Greeting every Muslim, known to you or not, is a sunnah.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) greeted everyone he met, whether he knew them or not; he never neglected to greet children he came across either. He said, "Spread the greeting of peace among yourselves," seeing the greeting as a practice that increased love among believers.
What is the hadith source of this sunnah?
This sunnah rests on the following hadiths. The reference gives the collection, chapter and number where the hadith appears.
- B12 Buhârî, Îmân, 6
- M194 Müslim, Îmân, 93
- M5663 Müslim, Selâm, 14
More sunnahs in Greetings
As a table with references: Greetings sunnahs.
- Returning a Greeting Well: A greeting must be returned with at least its like, and if possible with something better.
- Greeting When Entering a Gathering: Giving the greeting when entering and leaving a gathering is a sunnah.
- Greeting When Entering the Home: Greeting the household as you enter your home brings blessing to it.
The Sunnah & Hadith app sends this and other sunnahs as short reminders spread across your day. Free for iPhone, no ads: download on the App Store.