Greeting of Salaam

As-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh
[May Allah's Peace & Blessings be upon you]

What a Wonderful way of Greeting!!!

Did you wake up this morning and say "As-Salaamu Alaikum" to your spouse or your child? Or did you greet them with a "Good Morning" or even a casual "hi" or "hello"?Have we been teaching our children the importance of greeting each other with salaam? Or when we see them off to school, do we send them off with a 'bye', instead of "As-Salaamu Alaikum", the dua for peace and blessings?

For some of us, this may seem a minor issue. Or it may even be a 'progressive' issue. But, in our haste to 'adapt', we forget that saying "As-Salaamu Alaikum" is the best greeting there could ever be.

This was the practice and teaching of Prophet Muhammad (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam), the best example for mankind. And it was Allaah Himself that prescribed the manner of greeting among Muslims as "As-Salaamu Alaikum" [not 'salaams' or 'good morning' or 'hey' or 'hi' or whatever]

"When those who believe in Our Ayaat (proofs, verses, signs, etc.) come to you, say: "Salaamun Alaikum" (peace be on you)....." (Surah al-An'aam:54)

Ibn al-Qayyim says: "Allaah, the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Peace, prescribed that the greeting among the people of Islam should be 'As-Salaamu Alaikum', which is better than all the greetings of other nations which include impossible ideas or lies, such as saying, 'May you live for a thousand years,' or things that are not accurate, such as 'An'im sabaahan (Good morning),' or actions that are not right, such as bowing in greeting. Thus the greeting of salaam is better than all of these, because it has the meaning of safety which is life, without which nothing else can be achieved...." (Badaa'i' al-Fawaa'id)


"As-Salaamu Alaikum" is the best Dua[prayer]

The word 'salaam' comes from the root 'salema', which implies to disassociate oneself from evil and harm. Thus, when we greet other Muslims, the greeting means: "No harm shall come to you from me (may no evil come to you, may no harm come to you)
And since As-Salaam is also one of the Beautiful Names of Allah, the greeting of salaam also means, "May the blessing of His Name descend upon you, may Allah be with you, may Allah guide and protect you."Subhaan Allah! What a beautiful greeting!

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "The best of the two persons is the one who begins with salaam." (Related by an-Nawawi)

"And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally."(Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:86)



BENEFITS OF "AS-SALAAMU ALAIKUM"

1."As-Salaamu Alaikum" is a means of immense reward
A man passed by the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) while he was sitting with others, and said "As-salaamu 'alaykum." The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "[He will have] ten hasanaat." Another man passed by and said "As-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullaah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah)." The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "[He will have] twenty hasanaat." Another man passed by and said "As-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings)." The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "[He will have] thirty hasanaat."

"The Prophet[pbuh] was asked: 'O Messenger of Allah ! When two persons meet with each other, who should take the lead in greeting the other? He answered: 'The one who is closest to Allah." (Tirmithi)

The Prophet[pbuh] said:"The person closest to Allah is the one who precedes others in greeting." (Abu Dawud)


2."As-Salaamu Alaikum" is an aspect of Imaan[faith]
Once a man asked the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) about which aspect of Islam was best. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) replied: "Feeding the hungry, and saying salaam to those you know and those you don't know." (Bukhaari and Muslim)


3. "As-Salaamu Alaikum" is a means of entering Jannah
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you about something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salaam (the greeting of peace) among you." (Muslim)


4. "As-Salaamu Alaikum" gets rid of sins
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) also said, "When two Muslims meet (give salaam), and shake hands, they are forgiven their sins before they part (with each other)." (Abu Dawud)


5. "As-Salaamu Alaikum" is the greeting of the people of Jannah
"Then, those that feared their Lord shall be driven in companies into Paradise. When they draw near its gates will be opened, and its keepers will say to them: "Salaamun 'Alaikum" (Peace be upon you), you have done well. Enter and live in it for ever." (Surah Zumar:73)


6. Even Allah says "As-Salaamu Alaikum"
Allah sends His Salaam upon the people who believe in Him, especially the prophets such as Nuh, Ibraheem, Ismaeel, Musa, etc.(Surah as- Saa ffaat) as well as other pious people.Jibreel came to house of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) and Khadeeja was there. Jibreel said: "Allah send s his salaam to Khadeeja." The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "O Khadeeja, Allah is sending His salaams to you." She said, "Allah is As-Salaam. And upon you O Jibreel, be as-salaam and upon you Rasulullah be as-salaam." [Bukhaari]

7.It is obligatory to return the greeting of "As-Salaamu Alaikum"
"The Muslim has five rights over his fellow-Muslim: he should return his salaams, visit him when he is sick, attend his funeral, accept his invitation, and pray for mercy for him [say "Yar ha'mu kallaah"] when he sneezes." (Bukhaari, Muslim)
We should say "As-Salaamu Alaikum" when we enter our homes
"When you enter houses, greet (with peace) one another with a salutation from Allah, blessed and good. As such Allah makes clear to you His verses so that you understand." (Surah an-Nur: 61)


8."As-Salaamu Alaikum" is also to be said at time of leaving
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "When one of you joins a gathering, he should greet those present; and when he leaves them he should salute them, because the first salutation is not better than the last one." (Abu Dawud and Tirmidi)

WARNING
Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "It is not lawful for a Muslim to desert (stop talking to) his brother beyond three nights, the one turning one way and the other turning to the other way when they meet, the better of the two is one who is the first to greet the other.''[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].


Yet, it is utterly tragic to see that some of us have exchanged something so beautiful for something so mediocre, when we stopped saying Assalaamu Alaikum and started with 'Good Morning' or 'Hi'. It is especially sad to see some of our youth, who don't even know how to say the words clearly and properly. Some say ' Saa kum", some just mumble something incomprehensible under their breath and some don't even bother to say anything at all! And if they are being really nice to you, they just might throw you a 'hey' from afar. Even those of us who do say salaam, some of us are so stingy or hesitant in doing so. Although, at the time of the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi wa Sallam) the Sahaabah would compete with each other to see who could give salaams first. They would go to the market just to say salaam to people they knew and to the people they did not know.When it comes to the matters of Dunya[worldly], we strive our utmost to give our families and friends the best. Yet when it comes to greetings, we forget the most beautiful and comprehensive greeting "As-Salaamu Alaikum", which is also a prayer....a prayer of peace and blessing...of security and protection from all harm and all evil.....a blessing that Allah Himself send s down to His beloved servants......a greeting of the people of Jannah[paradise] itself.

Say "As-Salaamu Alaikum" and be wise
Don't be shy or afraid and compromise!
Insha Allah by greeting so in Jannah you will rise!

Say "As-Salaamu Alaikum" and greet in the best possible way
It will earn you reward and brighten your day
Insha Allah it will lead you to Jannah where happily you will stay!

Horses

My love for animals began at a young age, as I was living in an area with lots of farms. I've had sheep, chickens, dogs, cats and birds as pets. I did go for a few horse trails when I was young, but that was at fairs and shows. My love for horses really materialised when I heard the following Hadith about two years ago:

Uqbah bin Âmir reported that the messenger of Allâh (Azza wa jall) said: Everything with which a man plays is unlawful except his shooting with arrows, and his training his horse, and his sporting with his wife; and verily these are of the truths. (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawoo,Ibn Majah

So I began doing out rides on a farm close to home and really enjoyed every second of it. Three weeks ago, I rode a registered thorough bred boerperd. The most enjoyable ride ever, since this particular horse is feisty and quick on his feet. There are many benefits to horse riding as well besides the joy and excitement. It helps will balance, fitness, coordination and is therapeutic. Insha-Allah I would like to go into archery very soon.

Another Hadith:

The Holy Prophet (Sallallâhu alaihi wasallam) is reported to have said: "There is blessing in the forelocks of horses."(Ahmad)

Quran Chapter 100 - Quran Translation of Surah Al-Adiyat
(The Chargers)

1. By the (steeds) that run, with panting (breath),
2. Striking sparks of fire (by their hooves),
3. And scouring to the raid at dawn
4. And raise the dust in clouds the while,
5. Penetrating forthwith as one into the midst (of the foe);
6. Verily! Man (disbeliever) is ungrateful to his Lord;
7. And to that fact he bears witness (by his deeds);
8. And verily, he is violent in the love of wealth.
9. Knows he not that when the contents of the graves are brought out and
poured forth (all mankind is resurrected).
10. And that which is in the breasts (of men) shall be made known.
11. Verily, that Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) their Lord will be Well-
Acquainted with them (as to their deeds), (and will reward them for their
deeds).

Hazrat Ibn Umar (R.A) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallâhu alaihi wasallam) said: "Teach your sons swimming and archery and teach your daughters sewing."(Baihaqi)

The Prophet (Sallallâhu alaihi wasallam) himself raced with his wife. Hazrat Ayesha said: "I raced with the Prophet (Sallallâhu alaihi wasallam) and beat him in the race. Later when I had put on some weight, we raced again and he won. Then he said, 'This cancels that', referring to the previous occasion."(Ahmad, Abu Dawood)

I would like to encourage the youth of the Ummah to take up these sports (keeping within the laws of Shari'ah) as they are permissible, healthy and do not necessarily lead us to Haraam. Horse riding, archery, swimming, sewing, foot racing and wrestling.

Quote - Good conducts for ladies and not men

Ali RA said: There are some conducts which are bad for a male but good for a female- miserliness, pride and cowardice. When a woman is miser, she protects her wealth and her husband's wealth and properties. When a woman is proud, she becomes soft and rejects doubtful talks. When a woman is coward, she keeps separate from her friends and fears to go to any place of defamation for respect of her husband.

Good advices

Here are some good advices I came across. I've added a few things that I feel are helpful.

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king/ Queen, lunch like a princes/ prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in factories.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy
5. Make time for prayer. (Salaah, Zikr and Quraan recitation)
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in last year
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day and ponder about Allah (S.W.T.). (Muraqaba)
9. Sleep for 6 hours and 1 hour siesta
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day ---- and while you walk, SMILE!!!

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do; keep your limits
14. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need…
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and Laugh more. (Smile is sadaqah)
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:

25. Call your family often. (Visit the sick and elderly)
26. Each day give something good to others
27. Forgive everyone for everything
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day
30. What other people think of you is none of your business
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

32. Do the right things
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
34. Allah (S.W.T.) heals everything
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. (Sabr, Patience is beautiful)
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up!
37. The best is yet to come
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank Allah (S.W.T.) for it. (Shukr)
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be HAPPY!!!

Snap back to reality

Firstly, I would like to say that Ramadaan is wonderful and the first two days have been terrific. There is so much of peace and an atmosphere in the masajids that brings about an unbelievable amount of peace and contentment. The peace that is experienced in Taraweeh is really out of this world. Since Ramadaan has started, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about life out of Ramadaan and two questions or thoughts that came to my mind are, how would we live if Nabi (S.A.W.) was with us and the second is the thought of death? These two thoughts have ‘snapped me back to reality’ many times in the past.

If we have to analyze our environment, we would come to the conclusion that sin dominates good. It has come to such an extent that some actions have become a norm in society, that what was considered haraam in previous times are now considered ok or like I hear so often, the better of the two evils. As a community or individual, we should first recognize a sin in order to correct it. Today, we have forgotten that we have forgotten. Insha-Allah, may Allah (S.W.T.) give us the strength to change our environment back to the way it was in the time of the master of both the worlds, Nabi (S.A.W.). Aameen

I am not going to go into a discussion of the evils that are common in today’s times as that would mean discussing the signs of Qiyaamah. I think the previous two paragraphs can spark many thoughts in the reader and Insha-Allah encourages me first and all that read this to analyze ourselves and come closer to Allah (S.W.T.) and the Sunnah of Nabi (S.A.W.).

The author humbly requests one and all to make dua for the Ummah and for him and his family.

Ramadaan

Ramadaan is on our doorstep and I feel the atmosphere changing. May Allah (S.W.T.) grant us the opportunity to see Ramadaan and take maximum benefit from this blessed month. Ramadaan gives us a spiritual lift and if we didn't get this yearly dose of a spiritual climax, we would be deteriorating all the time. The key is not to waste our time in Ramadaan.

I try to get myself prepared mentally for Ramadaan. This means checking my INTENTION first and making goals to achieve in Ramadaan. We should be focused and dedicated to really gain the maximum that we can. A little cough should not stop us from fasting. If we don't plan our days, this precious time will be wasted. By doing this, we will get the real feeling of Ramadaan and not take it as a ritual by just fasting and reading taraweeh like we brainwashed. Ramadaan is not about staying away from food only, its about controlling oneself, discipline and connecting with our creator, Allah (S.W.T.). We should fast and give up evil as well, fear Allah (S.W.T.) and gain piety. We should increase our Ibaadat. Many people spend their days sleeping and nights eating. This is not a good practice. Fasting should curb and control our desires and our nifs. We should eat healthy and look after our bodies, but not eat too much. Some people have this attitude like Ramadaan is the end of eating for the full month. We just don't eat during the day, but can eat at night. We should not encourage iftar parties, as these waste time and may be done against Shari'ah. I would urge parents to check up on their children and encourage them to gain maximum benefit from Ramadaan. The things we do during Ramadaan, should not end or stop after Ramadaan. How nice is it to see the masjids full, men with beards women with Hijaab during Ramadaan and how sad is it that on Eid all of this changes.

May Allah (S.W.T.) grant us all the understanding of Ramadaan and allow us to take maximum benefit from this month. Aameem.