As-Salamu Alaykum
Encyclopedia
As-Salāmu `Alaykum is a traditional Muslim
greeting, often translated as Peace be upon you
.
is /assaˈlaːmu ʕaˈlajkum/. Many people today omit the initial 'As' and pronounce the word as "Salaamu `Alaykum". In many parts of the world, indeed in most of the non-Arabic speaking countries the greeting is pronounced [asalaːmʊ aleɪkʊm] or in a similar variation. This is especially common in Africa
, the South Asia
, South East Asia and in Eastern Europe
.
For an example of different pronunciations, Pakistanis tend to emphasise the 'ssalam aLAYkum', whereas Indonesian pronunciation is monotonous until the last syllable ('assalamuAlaiKUM').
Amongst various Arabic speaking countries there is also a varied pronunciation. In Morocco
the greeting is usually pronounced [səleːmu leikum]. In Egypt: sæˈlæmu ʕæˈleːku, the final u's alternate with o and the expected reply similar to a reply on "hi", is we ʕæˈlekom essæˈlæːm.
. However, the term may also be modified to address a person in the masculine and feminine singular form, the dual form, or the feminine plural form. The conjugations are as follow (note: according to classical Arabic, the last short vowel in each word is not pronounced unless it is followed by another word):
As-Salāmu `alayk(a) —Peace be upon you (m. sing.)
As-Salāmu `alayk(i) —Peace be upon you (f. sing)
As-Salāmu `alayk(umā) —Peace be upon you (to two people of any gender)
As-Salāmu `alayk(unna) —Peace be upon you (f. plural - to three or more females only)
As-Salāmu `alayk(umu)—Peace be upon you (To a group of three or more people, where at least one is a male - or to a member of state such as a prime minister, president, king)
Wa `alayk(...) s-salām.
A more formal reply, wa `alaykumu s-salāmu wa rahmatu l-lāhi wa barakātuh (meaning "may God's blessings be upon you"), may be used as well.
describing the greeting of the Angel
s towards the inhabitants of Paradise
:
The form Salāmun `Alaykum is especially used in Turkey
, where it is spelled Selamün Aleyküm.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
greeting, often translated as Peace be upon you
Peace be upon you
Peace be upon you may refer to:*Shalom aleichem *As-Salamu Alaykum *Pax...
.
Usage
- In Arabia, the greeting is associated with shaking right hands and then possibly two or three light cheek to cheek kisses.
- In PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, the greeting is also associated with shaking right hands and is also often accompanied with a hug when meeting infrequently (only between the same gender). - In IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Salām is a simple greeting. This means Peace and Health, and is used similarly to "Peace be upon you" in English-speaking cultures. - In IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the greeting is accompanied by raising the right hand to the forehead (arz hai "regards"). - In IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, the greeting is usually accompanied with a kind of two-handed "handshake", whereby the shaker's palms remain closed, and the fingers alone open to admit the other's proffered hand- which briefly touches the proffered's fingers or fingertips alone. In this way more adherent males and females may greet though touching- but remain true to the IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic or cultural teachings forbidding physical contact between the genders. Occasionally, the right-hand will touch the left-breast or heart area after this - In TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, many Turkish use this statement and hug each other; more secular and non-religious people say "Selam" as an equivalent to "Hello" or "Hi". This use has extended to the Internet with the abbreviated "slm" being commonly used amongst Turks on social networking websites. - In Javanese culture, a remnant of feudalism is retained, where an elder's proffered right hand is taken and pressed briefly against the forehead. Some may instead briefly kiss the hand or the main ring. This is very common for young children to greet older relatives (of their parents' age, though, on occasion, if very polite children, younger). As per TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, "slm" is commonly used by teens on SMS and the Internet. - In Malaysia, the term is used in the "localized" form assalamualaikum.
- In TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, and other SwahiliSwahili languageSwahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
speaking countries on the coast of East AfricaEast AfricaEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
the term is pronounced "assalamualaikum" followed by a reply of "aleikum-salam", people usually shake hands, hug, and sometimes wave. Typically this greeting remains mainly Islam related while Christians have modified it to "Salam". - In Amharic , the term "Selam" is used in place of "Tadias" which is the equivalent of "What's up". The word "Selam" has the same meaning in Amharic as in Arabic which is "peace".
- In KazakhstanKazakhstanKazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, many Kazakh use this statement and hug each other; more secular and non-religious people say "Salem" as an equivalent to "Hello" or "Hi". With regards to older people only Kazakh men use "As-Salamu Alaykum".
Pronunciation
The term varies slightly in pronunciation from country to country, but always remains universally intelligible. The classical pronunciation of the greeting in Literary ArabicLiterary Arabic
Modern Standard Arabic , Standard Arabic, or Literary Arabic is the standard and literary variety of Arabic used in writing and in most formal speech....
is /assaˈlaːmu ʕaˈlajkum/. Many people today omit the initial 'As' and pronounce the word as "Salaamu `Alaykum". In many parts of the world, indeed in most of the non-Arabic speaking countries the greeting is pronounced [asalaːmʊ aleɪkʊm] or in a similar variation. This is especially common in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, the South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, South East Asia and in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
.
For an example of different pronunciations, Pakistanis tend to emphasise the 'ssalam aLAYkum', whereas Indonesian pronunciation is monotonous until the last syllable ('assalamuAlaiKUM').
Amongst various Arabic speaking countries there is also a varied pronunciation. In Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
the greeting is usually pronounced [səleːmu leikum]. In Egypt: sæˈlæmu ʕæˈleːku, the final u's alternate with o and the expected reply similar to a reply on "hi", is we ʕæˈlekom essæˈlæːm.
Number of People Being Addressed
The term in Arabic uses the second person plural, even when used to address one person, similar to the use of vous in FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. However, the term may also be modified to address a person in the masculine and feminine singular form, the dual form, or the feminine plural form. The conjugations are as follow (note: according to classical Arabic, the last short vowel in each word is not pronounced unless it is followed by another word):
As-Salāmu `alayk(a) —Peace be upon you (m. sing.)
As-Salāmu `alayk(i) —Peace be upon you (f. sing)
As-Salāmu `alayk(umā) —Peace be upon you (to two people of any gender)
As-Salāmu `alayk(unna) —Peace be upon you (f. plural - to three or more females only)
As-Salāmu `alayk(umu)—Peace be upon you (To a group of three or more people, where at least one is a male - or to a member of state such as a prime minister, president, king)
Correct Classical Response
The correct response depends on who is addressing you. The same rules from above for singularity, duality, and plurality apply:Wa `alayk(...) s-salām.
A more formal reply, wa `alaykumu s-salāmu wa rahmatu l-lāhi wa barakātuh (meaning "may God's blessings be upon you"), may be used as well.
Salāmun
The word As-Salām may be replaced by Salāmun . This form of the word is used in a passage of the Qur'anQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
describing the greeting of the Angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s towards the inhabitants of Paradise
Paradise
Paradise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...
:
- And angels shall enter unto them from every gate (saying) Salāmun ‘Alaykum (peace be upon you) for that you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!’— (Ar-Ra'ad 13:23-24)
The form Salāmun `Alaykum is especially used in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, where it is spelled Selamün Aleyküm.
Islamic rulings related to the use of the greeting
It is also preferred to use the greeting when arriving and also when leaving. It was reported that Abu Hurayrah said “When one of you joins a gathering, let him say salaam. When he wants to get up and leave, let him say salaam. The former is not more important than the latter.” (Saheeh - at-Tirmidhi)- According to hadithHadithThe term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
the Islamic prophet MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
was asked who should "begin" the salam greeting, and he said:
- "The one who is riding should greet the one who is walking, and the one who is walking should greet the one who is sitting, and the smaller group should greet the larger group." (Saheeh - Al-Bukhaari, 6234; Muslim, 2160)
- It is also stated that one should give the Salam greeting upon entering a house. This is based upon the verse of the Qur'anQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
:
- It is also stated that one should give the Salam greeting upon entering a house. This is based upon the verse of the Qur'an
- "But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah (i.e. say: Assalaamu ‘Aleykum — peace be on you), blessed and good." (Al-Noor 24:61)
- The trend of shortening the greeting to acronyms, such as A.S.,As'kum(in Malaysia) or AsA, is disliked; however, it is becoming common amongst Internet users in chat rooms and by people using SMSShort message serviceShort Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
. As the full word is not written, it is disliked; however, the meaning is usually understood by the recipient. This trend is similar to writing (S) or 'SAWS' in place of 'Sallallaahu `Aleyhi wa SallamPeace be upon him (Islam)Peace be upon him is a phrase that practising Muslims often say after saying the name of a prophet of Islam. There are three variants of this phrase in Arabic:...
'.
- The trend of shortening the greeting to acronyms, such as A.S.,As'kum(in Malaysia) or AsA, is disliked; however, it is becoming common amongst Internet users in chat rooms and by people using SMS
See also
- Peace be upon himPeace be upon him (Islam)Peace be upon him is a phrase that practising Muslims often say after saying the name of a prophet of Islam. There are three variants of this phrase in Arabic:...
- Peace be with you
- Shalom aleichemShalom aleichemShalom aleikhem is a greeting version in Hebrew, literally meaning "peace be upon you". The appropriate response is "aleikhem shalom", or "upon you be peace"....
- Sliem għalikom