Spread (the greeting of) Al-Salam

‘Abdullah bin Salam (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

“When the Prophet (sallalhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) came to Al-Madinah, the people rushed to meet him, and it was said: ‘The Messenger of Allah has come! The Messenger of Allah has come! The Messenger of Allah has come!’ Three times. I came with the people to see him, and when I saw his face clearly, I knew that his face was not the face of a liar. The first thing I heard him say was when he said:

‘O people! Spread (the greeting of) Salam, feed others, uphold the ties of kinship, and pray during the night when people are sleeping, and you will enter Paradise in peace.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

Prior to his becoming Muslim, Abdullah ibn Salam had been trained as a rabbi and hence was knowledgeable of the Torah. When he observed the Prophet, sallalhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, he had to confess that this was not the face of an impostor, but rather, that of the final Prophet.

The greeting of Islam is a meaningful supplication. When one says As-salamu’alaykum to another , he is actually saying, “may Allah grant you peace and safety”. Al-Salam is one of the names of Allah who is the source of peace, safety and security.

Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, sallalhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:

“You will not enter Paradise until you have faith and you will not have faith until you love each other. Shall I show you something that, if you did, you would love each other? Spread (the greeting of) Al-Salam between yourselves.”