Reply to the People of the Book — Wa Alaykum
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6258
((إذَاسَلَّمَعَلَيْكُمْأَهْلُالْكِتَابِفَقُولُوا:وَعَلَيْكُمْ)).
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Transliteration
Idha sallama 'alaykum ahlul-kitabi fqooloo: wa 'alaykum.
Translation
When the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) greet you, reply with: 'And upon you.'
Context
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught Muslims how to respond when Jews or Christians initiate a greeting. This specific instruction guides the reply to 'Wa Alaykum', meaning 'And upon you', which is a polite but reserved response.
Benefit
This teaches Muslims to maintain respectful boundaries in their interactions, acknowledging the greeting without necessarily reciprocating its full warmth, reflecting a specific social etiquette taught by the Prophet ﷺ.
When to Recite
When a Jew or Christian initiates a greeting (salam).