What is “Assalamu Alaykum” For?

Dear brothers and sisters,

Assalamu Alaykum.

I would like to invite you to contemplate important things, but first I will give you a simple question.

If you see someone crossing the wooden bridge, and in your heart you wish them to arrive easily without any harm, and you pray to Allah to save this man from falling into that bridge.

Will you, at the same, time pick up an axe and start to chop that bridge?

if your answer is no, you can go on to the next line of my article.

But if the answer is that you will chop down the bridge with a heavy axe while you are hoping the person will arrive safely across the bridge, then I ask you to stop reading this article at once until you realize you are hoping for something absurd.

For those who say no to an answer, here is another question.

If you say to someone “Assalamu Alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,” meaning you wish, and pray for a person that Allah may grant him peace, mercy, and blessing, will you then steal this person? Will you insult him with your tongue?

Will you manipulate him? Backbite and slander him behind his back? Humiliating him in public?

If your answer is yes, isn’t it like you are chopping the bridge at the same time you are hoping for this man to arrive safely?

You know, I will tell you a funny fact: we often find ourselves hoping for the best for ourselves and others while our hands are working for the opposite results.

This lack of self-awareness and disorientating behaviour is eating up civilization in general.

As a Muslim, “Assalamu Alaykum” is one clear example. Let’s start there!

Not Only Words But Actions Too…

Assalamu Alaykum is not a light word; people sometimes treat it as a total substitution for the words “hi” “good evening,” or “hello”.

It is indeed how we, Muslims, greet one another, yet it doesn’t mean just plainly a common greeting.

In this greeting, there is the Name of Allah, which is As-Salam.

That is one of His attributes He frees his servants from all danger and obstruction.

So when we say Assalamu Alaykum, we hope that As-Salam will free the people we greet from danger and obstruction.

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, highlighted the value of this greeting by saying: “You will never enter Paradise until you believe. And you will not believe until you love one another. Certainly, I shall guide you to something that, if you do it, you will love one another: Spread the greetings (of peace) among yourselves.” (Recorded in Muslim)

Prophet Muhammad wants us to spread peace and make a clear spoken declaration that we do hope the As-Salam (peace) will protect everybody from any mischief, exploitation, humiliation, injustice, and calamity.

So let’s see, is it possible if we want our brothers to be protected from any humiliation and exploitation, while at the very same time after we say salam, we insult them and humiliate them in front of others?

It sounds absurd to me, and I hope you feel the same as I do, my dear brother and sister.

We should be aware of whatever comes out of our mouths, and say it sincerely.

If we are aware of the greeting we spread, as it’s not a synonym of just “hi” or “hello”, the words of Salam/peace in our greeting will charge us with some action.

Simply, we will not be the ones who slander our brothers and sisters.