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As-Salāmu `Alaykum (السلام عليكم) is an Arabic language greeting used in Muslim cultures. It means "Peace be upon you." It is also transliterated as Assalamu 'Alaikum or As-salaamu Alaikum. The traditional response is "wa `Alaykum As-Salām", meaning "and on you be peace".
This type of greeting is common in the Middle East; the Hebrew equivalent is shalom aleichem.
The greeting is almost always accompanied by a handshake (when exchanged between persons of the same gender). The exception is Eid, when the hand shake is customarily preceded by three embraces. This practice however is not based on any Islamic ruling.
In Arabia the greeting is associated with three light kisses. In the Indian subcontinent and Malaysia the saying of Salaam is often accompanied with an obeisance, performed by bowing low and placing the right palm on the forehead. Neither of these are derived from Islamic custom, and are based in cultural traditions.
Pronunciation
The term As-Salāmu `Alaykum varies slightly in pronunciation from country to country, but always remains universally intelligible. The proper pronunciation of the greeting in Fusha (Classical) Arabic according to the IPA is - ʕælæɪkʊm
Most Arabic speakers today, especially those in the Middle East omit the inital 'As' and pronounce the word as 'Salāmu `Alaykum'. Though intelligible, it is gramatically incorrect.
English speakers not well acquainted with using the greeting often find it to be difficult to pronounce correctly. English speakers usually pronounce the term as wəleɪkum which is usually considered quite amusing by most listeners. To pronounce the term properly, make sure every time the letter a is pronounced, it is said as an a as in cat, not as the a in car.
Variation
The term in Arabic uses the second person plural, even when used to address one person, similar to the use of vous in French. However the term may also be used addressing a person in the singular form both masculine and feminine, the dual form, or the feminine plural. This is how they are said -
As-Salāmu `Alayk(a) - Peace be upon you (m. sing.)
As-Salāmu `Alayk(i) - Peace be upon you (f. sing)
As-Salāmu `Alaykunn(a) - Peace be upon you (f. plural)
(note - According to classical Arabic pronunciation, the last letter in each word is not pronounced unless it is followed by another word)
Similarly, the word 'As-Salām' (السلام) may be replaced by 'Salāmun' (سلامٌ). This form of the word is used in a passage of the Qur'an describing the greeting of the Angels towards the inhabitants of Paradise -
“And angels shall enter unto them from every gate (saying) Salaamun ‘Alaykum (peace be upon you) for you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!’”
(Ar-Ra'ad 13:23-24)
The form 'Salāmun `Alaykum' is especially used in Turkey, where it is spelt 'Selamun Eleyküm'.
Further Additions to the Greeting
2 further additions attached to the end of the greeting are narrated from the Sunnah. They are -
As-Salāmu `Alaykum wa Raħmatullāh(i) (السلام عليكم ورحمة الله) - Peace be upon you and Allah's Mercy.
As-Salāmu `Alaykum wa Raħmatullāhi wa Barakātuh(u) (السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته) - Peace be upon you and Allah's Mercy and His Blessings.
Islamic Rulings related to the use of the Greeting
- It is regarded by most Islamic scholars to be forbidden for a Muslim to return the Salam greeting of a non-Muslim in full.
eg. If a non-Muslim says to a Muslim 'As-Salāmu `Alaykum', the Muslim should respond simply by saying either 'wa `Alaykum' or just '`Alaykum'. *
It is also preferred to use the greeting when arriving and also when leaving. It was reported that Abu Hurayrah said “When one of you joins a gathering, let him say salaam. When he wants to get up and leave, let him say salaam. The former is not more important than the latter.” (Saheeh - at-Tirmidhi) *
- The orders of greeting may also be classified by the situation a person is in at the time. The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah's Peace & Blessings be upon him) said -
“The one who is riding should greet the one who is walking, and the one who is walking should greet the one who is sitting, and the smaller group should greet the larger group.” (Saheeh - Al-Bukhaari, 6234; Muslim, 2160) *
- It is also stated that one should give the Salam greeting upon entering a house, even if the house is empty. This is based upon the verse of the Qur'an -
“But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allaah (i.e. say: As‑Salaamu ‘Alaykum — peace be on you), blessed and good”
(al-Noor 24:61)
- The trend of shortening the greeting to acronyms such as A.S. or asa is disliked, however it is becoming common amongst interenet users in chat rooms and by people using SMS. As the full word is not written, it is disliked, however the meaning is usually understood by the recipient. Other variations of this are adding 'wr wb' at the end as well. This trend is similar to writing (S) or 'saws' in place of 'Sallallaahu `Alayhi wa Sallam'. *
Salaam and Popular Culture
The greeting of As-Salāmu `Alaykum is used by many African Americans in the USA, possibly due to the influence of the Nation of Islam (NOI) who are not orthodox Muslims, although they too use the greeting.
The stand-up comedian Azhar Usman parodies the use of Salaam greetings in his show 'Square the Circle'. He highlights the ways in which various ethnic groups pronounce the greeting.
See also
External links
"As-Salamu Alaykum"