The Adab of Salām

As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum wa RaḥmatuLlāhi wa Barakātuh. A‘ūdhu BiLlāhi Minash-shayṭāni r-rajīm. BismiLlāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Wa ṣ-Salātu wa s-Salāmu ‘alá Rasūlinā Muḥammadin Sayyidi l-Awwalīna wa l-Akhirīn. Madad yā RasūlAllāh, Madad yā Sādāti Aṣḥābi RasūliLlāh, Madad yā Mashāyikhinā, Dastūr Mawlana Sheikh Abdullāh al-Fā’iz ad-Dāghistāni, Sheikh Muḥammad Nāẓim al- Ḥaqqānī. Madad. Ṭarīqatunā aṣ-Suḥbah wa l-Khayru fi l-Jam‘iyyah.

Our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says, the best deed in the sight of Allāh ﷻ is giving happiness in believers’ hearts, giving joy and peace. When a believer sees another believer and smiles, his heart finds peace. When he meets him with a smile and asks about him, a person is pleased with it. He attains Allāh’s ﷻ pleasure with it. He earns His ﷻ pleasure. It is not a difficult thing actually. But of course, based on people’s conditions and how they’re used to act, sometimes they can’t do so. They say, “He doesn’t get along well with me. He is not on my level.” Sometimes some people even don’t reply when you give salām to them. There are this type of people. They face what they do. Because the pleasure of Allāh ﷻ - when that small easy thing is done, Allāh ﷻ gives a great reward. He ﷻ gives peace and joy in this world. The troubles inside are removed then. If you make trouble, you have trouble. Of course, sometimes it is not easy to make everyone happy. That is another matter. Sometimes people don’t have adab unlike people of old times. There are many people in this time who want to benefit from people who are friendly with them.

Nevertheless, replying to a greeting without going too far, “Ifshā’ ssalām”, says our Holy Prophet ﷺ. It must be a habit of Muslims to give and accept salām. Giving salām is sunnah. And accepting it is farḍ. When someone says salāmu ‘alaykum to you, he makes sunnah. And if you don’t say wa ‘alaykum salām back, you skip making farḍ. There is an account for it in the sight of Allāh ﷻ. And when you are accounted, you feel troubled. If someone gives salām, you must say wa ‘alaykum salām and move on. No need to sit down and chat. But there becomes a good connection between people. It is a good means for people’s happiness, for them to attain the pleasure of Allāh ﷻ. Allāh ﷻ loves mu‘mins and Muslims.

This is of course for people of ṭarīqah. And it is the same for all Muslims. Sometimes we go abroad. People there greet passers-by. And they reply to their greeting. Or people with us give greetings. And they accept the greeting with love. They smile at each other. But unfortunately, there are some people who live by as Muslims and don’t love Ahlu l-Sunnah, don’t love the people of ṭarīqah. Their faces are always frowning.

Their eyebrows frown. They are not good people, they are not loved by our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. Those people don’t reply to the salām. They make people run from them. They neither reply, nor give salām to others. May Allāh ﷻ protect us from such people. There is such type of people among Muslims. In shā’a Llāh they are not too many. Even though they’re not too many, as they are ill-tempered, they look snippy and irritated. You must have seen them many times. We saw them too. You give salām, as soon as they know you are Ahlu l-Sunnah and on the way of our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam, they don’t reply with salām. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. Mawlānā Shaykh Nāẓim used to say, “‘abūsu l-wajih karīhu lmanẓar.” Meaning frowny eyes, angry face, and ugly look. Mawlānā Shaykh used to say about them. May we not be like them, in shā’a Llāh. May we always smile at Muslims; without scaring them. If you can help them then do so. If you can’t, your smille is enough. Smiling at them is enough for them. May Allāh ﷻ help us. Certainly, sometimes it is not easy. But in shā’a Llāh, Allāh ﷻ will help all of us.

Wa min Allāhi t-Tawfīq. Al-Fātiḥa.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 31 May 2026/ 14 Dhul Hijjah 1447 Lefke, Cyprus