Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi Wa Sallam said, “Indeed As-Salaam is one of the Beautiful Names of Allah. He sent the Salaam down to the Earth as a greeting. Spread it among yourselves. If a Muslim greets a group of people with Salaam while passing by, and they respond to his Salaam; the greeting person will earn more reward than the others as he has reminded them about the Salaam. If they do not respond to his Salaam, a community better and purer than them (the angels) will respond to his Salaam.”
It is necessary to spread the Salaam among people. The person who greets his fellow Muslim brother is rewarded by Allâh Ta‘âlâ as if he has freed a slave. Salaam, if practiced regularly, removes the negative feeling of hatred and grudges hidden in the heart; it eliminates hostility and estrangement and forms a sincere bond of brotherhood.
There is goodness from two aspects for the person who gives Salaam first: The person is endowed one degree by Allah the Exalted since he reminded them of his name ‘As-Salaam’. If those greeted with Salaam do not respond due to their heedlessness, angels respond to that person.
Zubayd al-Yaami (rahimahullah), a renowned Hadith scholar from the Tabi’in, said: “The most generous among people is the one who spends of what he has without expecting anything in return. As far as forgiving is concerned, the best person is the one who forgives even though he can do anything he wants (to forgive or not). The virtuous person is he who treats his relatives kindly and makes peace with them even though they cut off their relations. The stingiest of all people is the one who is stingy in greeting.”
Ammar bin Yasir Radhiyallâhu Anhu said, “Whoever has these three attributes gathered at himself, has perfected hisiman (faith): Not to leave justice even if a situation is against him, to greet all the Muslims and to spend in charity even in poverty.
A Muslim should at least greet with a smile when he meets his fellow Muslim brother. As mentioned in a Hadith Sharif, such people’s sins fall off just like dry leaves do from a tree.
Allâh Ta‘âlâ says: “When you are greeted with a Salaam, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally. Certainly, Allah is ever a careful account taker of all things.” (Surah al-Nisa, Ayah 86)