How to Reply to a Disbeliever who Greets you with Salam?

Uploaded Jan 14, 2024

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Question

If a disbeliever comes to you and greets you first with the Salam, is it permissible to respond to him by saying, "wa’alayka as-salam? And how do we respond to him? And can you greet him first with the Salam? What do you think? May Allah grant you success in your actions.

Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen

All Praise be to Allah, it is not permissible to greet the disbeliever first with Salam, to say to him: assalamu alaykum (peace be upon you). However, if he greets you first, you respond to him with this word that I will say now, you say: wa alaykum. Because the Prophet ﷺ commanded us with that with regard to Ahlul Kitab (the People of the Book), so other (disbelievers) are the same as them, if not lesser than them.

Additional references

The Series of Fatwas of Nur ‘Ala Al-Darb for his eminence the scholar Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Ibn Uthaymeen Tape: 1 Fatwa: 4