The greeting of Salaam (السلام عليكم, As-salaamu alaykum — "Peace be upon you") is one of the most beautiful and distinctive practices of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ emphasized the importance of spreading Salaam, saying: "You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something that if you do it, you will love one another? Spread Salaam amongst yourselves." (Sahih Muslim)
The Sunnahs of giving Salaam include: initiating the greeting (the one who initiates gets more reward), giving Salaam to people you know and people you do not know, the rider greets the one walking, the walker greets the one sitting, the smaller group greets the larger group, and the younger person greets the older. The full Salaam is السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته (As-salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh — "Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah, and His blessings"), which is more complete and more rewarding than the shorter forms.
Responding to Salaam is obligatory (fard) in Islam. The minimum response is وعليكم السلام (Wa alaykum as-salaam — "And upon you be peace"), but it is Sunnah to respond with an equal or better greeting. So if someone says "As-salaamu alaykum," you can respond with "Wa alaykum as-salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh," adding the mercy and blessings of Allah to your response.
Additional Sunnahs related to greeting include: saying Salaam when entering your home (even if no one is there), when entering a gathering, and when leaving. The Prophet ﷺ also practiced shaking hands when meeting — he would never withdraw his hand first and would face the person fully. Our program teaches all these etiquettes with scenarios and practical exercises, helping you make the Salaam an integral part of your interactions.