´It was narrated that Abdullah bin Mas'ud said:` "I used to come to the Prophet (ﷺ) when he was praying, and I would greet him with Salam, he would return my greeting. Then I came to him when he was praying, and he did not return my greeting. When he said the Taslim, he pointed to the people and said: "Allah (SWT) has decreed that in the prayer you should not speak except to remember Allah (SWT), and it is not appropriate for you, and that you should stand before Allah (SWT) with obedience.'"
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
1221. Commentary: This hadith is narrated from Imam Sufyan al-Thawri rahimahullah by his two students, Ibn Abi Ghaniyyah (Yahya ibn Abd al-Malik) and Qasim ibn Yazid. However, the wording of this hadith is that of Qasim ibn Yazid, while Ibn Ghaniyyah narrates this hadith by meaning (not verbatim).
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 1221
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
924. Commentary:
Replying to the greeting (salam) verbally had been abrogated, but replying by gesture is permissible and Sunnah, as will be mentioned in the following ahadith.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 924