Abu Hurayra reported that a man passed by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while hew as in an assembly and said, "Peace be upon you." "Ten good deeds," he said. Another man passed by and said, "Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah." The Prophet said, "Twenty good deeds." Then yet another man passed by and said, "Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessing," and the Prophet said, "Thirty good deeds." Then a man in the gathering got up and did not give the greeting. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "How quickly your companion forgets! When one of you comes to an assembly, he should give the greeting. If he thinks he should sit down, he sits down. When he stands up, he gives the greeting. Neither is a greater duty than the other."
The Virtue of Extended Greetings
This narration from Abu Hurayra demonstrates the immense reward for perfecting one's greeting. The Prophet ﷺ specified that "As-salamu 'alaykum" merits ten good deeds, while adding "wa rahmatullah" increases it to twenty, and completing with "wa barakatuh" elevates it to thirty good deeds. This illustrates that expanding upon the basic Islamic greeting multiplies one's spiritual reward significantly.
The Obligation of Greeting Assemblies
The latter portion of the hadith establishes the sunnah of greeting when approaching or departing from gatherings. The Prophet's ﷺ statement "How quickly your companion forgets!" serves as a gentle admonition for neglecting this important social duty.
The ruling applies equally to entering and leaving assemblies - neither takes precedence over the other in importance. This teaches us that Islamic greetings are not mere formalities but essential acts of worship that maintain social bonds and spread peace.
Scholarly Commentary
Scholars explain that the graduated rewards indicate the superiority of comprehensive greetings while maintaining the validity of the basic form. The obligation to greet applies regardless of whether one intends to stay briefly or join the gathering permanently.
This teaching emphasizes that Islamic greetings are rights owed to fellow Muslims, serving as practical manifestations of the brotherhood and peace that Islam seeks to establish in society.