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Ibn Mas’ud: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘Indeed Al-Salam is one of the Names of Allah which He has placed on the earth. So spread it amongst yourselves*. Indeed if a man passed by a people and greeted them with the Salam and they returned it, then he has a rank of goodness over them because he has reminded them of the Salam. If they do not return it, then it is returned to him by one who is better and nobler than them.’ – [Majma’ al-Zawa’id 8/32; al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib 3/416]
* i.e. To spread the greeting of peace by saying: As-salamu `alaykum (wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh)
Abu Hatim: It is only befitting for the wise one to adhere to spreading the Salam in general because the one who gives the Salam to 10 people gains reward equal to that of freeing a slave. The Salam is from the things that remove the intricacies of grudge and enmity (between people), it does away with the hatred in the hearts, it removes the breakage of ties and it purifies the brotherhood.
The one who initiates the Salam has 2 rewards: The first is that Allah blesses him with a rank (of goodness) over the one who is greeted because he reminded him of the Salam and (the second is) the Angels’ response to him when the person does not respond.
Zubayd al-Yami [1]: ‘The most generous person is the one who gives out wealth without desiring reward (from people), the most forgiving of people is the one who forgives when he is a position of power (to punish), the most virtuous person is he who joins ties with one who has cut them and the most miserly of people is the one who miserly with the Salam.’
‘Ammar ibn Yasir (radhiallahu `anhu) said, ‘There are 3 things which whoever gathers them in his personality, has gathered faith itself: Spending out one’s wealth even though he has little, justice even against oneself and striving to give the greeting of Salam in this world.’
Abu Hatim: When a Muslim meets his Muslim brethren, he should greet him with a smile because that will eradicate sins from them both just as the leaves of a tree fall in the winter when it becomes dry. Whoever smiles at the people and meets them with a beaming face gains their love and affection.
Al-Abrash recited the following lines:
The one who smiles is a beloved one due to the beauty of his face
And the one who frowns often will never lack a people’s hatred
The miserliness of a person only hastens his dishonour
And I have not seen anything protect a person as much as kindness
Hisham ibn ‘Urwah relates from his father: ‘I have been told that it is engraved in the words of wisdom (the following): ‘O my son, let your face always beam and let your words always be sweet, for that is more beloved to people than giving them gifts.’
Al-Zubaydi [2] said, ‘I wonder and am amazed at those qurraa (recitors) who are easy-going and amusing. As for the one who meets you with a frown while you meet him with a happy face, then he is only displaying to you the reality of his deeds (i.e. one’s good or bad deeds reflect off him). May Allah never increase their likes amongst the Qurraa’.
Habib ibn Abi Thabit [3]: ‘It is from a man’s good character that he should converse with his friends whilst he is smiling.’
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[1] Zubayd ibn al-Harith al-Yami (Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman) – a Tabi’i scholar of Hadith (d. 122 AH)
[2] Sa’eed ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Zubaydi (Abu Shaybah) – a scholar, Judge and Muhaddith from Kufa (d. 156 AH)
[3] Habib ibn Abi Thabit (Abu Yahya) was a Tabi’i from Kufa known for his zuhd (asceticism) and good memory (d. 119 AH).
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