SALAM: A COMMITMENT TO
PEACE AND WELL-WISHING

Among the etiquettes for life taught by Islam, one is that when two people meet, they should greet each other with peace or salam. That is, one person says Assalam Alaykum (Peace be upon you!), and the other replies by saying Walaykum Assalam (And upon you be peace!).

These words are a form of prayer or supplication to God. When a person truly believes in God, this belief nurtures within them a genuine sense of goodwill toward others. This feeling expresses itself in many ways—one of the most evident being the practice of greeting others with words of peace, or salam. The best interpretation of salam is attributed to Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah (d. 198 AH), who said: “Do you know what the salam is? It means: ‘You are safe from me.’” (Bir al-Walidain by al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 45)

This interpretation of salam is very meaningful. It means: In every way, I am a well-wisher of yours. You have no threat from me. I will not create any problems for you. If we converse, I will never speak badly to you. If we have dealings, I will not cheat you or act dishonestly. Rather, I will fulfill your rights over me fully, with justice and honesty. If I have a complaint against you, I will not stray from the path of Truth and become your enemy, seeking to harm you. If I have disagreements with you, I will keep them within the limits of legitimate critique. I will not extend them to fault-finding, blaming, or character assassination.

Assalam Alaykum is not merely a ritualistic phrase. It is, in fact, a commitment to living a principled life. By saying Assalam Alaykum, a person is, in essence, declaring how they will behave in daily life—with peace, security, and well-wishing toward others, rather than conflict or ill-wishing.