُ ذَا بَطْنٍ - إنَّمَا نَغْدُو مِنْ أجْلِ السَّلاَمِ، فنُسَلِّمُ عَلَى مَنْ لَقيْنَاهُ. رواه مالك في المُوطَّأ بإسنادٍ صحيح.
On the authority of al-Ṭufayl ibn Ubayy ibn Kaʿb: that he used to come to ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUmar and set out with him in the morning to the market. He said: When we went out to the market, ʿAbd Allah would not pass by any junk-dealer, any trader, any poor person, or anyone else without greeting him with peace. Al-Ṭufayl said: One day I came to ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUmar, and he had me follow him to the market. I said to him: "What do you do at the market, when you do not stop to buy, nor ask about the goods, nor haggle over them, nor sit in the market gatherings? Let us sit here together and talk." He said: "O man of the belly"—and al-Ṭufayl was large of belly—"we go out only for the sake of the greeting of peace, so that we may greet with peace whomever we meet." Narrated by Mālik in al-Muwaṭṭaʾ with a sound chain.