Should Muslims Greet the Kafir with "Salam"?
John of AllFaith (formerly Muhammad Yahya Saleem) -- 5.11.10

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Questioner: Mohammed
Private: No
Subject: Salam greetings
Question: Can we reply salam answer to a non beliver ( Walekumasalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu)

My Reply:

Greetings Mohammed,

I was taught by my Wahabi (strict Sunni sect) teachers that Muslims (which I no longer am) can reply salaam (peace) to the kafir (non-Muslims) if they are greeted this way first and if the person appears to be sincere, as a matter of politeness. But Muslims should never say it first to kafirs nor reply with Assalamualaikum ("Peace be upon you") nor with the more formal Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa barakatuh ("Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and His blessings").

It was also explained to me by my imam that should a kafir use these two greetings in my presence I should always explain that they should do not do so as they are for Muslims only.

Not all Muslims agree with this view but to my experience the more devout generally do.

Here's a link to a useful guide that provides more information on how Muslims interact with kafir. There we read, in part:

A good number of Islamic scholars are of the view that it is prohibited to initiate the greeting of salaam to non-Muslims. They say salaam is meant to be exchanged among Muslims and that the verse of the Qur’an which spoke of greeting with salaam [i.e. Muhammad saying: “Do not initiate Salaam with them….”] is referring to Muslim alone. This was the view of Ata’ bin Rabah They went further to say that salaam is to Muslims as shalom is to Jews. They backed their position with the Hadith reported by Abu Hurairah, where the messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “You must not initiate the (greetings of) salaam with Jews and Christians,”. They say, salaam is a greeting of honor and a non–Muslim (kafir) does not deserve to be honored. Ahmad Bin Hanbal commented on the above Hadith: “Going by this Hadith is better than any other contrary opinion”. Ibn Hajar is of similar opinion, while commenting on the above Hadith, he said: “The most credible of all these (views) is what is evident in the above Hadith, although it is specific to the People of the Book. Ibn Katheer also, while commenting on the verse on greeting (Qur’an 4:86) said: “But as to non-Muslim citizens (Alum Dimmit) one should not initiate to them the greetings of salaam” Abu Haneefah and Malik Bin Anas detested initiating salaam with non-Muslims."

The reasoning for the prohibition is that the kafir do not and can not have the peace and blessings of Allah Subhanahu wa-ta'ala according to Islam and so for a pious Muslim to offer it to them is itself an act of unbelief in the deen (religion) and demonstrates a lack of loyalty to the ummah (nation) that may mislead the kafir into believing he is accepted by Allah Subhanahu wa-ta'ala and His deen when he is not.

I have been told by a few Muslim friends that since the global caliphate is now being established and is certain of success (even the US has a Muslim leader now with Hussein Obama) the assumption should be that even those harbi [citizens of a non-Muslim state] living in dar-al-harb [lands without Muslim rule] and dar al Islam [outside of the religion of Islam] can be greeted this way -- but as a warning to them to revert. I find no support for this view in al Hadith nor al Qu'ran but it seems to be a growing opinion. Others who want to present Islam as the global faith and downplay its exclusiveness are also using these greetings with the Kafir at times, but again more as a matter of taqiyya (useful misdirection) then as a sincere greeting. Many non-Muslims who understand these greetings therefore take offense when Muslims use them towards them. It would be like referring to a Muslim as a "fellow Zionist."

Based on my understandings I would say that if one wishes to practice Islam properly one should not bestow ones peace on those who do not accept Shahada (the declaration of the Muslim religion):

La ilaha illa'llah wa Muhammad rasulu'llah.

There is no god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is his Prophet.

Shia Muslims add to this their acceptance of Ali as Muhammad's successor:

Ash-hadu -an-la-ilaha illal-laha, wa ash-hadu anna Mohammad-an Abdo-hu wa Rasulo-uhu wa ash-hadu anna moulana ali-un –vasi-un wa vazir-ah.

"I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Mohammad is Allah's servant and His Messenger, and Ali is his successor [vasi] and minister [vazir]".

The following video demonstrates the proper Muslim attitude towards the kafir. Listen to the words of British Mullah Anjum Chaudri:

While I obviously do not agree with Sheik Anjum Chaudri what he is saying is what true Islam believes and teaches. Why would a person who views the world this way ever say salaam to a non-Muslim?

Hope this helps,

~ John of AllFaith
Formerly Muhammad Yahya Saleem

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