In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful

Forgotten Sunnah: Spreading Salaam if something comes between you and your companion

By Shaykh Abdur-Razzaaq ibn Abdil-Muhsin al-Badr may Allah preserve him

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said,

مَنْ لَقِيَ أَخَاهُ فَلْيُسَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِ، فَإِنْ حَالَتْ بَيْنَهُمَا شَجَرَةٌ أَوْ حَائِطٌ، ثُمَّ لَقِيَهُ فَلْيُسَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِ‏

“Whoever meets his brother should greet him. If a tree or wall comes between them and then he meets him, he should greet him on the other side.” [Adaab al-Mufrad]*

Many people are heedless of this Sunnah; they either don’t know of it or they don’t take care of implementing it.

And I remember when I was small in age, I was on the side of Shaykh al-Albaani, may Allah have mercy on him, here in Madina walking besides him. A pole (came between) and separated us. So when he met me, after the pole, he turned to me smiling and said, “as-Salaamu alaykum”.

I said, “Wa alaykumus salaam”.

He said, “Why did I say the salaams to you?”

Now, I didn’t know of this hadith nor did it ever come to be before, so I smiled and said to him, “As-Salaam is Tayyib (good)”

Then he mentioned to me this hadith, and that was the first hadith I learned from the Shaykh, may Allah have mercy on him.

Source: Sharh Adaab al-Mufrad/ش 133

*There is also a hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that supports this. He said,

إذا لقي أحدكم أخاه، فليسلم عليه، فإن حالت بينهما شجرة، أو جدار، أو حجر، ثم لقيه، فليسلم عليه

“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.” [Narrated by Abu Hurayrah and collected by Abu Dawud Book 6: 860 (Arabic reference) and graded sahih by Al-Albaani]

Translated by: Abu Awzaa’ee AbdusSalaam

الفقير الى الله