عن أبي هريرة ـ رضي الله عنه ـ أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: لا تبدءوا اليهود ولا النصارى بالسلام، فإذا لقيتم أحدهم في طريق فاضطروه إلى أضيقه. رواه مسلم
Narrated by Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه: The messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“Do not initiate the greeting of salaam with the Jews and Christians, and if you meet one of them on the road then let him go to the narrowest part of it.”
Sahih Muslim
It's obvious, those who oppose Islam will get over excited & try to use this particular narration solely to defend their own claims, it doesn't matter as long as they are openly against Islam, but what really matters is that some Muslims, and I mean those weak-hearted ones who say this hadith had brought them a sense of disconcert because they don't want to violate the teachings of the prophet Mohammed صلى الله عليه وسلم meanwhile they don't know what do.
I want to ask them a very simple question, Does the prophet Mohammed صلى الله عليه وسلم say things from his own inclination? if your answer is "no" than there are two possibilities, either you misunderstood the hadeeth, or you've encountered with one of those sceptic hippos who use another version of of the translated hadeeth:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم as saying: Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you and when you meet any one of them on the roads force him to go to the narrowest part of it.
The hadeeth above is from Sahih Muslim book 26 in a chapter called "Prohibition of initiating the greeting of Salaam to the people of scripture, & how their salutation should be responded".
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“Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you"
As I said earlier, any sceptic hippo would favour to use the above translated version of the hadith, it's not wrong, however what is apparent from the statement is that it includes any form of greeting regardless of language or culture. read the following:
لا تبدءوا اليهود ولا النصارى بالسلامDo not initiate the greeting of salaam with Jews & Christians.
Why did the messenger of Allah command not to initiate it with
them?
Book 26 number 5382:
عن ابن عمر أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : " إذا سلم عليكم اليهود فإنما يقول أحدهم : السام عليك فقل : وعليك "
Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم as saying: When the Jews offer you salutations, some of them say as-Sam-u-'Alaikum (death be upon you). You should say (in response to it): Let it be upon you.
Book 26 number 5384
استأذن رهط من اليهود على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالوا : السام عليك ، فقلت : بل عليكم السام واللعنة ، فقال : ( يا عائشة ، إن الله رفيق يحب الرفق في الأمر كله ) . قلت : أولم تسمع ما قالوا : قال : ( قلت : وعليكم ) .
'A'isha reported that:
a group of Jews came to Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and sought his audience and said: As-Sam-u-'Alaikum. A'isha said in response: As-Sam-u-'Alaikum (death be upon you) and curse
also, whereupon Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 'A'isha, verily Allah loes kindness in every matter. She said: Did you bear what they said? Thereupon he said: Did you not hear that I said (to them): Wa 'Alaikum.
"if you meet one of them on the road then let him go to the narrowest part of it"
المعنى : لا تتوسعوا لهم إذا قابلوكم حتى يكون لهم السعة ويكون الضيق عليكم بل استمروا في اتجاهكم وسيركم ، واجعلوا الضيق إن كان هناك ضيق على هؤلاء، ومن المعلوم أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يكن إذا رأى الكافر ( كاليهود الذين في المدينة ) ذهب يزحمه إلى الجدار حتى يرصه على الجدار ولم يفعل ذلك الصحابه رضي الله عنهم بعد فتوح الأمصار .
It means to extent that the way is open for them and you cause restriction to yourself. This does not mean that the Prophet used to do such things on people of scripture such as Arab Jews of Medina, by going and crowding them out of the way so that he would end up against the wall. And Companions did not do that after their conquests of other regions. as this also shows sign & manifestation of the Muslim’s pride.
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :
ألا من ظلم معاهدا أو انتقصه حقه أو كلفه فوق طاقته أو
أخذ منه شيئا بغير طيب نفس منه فأنا حجيجه يوم القيامة
The messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم :
Whoever abuse a contracted (Dhimmi), deprecate his own right, assign him tasks beyond the scope of hid capacity, or forcefully take things from him, I will be his supporter on the Day of Judgement (against the Muslim aggressor).
قال ابن القيم
فإذا تحقق السامع أن الكافر قال له : (السلام عليكم)، فالذي تقتضيه الأدلة الشرعية وقواعد الشريعة أن يقال له : (وعليكم السلام)، فإن هذا من باب العدل والإحسان، وقد قال تعالى : (وإذا حيتم بتحية فحيوا بأحسن منها أو ردوها)
If the listener (Muslim) is certain that a non-Muslim saluted him by saying "As-Salamu Alayk
um" (peace be upon you) what is indicated by the evidence & princibles of Shari'a that the Muslim should say in response "Wa Alaykum-us-Salaam" (peace be upon you too), because that is more just & Allah commanded us to be just & adopting good conduct with others, Allah the Exalted said :
(When you are greeted with a salutation greet with one better than it or return the same)
Extracted from Ahkaam Ahl Al-Dhimma by Ibn Al-Qayyim
Only simple citation from Islamic authorities
Now after all these .... do you have you had any clue about why this article is called what it's called??
