Greeting of Peace and Non-Muslims

دَخَلَ يَهُودِيٌّ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ عَائِشَةُ عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ السَّامُ عَلَيْكُمْ‌[1] فَقَالَ- رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَلَيْكُمْ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ آخَرُ فَقَالَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ كَمَا رَدَّ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ آخَرُ فَقَالَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ فَرَدَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص كَمَا رَدَّ عَلَى صَاحِبَيْهِ فَغَضِبَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَقَالَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ السَّامُ وَ الْغَضَبُ وَ اللَّعْنَةُ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْيَهُودِ

“Once, a Jewish person went in the presence of the Messenger of Allah while ‘A’ishah was with him. The Jewish person said, ‘Sam ‘Alaykum instead of ‘ Salamun ‘Alaykum. ’ The Messenger of Allah said, Alaykum. ’ Then another Jewish person came and said the same thing as the one before and the Messenger of Allah responded

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ لَا تَبْدَءُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ وَ إِذَا سَلَّمُوا عَلَيْكُمْ فَقُولُوا وَ عَلَيْكُمْ‌[1].

“Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) has said, ‘Do not initiate the offering of the greeting of peace to people of the Book, but if they offered just say, “wa ‘Alaykum’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنِ الْيَهُودِيِّ وَ النَّصْرَانِيِّ وَ الْمُشْرِكِ إِذَا سَلَّمُوا عَلَى الرَّجُلِ وَ هُوَ جَالِسٌ كَيْفَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ يَقُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ.

“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about Jewish, Christians and pagans’ greetings to one sitting, how should he respond? The Imam said, ‘He will say, ‘ ‘Alaykum’”

إِذَا سَلَّمَ عَلَيْكَ الْيَهُودِيُّ وَ النَّصْرَانِيُّ وَ الْمُشْرِكُ فَقُلْ عَلَيْكَ.

“When a Jew, Christian or a pagan greets you with peace just say, ‘ ‘Alayka’ meaning, ‘the same to you.’”

أَقْبَلَ أَبُو جَهْلِ بْنُ هِشَامٍ وَ مَعَهُ قَوْمٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فَدَخَلُوا عَلَى أَبِي طَالِبٍ فَقَالُوا إِنَّ ابْنَ أَخِيكَ قَدْ آذَانَا وَ آذَى آلِهَتَنَا فَادْعُهُ وَ مُرْهُ فَلْيَكُفَّ عَنْ آلِهَتِنَا وَ نَكُفُّ عَنْ إِلَهِهِ قَالَ فَبَعَثَ أَبُو طَالِبٍ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فَدَعَاهُ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ ص لَمْ يَرَ فِي الْبَيْتِ إِلَّا مُشْرِكاً[2] فَقَالَ‌ السَّلامُ عَلى‌ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدى‌ ثُمّ

“Once abu Jahl along with a people from Quraysh went to abu Talib and said, ‘Your cousin has offended us and has harmed our idols, call him and command him to stop bothering our gods and we will stop bothering his Lord.’ “The Imam said, ‘Abu Talib sent for the Messenger of Allah. He was called and he came. He did not s

تَقُولُ فِي الرَّدِّ عَلَى الْيَهُودِيِّ وَ النَّصْرَانِيِّ سَلَامٌ‌[1].

‘‘In response to a Jew or Christian You should say, ‘ Salam ’, meaning peace be upon us or whoever deserves it.”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنِ احْتَجْتُ إِلَى مُتَطَبِّبٍ وَ هُوَ نَصْرَانِيٌّ أُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ وَ أَدْعُو لَهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِنَّهُ لَا يَنْفَعُهُ دُعَاؤُكَ.

‘Once I asked abu al-Hassan Musa (a.s.) ‘If I needed to visit a Christian physician, can I offer the greeting of peace and pray for him?’ The Imam said, ‘Yes, but your prayer will not benefit him.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنِ احْتَجْتُ إِلَى الطَّبِيبِ وَ هُوَ نَصْرَانِيٌّ أَنْ أُسَلِّمَ عَلَيْهِ وَ أَدْعُوَ لَهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِنَّهُ لَا يَنْفَعُهُ دُعَاؤُكَ.

“Once I asked abu al-Hassan Musa (a.s.) ‘If 1 needed to visit a Christian physician, can I offer him the greeting of peace and pray for him?’ The Imam said, ‘Yes, but your prayer will not benefit him.’”

قِيلَ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع كَيْفَ أَدْعُو لِلْيَهُودِيِّ وَ النَّصْرَانِيِّ قَالَ تَقُولُ لَهُ بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ فِي الدُّنْيَا.

“It was asked from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘How do I pray for a Jew or a Christian?’ He had said, ‘Say, “May Allah grant you blessing in this world.’””

مِنْ وَرَاءِ الثَّوْبِ فَإِنْ صَافَحَكَ بِيَدِهِ فَاغْسِلْ يَدَكَ.

“About shaking hands with a Jew or a Christian he had said, ‘Shake hands with them from behind clothes and if you shook their hand without clothes then you must wash your hands.”’

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَلْقَى الذِّمِّيَّ فَيُصَافِحُنِي قَالَ امْسَحْهَا بِالتُّرَابِ وَ بِالْحَائِطِ قُلْتُ فَالنَّاصِبَ قَالَ اغْسِلْهَا.

“I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (as), ‘What should I do if I meet a tax paying non-Muslim and he shakes my hand?’ He replied, ‘Wipe it with soil or against a wall.’ I asked, ‘What about one who is a nasibi (someone who hates the Ahlul Bayt)?‘ He said, ‘Wash it (your hand).”’

يَغْسِلُ يَدَهُ وَ لَا يَتَوَضَّأُ.

“About a man who had shaken hand with Majusi (Zoroastrian), the Imam said, ‘He must wash it but he does not need to perform wuzu again.’”