It is permissible and correct to greet a person praying, but responding verbally to the greeting while in prayer is not allowed; rather, responding with a gesture is Sunnah. Responding verbally to a greeting during prayer has been abrogated.
Evidence Number 1:
عن جابر،قال: ارسلنی رسول اللہ صلٰی اللہ علیہ وسلم ،و ھو منطلق الٰی بنی المصطلق ،فأتیتہ و ہو یصلٰی علی بعیرہ، فکلًمتہ ،فقال لی بیدہ ھکذا ،و أومأ زھیر أیضابیدہ نحو الارض ،و أ نا اسمعہ یقرأ ،یؤمیٔ براسہ،فلمّا فرغ قال: ما فعلت فی الّذی أرسلتک لہ، فانّہ لم یمنعی أن أکلّمک الا أنّی کنت أصلّی.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me to Bani Mustaliq. I came to you ﷺ while you were praying (voluntary) on a camel. I greeted you, and you ﷺ responded with a hand gesture. (Zaheer, the narrator, showed the hand gesture.) I greeted you ﷺ again, and you ﷺ again responded with a hand gesture (Zaheer lowered his hand toward the ground). I was listening to your recitation. You ﷺ were signaling with your head. When you ﷺ finished, you said, “What did you do regarding the task I sent you for?” The only thing that prevented me from speaking was that I was praying.
From this hadith, it is proven that it is permissible for a person praying to be greeted with salam and to respond with a gesture.
Evidence Number 2:
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
خرج رسول اللہ صلٰی اللہ علیہ و سلّم الٰی قبأ یصلّی فیہ ،قال: فجاّتہ الأ انصار،فسلّمو علیہ و ھو ﷺ ؟ قال: فقلت للبلال: رایٔت رسو ل اللہ ﷺ یردّ علیھم حین کانو! یسلّمون علیھ،و ھو ﷺ یصلّی ؟ قال: یقول ھکذا ،و بسطہ کفّہ
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ went out for prayer at Masjid Quba, the Ansar companions came and greeted him with salam while he was praying. Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I asked Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) how the Prophet ﷺ used to respond while in prayer? Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) spread out his palm. (The narrator Ja’far bin Awn showed the inner part of his palm facing downwards and the back of it upwards).
Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) classified this hadith as “Hasan Sahih”
declared it “Sahih”.
Evidence Number 3
عن صھیب أنّہ قال: مررت برسول اللّہ ﷺو ھو یصلّی فسلّمت علیہ ،فرّد اشارہ۔
Sayyiduna Suhaib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was praying, I greeted him with salam, and he responded with a gesture.
Imam Tirmidhi, may Allah have mercy on him, classified this hadith as “Hasan,” while
From these blessed hadiths, it is established that it is permissible and correct for the one praying to be greeted with salam and to respond with a gesture.
Evidence Number 4:
انّ عبداللہ بن عمر علی رجل،و ھو یصلی، فسلّم علیہ فرّدّ الرجل کلاماًً ،فرجع الیہ عبداللہ بن عمر ،فقال لھ: اذا سلّم علی احد کم ،وھو یصلی ،فلا یتکلّم ولیشر بیدہ۔۔
“Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by a man who was praying. He greeted him with salam, and the man responded verbally. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) turned to him and said, ‘When any one of you is greeted with salam while praying, he should not speak but rather respond with a gesture using his hands.'”
Evidence Number 5:
ان عطأ أنّ موسٰی بن عبداللہ بن جمیل الجمحی سلّم علی ابن عبّاس،و ھو یصلی ،فأ خذہ بیدہ۔
Ata ibn Abi Rabah, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that Musa ibn Abdullah ibn Jamil Jamhi greeted Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), who was in prayer, and he held his hand (this was his response to the greeting).
Evidence Number 6
عن ابی مجلز،سٔل عن الرّجل یسلّم علیہ فی الصّلاۃ قال؛ یردّ بشق رأسہ الایمن:
Abu Mujazil (Lahiq ibn Humaid, a Tabi’i), may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about a praying person who is greeted, he said, he responds by gesturing with the right side of his head (while pointing).
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ان شأ أشارہ و أ مّا بالکلام فلا یردّ.
If the praying person wishes, he may respond to the greeting by gesture, but he should not respond verbally.
Warning:
It is narrated from Imam Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Imam Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on them, that their statement is:
اذا ردّ علیہ استقبل الصّلاۃ . ‘‘
The meaning of this statement by those Imams is that if a worshiper knows that responding to the salam verbally in prayer is forbidden and abrogated, yet does so, then he must repeat the prayer, because he has deliberately spoken during the prayer. We also say the same.
Warning:
If, out of ignorance during the prayer, one responds to the salam by saying “Wa Alaikum Assalam,” the prayer will not be invalid.
Objection No. 1:
The Hanafis say that the Prophet’s ﷺ indication was regarding the prohibition of saying salam during the prayer, not about responding to salam.
Answer:
Their baseless statement is invalid because it contradicts the above-mentioned ahadith and reports, which clearly indicate that the prohibition includes responding to salam by gesture during the prayer.
Objection No. 2:
عن عبداللّہ رضی اللّہ عنہ ،قال: کنت أ سلّم علی النّبی صلّی اللّہ علیہ و سلّم ،و ھو فی الصّلوۃ ،فیردّ علّی فلمّا ،رجعنا،سلّمت علیہ فلم یردّ علّی،و قال: انّ فی الصلاۃ شغلاً ‘‘
Syedna Abdullah bin Masood رضي الله عنه narrates that I used to greet the Prophet ﷺ during the prayer, and he ﷺ used to respond to me. Until the time we returned from the Najashi, I greeted the Prophet ﷺ during the prayer, but he ﷺ did not respond. (When this was asked from the Prophet ﷺ), he ﷺ said, “In prayer, one is engaged with (recitation of the Qur’an, remembrance, and supplications).”
Answer:
This hadith is evidence that verbally responding to salam during prayer has been abrogated; this does not negate responding to salam by a hand gesture, rather its permissibility is established by other authentic hadiths.
Objection 3:
Narrated from Syedna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا غرار فی الصلاۃ ولا تسلیم “There is no harm in prayer and salam.”
Imam Hakim has declared this hadith as “Sahih” based on Imam Muslim’s condition, may Allah have mercy on him. Hafiz Zahbi, may Allah have mercy on him, has agreed with this.
Answer:
This hadith is “Da’if” due to the “Tadlees” of Sufyan Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him; the specification of hearing (Sama’) could not be found. Even if it is accepted as “Sahih” and it is interpreted to mean that there is no loss or omission in the prayer and salam, it would imply that salam is not by verbal expression. Responding to salam by gesture is proven by authentic hadiths and the practices of the Companions and the Tabi’in.
Objection 4:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
من اشارۃ فی الصلاتھ اشارۃ تفہم عنہ، فلیعد لھا۔
“Whoever makes a gesture in his prayer that is understood to be directed towards him, he should repeat his prayer.”
Answer:
This hadith is “Da’if”; Muhammad ibn Ishaq (Hasan al-Hadith, trusted by the majority) is a well-known “مد لس” who is narrating indirectly; the specification of hearing (Sama’) is not found. Moreover, it contradicts authentic hadiths.
Objection 5:
Tahawi Hanafi has brought an argument that:
عن ابی سفیان،قال؛ سمعت جابر ارضی رضی اللّہ عنہ یقول: ما أحبّ أن أسلّم علی الرّجل ، و ھو یصلّی ،و لو سلّم علّی لرد د تّ علیہ.
“Abu Sufyan says that I heard Sayyidna Jabir bin Abdullah Al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, saying, ‘I do not like to greet a person who is praying, but if he greets me, then I will return his greeting.'”
Hazrat Zafar Ahmad Thanvi Deobandi says that this Abu Sufyan is Tarif al-Sa’di, who is a strict critic in this matter.
Answer:
We say that Thanvi Sahib has fallen into error and confusion in identifying this narrator; this is not Abu Sufyan Tarif al-Sa’di, rather it is Abu Sufyan Talha bin Nafi’ al-Wasiti. The majority have authenticated him, and he is a narrator of Hasan grade. Tahawi Hanafi says “la raddu t-taslim,” meaning I will return the greeting, which means I will return it after the prayer. For this, he has presented the following evidence:
سأل سلیمان بن موسی عطا ٔ: اسأ لت جابرا عن الرّجل یسلّم علیک ،و انت تصلّی فقال: لا ترد علیہ حتی تقضی صلاتک ؟ فقال: نعم!
Sulaiman bin Musa bin Ata bin Abi Raba was asked whether he had inquired from Sayyid Na Jabir رضي الله عنه about a person who greets you with salam during the state of prayer, and Sayyid Na Jabir رضي الله عنه had said that you should not greet him with salam until you complete the prayer. Ata bin Abi Riyah رحمه الله said, “Yes! (I had asked and he had given this answer.)”
.
However, this narration is “weak.” Regarding one of its narrators, Ali bin Zaid, Imam Ibn Yunus al-Masri رحمه الله states: “There is discussion about him.” The hadith scholars have criticized him.
. Contrary to this criticism, no authentication (tawthiq) has been established for him.
Objection 6:
Hazrat Zafar Ahmad Thanvi Deobandi writes regarding “لسان المیزان” that Muslimah bin Qasim has called him “trustworthy.”
Answer
We say that Muslimah bin Qasim himself is “weak”.
If a person like Thanvi Sahib himself is “weak,” what meaning does it have for him to call someone else “trustworthy”? Thanvi Sahib writes about another narrator of this hadith, Hammam, that he is Hammam bin Munabbih. We ask, what is the evidence that this Hammam is Hammam bin Munabbih?
Summary
When the evidence presented by Imam Tahawi Hanafi became “weak,” then the meaning he conveyed also became weak. The phrase “Lord of the earth” means that I will return the greeting with a gesture, as is evident from the hadith of Jabir in Sahih Muslim and other authentic hadiths and the practices of the Companions. In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) pointed towards the ground with his hand.
Objection 7:
Thanvi Sahib objects to this by writing:
فلو کانت ھذہ الاشارۃ لردّ السلام لکانت الی فوق ،لا الی الارض.
If this gesture was to return the greeting, then the indication would have been upwards, not towards the ground.”
Answer:
Where is it written that the gesture for salam is directed upwards? The understanding of the Muhaddithin will take precedence. The Muhaddithin have understood this issue in the same way we have mentioned, that this was indeed the response to the salam.
Objection 8:
عن جابر بن عبداللہ رضی اللہ عنہ ،قال: بعثنی رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلّم فی حاجۃ لہ ، فانطلقت ،ثمّ رجعت ،وقد قضیتھا ، فا اتیت النّبی صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلّم فسلّمت علیہ ،فلم یردّ علیّ ،فوقع فی قلبی ما اللہ اعلم بہ ، فقلت فی نفسی : لعلّ رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلّم وجد علیّ أنّی أ بطأت علیہ ، ثمّ سلّمت علیہ ،فلم یردّ علیّ، فوقع فی قلبی أشدّ من المرّہ الأولی، ثمّ سلّمت علیہ ،فردّ علیّ ،فقال : انّما منعنی أن أردّ علیک أنّی کنت اصلّی ،و کان علی راحلتھ متوجّھا الی غیر القبلۃ۔
Sayyidna Jabir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ و سلّم sent me on an errand. After completing the task, I came to serve the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ و سلّم and greeted him with salaam, but he did not respond to my greeting. Only Allah knows the state of my sorrow and grief. I thought to myself that perhaps the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ و سلّم was displeased with me because of the delay. Twice I greeted him again, but he did not reply. My heart became even more sorrowful and distressed than before. Then, after he turned away from my greeting, I greeted him once more, and he responded and said, “Indeed, I was prevented from responding to your salaam only by the prayer.”
Janab Thanvi writes
فآنّہ قد صریح فی أنّہ صلی اللہ علیہ و سلّم لم یردّ علی جابر،لا اشارہ ولا لفظاًً ولو کان ردّ علیہ اشارۃ لم یقع فی قلب جابر ما وقع،فتقییدہ بالکلام غیر سدید،و أیضاٍٍ لو کان صلی اللہ علیہ و سلّم ردّ علیہ بالاشارہ لم یحتج الی ردّ علیہ بعد الفراغ ‘کما ھو مذھب من یجیر الردّ با لاشار- ۃ،و قد ثبت أنّھ ردّ علیہ بعد ما انصرف عن صلاتھ ،و ھو الماثور من مذھب الجابر۔۔۔”
In this, it is clear that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) neither responded to Sayyid Na Jabir by gesture nor by words. If the Prophet (peace be upon him) had responded by gesture, Sayyid Na Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) would have felt sorrow and grief in his heart. To restrict this matter to the response to the greeting being by gesture and not by speech is not a strong opinion. Similarly, if the Prophet (peace be upon him) had responded to the greeting by gesture, then what was the need to respond verbally after finishing the prayer? Whoever considers responding to the greeting by gesture permissible, does not do so, because it is established from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that he responded verbally to the greeting after turning away. Sayyid Na Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) also holds this belief.
Answer
Thanvi Sahib’s statement is not based on reality, because in the narration of Sahih Muslim Sharif, it is mentioned that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) responded to Sayyid Na Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) with a hand gesture as a reply to the greeting. This also clarifies the meaning of the narration in Sahih Bukhari, as the hadiths explain each other. As for the issue of why grief arose in the heart of Sayyid Na Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
فیحمل فی حدیث الباب (( فلم یرّد علیّ)) أی باللفظ،، و کان جابر الم یعرف اوّلا أنّ المراد بالاشارۃ الردّ فلذلک قال:فوقع فی قلبی ما اللہ اعلم بہ،أی من الحزن.
“Sayyid Na Jabir’s statement that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not respond to me means that he did not respond verbally; it implies that initially Sayyid Na Jabir did not know that a gesture is considered a response. That is why he said that a sorrow and sadness arose in my heart, which only Allah knows.”
Thanvi Sahib’s statement that not returning the greeting should not be strictly tied to the speech is refuted by the authentic hadith of Sahih Muslim, and other hadiths and narrations also contradict it. As for why the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ felt the need to return the greeting after prayer, the narration clearly shows that Sayyiduna Jabir رضي الله عنه greeted the Prophet ﷺ both during the prayer and after turning away from the greeting. During the prayer, the Prophet ﷺ responded to the greeting with a gesture, and after turning away, he responded verbally. Thanvi Sahib could not understand this simple matter and sought to interpret the hadith.
Zafar Ahmad Thanvi Sahib mentioned that the belief of Sayyidna Jabir رضي الله عنه was that if a greeting (salaam) is said to a person praying, he will respond only after the prayer. The evidence he provided for this is “weak,” as has been explained earlier. Even if we accept Thanvi Sahib’s statement as correct, it would mean that a greeting can be said to a person praying; if he does not respond, there is no harm, and if he responds, it is permissible. He may also respond by gesture. Responding verbally is prohibited. We also do not consider it necessary to respond to the greeting in prayer by gesture; rather, we only consider it permissible.
Objection 9:
عن جابر بن سمرہ، قال: خرج علینا رسولاللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ و سلّم فقال: ما لی أراکم رافعی ایدیکم، کانّھا أدنا ب خیلاشمس؟ اسکنو فی االصّلوۃ۔
Sayyidna Jabir bin Samurah رضي الله عنه reports that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم came to us and said, “What is this? I see you raising your hands like the tails of rebellious horses. Be calm in prayer.”
There is a consensus and agreement among the scholars that this hadith pertains to the Tashahhud and Salaam. As is proven from the second hadith in Sahih Muslim, that when they used to return Salaam in prayer, they would gesture with the right hand, but the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade them from doing so. Returning Salaam in prayer with a gesture is established from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Companions.
If from this hadith the prohibition of returning Salaam in prayer with a gesture is proven, then what answer will the followers of Taqlid give to those hadiths in which the gesture is mentioned? If they say that this hadith proves the abrogation of returning Salaam in prayer with a gesture, then their statement is false and rejected, as proven from the previous evidences. If they say that returning Salaam in prayer with a gesture is contrary to tranquility, then why do they themselves perform Raf’ al-Yadayn (raising of the hands) in Witr and the two Eids? Whatever their answer will be, that will be our answer as well.
