Riyad as-Salihin

I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying "The best assemblies are those in which people make room for one another.".

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever sits in a gathering and indulges in useless talk and before getting up supplicates: 'Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaika (O Allah, You are free from every imperfection; praise be to You. I testify that there is no true god except You; I ask Your Pardon and turn to You in repentance),' he will be forgiven for (the sins he may have intentionally or unintentionally committed) in that assembly.".

Towards the end of his life, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would supplicate before leaving an assembly thus: "Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaika (O Allah, You are free from every imperfection; all praise is for You. I testify that there is no true god except You, I ask Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance).'' A man once said to him: "O Messenger of Allah! You have spoken such words as you have never uttered before.'' He said, "It is an expiation of that which goes on in the assembly.'' .

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) seldom left a gathering without supplicating in these terms: "Allahumma-qsim lana min khashyatika ma tahulu bihi bainana wa baina ma'sika, wa min ta'atika ma tuballighuna bihi jannataka, wa minal-yaqini ma tuhawwinu 'alaina masa-'ibad-dunya. Allahumma matti'na biasma'ina, wa absarina, wa quwwatina ma ahyaitana, waj'alhul-waritha minna, waj'al tharana 'ala man zalamana, wansurna 'ala man 'adana, wa la taj'al musibatana fi dinina, wa la taj'alid-dunya akbara hammina, wa la mablagha 'ilmina, wa la tusallit 'alaina man-la yarhamuna, (O Allah, apportion to us such fear as should serve as a barrier between us and acts of disobedience; and such obedience as will take us to Your Jannah; and such as will make easy for us to bear in the calamities of this world. O Allah! let us enjoy our hearing, our sight and our power as long as You keep us alive and make our heirs from our own offspring, and make our revenge restricted to those who oppress us, and support us against those who are hostile to us let no misfortune afflict our Deen; let not worldly affairs be our principal concern, or the ultimate limit of our knowledge, and let not those rule over us who do not show mercy to us).".

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Those people who leave a gathering in which they have not remembered Allah, will conclude it as if it has foul odour similar to that of a rotten carcass of a donkey. And it will be a cause of grief to them.".

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whenever a group of people sit in a gathering in which they do not remember Allah the Exalted, nor supplicate to elevate the rank of their Prophet, such a gathering will be a cause of grief to them. If Allah wills, He will punish them, and if He wills He will forgive them.".

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If anyone sits in a gathering where he does not remember Allah, he will bring grief upon himself (on the Day of Resurrection), and he who lies down in a place where he does not remember Allah, will bring grief upon himself (on the Day of Resurrection).".

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "All that is left from Prophethood is the glad tidings." He was asked what the glad tidings were, and he said, "The good dream.".

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When the time draws near (i.e., near the end of the world), the dream of a believer can hardly be false; and the dream of a believer represents one part from forty-six parts of Prophethood.".One narration says: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The most truthful of you in their speech are those who see the truest visions."

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who sees me in his dream will see me in his wakefulness (or he (ﷺ) may have said it is as though he has seen me in a state of wakefulness), for Satan does not appear in my form.".

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "When one of you sees a dream that he likes, then it is from Allah. He should praise Allah for it and relate it to (others)."Another narration adds: Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said, "He should not report it except to those whom he loves. And if he sees one which he dislikes, then it is from the Satan. He should seek refuge in Allah against its evil and should not mention it to anyone. Then it will not harm him.".

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A good vision (dream) is from Allah and a bad dream is from the Satan. He who sees something in a dream that he dislikes, should blow thrice on his left, must seek Allah's Refuge from the evil of the Satan (i.e., by saying: A'udhu billahi minash-Shaitanir-Rajim). Then it will not harm him.".

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When one of you sees a bad dream let him blow three times on his left, seek refuge in Allah from the Satan three times (i.e., by saying: A'udhu billahi minash-Shaitanir-Rajim) and change the side on which he was lying.".

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Of the worst lies are: to claim a false father, or to pretend to have seen what one has not seen (tell a false dream), or to attribute to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) what he has not said.".

A man asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Which act in Islam is the best?" He (ﷺ) replied, "To give food, and to greet everyone, whether you know or you do not.".

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When Allah created Adam (ﷺ), He said to him: 'Go and greet that company of angels who are sitting there - and then listen to what they are going to say in reply to your greetings because that will be your greeting and your off-spring's.' Adam (ﷺ) said to the angels: 'As-Salamu 'Alaikum (May peace be upon you).' They replied: 'As-Salamu 'Alaikum wa Rahmatullah (May peace be upon you and the Mercy of Allah).' Thus adding in reply to him: 'wa Rahmatullah (and the Mercy of Allah)' to his greeting.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded us to do seven things: to visit the sick, to follow the funeral (of a dead believer), to invoke the Mercy of Allah upon one who sneezes (i.e., by saying to him: Yarhamuk- Allah), to support the weak, to help the oppressed, to promote the greeting of 'As-Salamu 'Alaikum', and to help those who swear to do something to keep their oaths..

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hand is my life! You will not enter Jannah until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I inform you of something which, if you do, you will love one another? Promote greetings amongst yourselves.".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "O people, exchange greetings of peace (i.e., say: As-Salamu 'Alaikum to one another), feed people, strengthen the ties of kinship, and be in prayer when others are asleep, you will enter Jannah in peace.".

I used to visit 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) in the morning and accompany him to the market. 'Abdullah offered greetings of peace to every one he met on the way, be they sellers of petty goods, traders or poor people. One day when I came to him, he asked me to accompany him to the market. I said to him: "What is the point of your going to the market when you do not sell, nor ask about articles, nor offer a price for them, nor sit down with any company of people. Let us sit down here and talk." He replied: "O Abu Batn (father of a belly) - Tufail had a large belly - we go to the market to greet everyone we meet.".

A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: "As-Salamu 'Alaikum (May peace be upon you). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) responded to his greeting and the man sat down. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Ten (meaning the man had earned the merit of ten good deeds)." Another one came and said: "As-Salamu 'Alaikum wa Rahmatullah (May peace be upon you and the Mercy of Allah)." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) responded to his greeting and the man sat down. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Twenty." A third one came and said: "As-Salamu 'Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu (May peace be upon you and the Mercy of Allah and His Blessings)." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) responded to his greeting and the man sat down. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Thirty.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me, "This is Jibril (Gabriel) who is conveying you greetings of peace." I responded: "Wa 'Alaihis-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu (May peace be upon him and the Mercy of Allah and His Blessings).".

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (ﷺ) used to repeat his words thrice so that the meaning thereof would be fully understood, and whenever he came upon a gathering of people, he would greet them. He would repeat Salam thrice..

We used to reserve for the Prophet (ﷺ) his share of the milk, and he would come at night and offer greetings in such a manner as did not disturb those asleep and was heard only by those who were awake. In fact, the Prophet (ﷺ) came and offered greetings as usual..

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed through the mosque one day and there was a group of women (about ten of them) sitting in the mosque. He raised his hand to offer greetings..

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Those who are nearest to Allah are they who are first to give a salutation. And At- Tirmidhi narrated its meaning and classified it as Hasan.

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: "Alaikas-Salamu ya Rasulallah! (Upon you be peace, O Messenger of Allah)!" He said, "Do not say: 'Alaikas-Salamu (Upon you be peace).' This is the Salam to the dead.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'A rider should greet a pedestrian; a pedestrian should greet one who is sitting; and a small group should greet a large group (of people).'' . The narration in Al-Bukhari adds: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The young should greet the elderly.''

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The person nearest to Allah is one who is the first to offer greeting." . The narration in At-Tirmidhi is: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: "O Messenger of Allah! When two persons meet, who should greet the other first?'' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The person nearest to Allah (i.e., one who is more obedient and therefore closer to Allah will say: As-Salam first)."

He came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and greeted him. The Prophet (ﷺ) responded to the greeting and said, "Go back and repeat your Salat because you have not performed the Salat (properly).'' He again performed Salat as he had prayed before and came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and greeted him. The Prophet (ﷺ) responded to the greetings (and repeated his words to him). This act of repeating (the Salat and the Salam) was done thrice. .

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When one of you meets a brother (in Faith) he should greet him. Then if a tree or a wall or a stone intervenes between them and then he meets him again, he should greet him.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me, "Dear son, when you enter your house, say As- Salamu 'Alaikum to your family, for it will be a blessing both to you and to your family.".

"Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do the same." .

There was a woman (in another narration; an old woman) among us who would put beet root in a pot and add to it some ground barley. She used to cook them together. On returning from the Friday prayer, we would greet her and she would offer it to us. .

I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) on the day of the conquest of Makkah. He was taking a bath and Fatimah was screening him with a cloth. I greeted him. And she mentioned the rest of the Hadith. .

The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by us when we were with a party of women, and he greeted us with salam.. This is the wording of Abu Dawud. In At-Tirmidhi: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed through the Masjid one day, and a group of women were sitting, so he motioned his hand with the salam.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you; and when you meet any one of them on the road, force him to go to the narrowest part of it." .

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When the people of the Book greet you, respond with: 'Wa 'alaikum' (And upon you)"..

The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by a mixed company of people which included Muslims, polytheists and Jews, and he gave them the greeting (i.e., saying As- Salamu 'Alaikum)..

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When one of you arrives in a gathering, he should offer Salam to those who are already there, and he should also do so when he intends to depart. The first act of greeting is not more meritorious than the last.'' .

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Permission is to be sought thrice. If permission is granted, you may enter; otherwise, go back.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Seeking permission to enter (somebody's house) has been prescribed in order to restrain the eyes (from looking at something we are not supposed to look at).".

A man of Banu 'Amir tribe has told us that he had asked the Prophet (ﷺ) for permission to enter when he was at home. He said: "May I enter?" the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to the servant, "Go out and instruct him about the manner of seeking permission. Tell him to say: As-Salamu 'Alaikum (may peace be upon you). May I come in?" The man heard this and said: "As-Salamu 'Alaikum (may peace be upon you). May I come in?" The Prophet (ﷺ) then granted him permission and he entered..

I visited the Prophet (ﷺ) and I entered his house without seeking permission. So he said, "Go back and say: 'As-Salamu 'alaikum (may peace be upon you). May I come in?"'.

`Who is there?' He replied: `Jibril.' He was asked: `Who is with you?' He said: `Muhammad.' Then he ascended to the second heaven and requested for the opening of the gate. He was asked: `Who is there?' He said: `Jibril.' He was asked: `Who is with you?' He replied: `Muhammad.' In the same way he ascended to the third, fourth and all the heavens (i.e., until the seventh). At all of the gates he was asked: `Who is there?' He replied: Jibril.''' .

I stepped out one night and saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) walking by himself. I began to walk in the moonlit night. He turned round and saw me and asked, "Who is there?" I replied: "Abu Dharr.".

I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) who was taking a bath while Fatimah was screening him. He asked, "Who is there?" I replied: "I am Umm Hani.".

I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and knocked at the door (to seek permission). He asked, "Who is there?" I said: "I". He repeated, " I, I?!" as if he disliked it..

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah likes sneezing and dislikes yawning. When any one of you sneezes and says `Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah)', it becomes obligatory upon every Muslim who hears him to respond with `Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy on you)'. Yawning is from the devil. When one of you feels like yawning, he should restrain it as much as possible, for the devil laughs when one of you yawns." .

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When one of you sneezes he should say: 'Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah),' and his brother or his companion should say to him: 'Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy on you).' When he says this he should reply: 'Yahdikum-ullah wa yuslihu balakum (may Allah guide you and render sound your state of affairs)."'.