Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Endless praise be to Allah, who created us from nothing, made us aware of His existence and beautified us with countless blessings. Blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (saw) and all the prophets. Peace be upon those who hold tightly to our religion, which ensures happiness in this world and the hereafter, and who strive tirelessly on this path with their knowledge, thoughts and wealth. One of the most beautiful names of Almighty Allah is “As-Salam” (The Source of Peace). Allah (swt) is the source of peace and safety. For this reason, when we perform our prayers, we invoke His name, “As-Salam.” We say: “Allahumma Anta’s-Salam wa minka’s-Salam, tabarakta ya Dhu’l-Jalali wa’l-Ikram,” meaning, “O Allah! You are As-Salam; peace, security, and well-being come from You. O Lord of glory and honour, You are most exalted.”[1] We ask Allah (swt) to guide us to salvation and to enable us to live in peace and security.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Salam is the trademark of a believer. It is not merely an ordinary word or expression; it signifies being free from fear, worry, sorrow and danger; signifying safety and trust. Salam is a word that penetrates hearts, breaks down barriers, heals resentments and symbolises friendship and connection. Moreover, salam is a guarantee that no harm will come from us. It is narrated from Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that Rasulullah (saw) said: “By Allah, in whose hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not truly believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you something that will make you love one another? Spread salam among yourselves.”[2]

Dear Jama’ah!
Our beloved Prophet (saw) never stopped to utter salam throughout his life. He greeted everyone men and women, the elderly and children and encouraged giving salam to others. He even offered salam and peace to the inhabitants of graves.[3] As the followers of such a Prophet of Mercy, how can we ignore our neighbours, relatives, loved ones or even strangers and pass by without offering salam? We must remember that one of the rights of a Muslim over another Muslim is to exchange salam.[4] Islamic scholars have stated that offering salam is Sunnah, responding to salam is compulsory (fard), and the one who initiates salam earns more reward than the one who responds.[5] Our beloved Prophet (saw) advised that when two Muslims meet, they should begin their conversation with salam. He taught the etiquette of greeting by stating that the younger should greet the elder, those riding should greet those walking, those walking or standing should greet those sitting and smaller groups should greet larger groups. He also deemed it sufficient for one person in a group to give salam or for one person to respond to salam on behalf of the group. Furthermore, he emphasised that it is beautiful to part from a gathering with salam.[6] A conveyed salam from someone else should also be responded to and when entering a home, salam should be given to the household.[7]

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Just as greetings are not given to those who drink alcohol, play gambling or practice fortune-telling, it is also not appropriate to greet those engaged in prayer, reading the Quran, listening to the khutba, reciting the adhan or someone studying. Additionally, greeting our neighbours of different religions according to their customs is important for ensuring social peace and harmony.

Believers who enter paradise as a grace of Allah are greeted by the guardians of paradise with the words: “Peace be upon you. You have become pure. Enter here to stay forever.”[8]  Let us conclude our khutba with the meaning of the verse we recited: “When you are greeted with a greeting, respond with a better one or at least the same. Indeed, Allah is capable of taking an account of everything.”[9]

[1] Müslim, Mesâcid, 136; Tirmizî, Salat, 224

[2] Müslim, Îmân, 93

[3] Müslim, Cenâiz, 104

[4] Müslim, Selam, 5

[5] Mevsılî, el-İhtiyar, 4/164

[6] Buhârî, İsti’zân, 4; Müslim, Selam, 1

[7] Surah An-Nur, 24:61

[8] Surah Az-Zumar, 39:73

[9] Surah An-Nisa, 4:86

Khutba: The Key to Social Peace: Salam