Jummah Khutbah: The Sacred Greeting - Spreading Salam in a World Thirsty for Peace
PART ONE - THE FIRST KHUTBAH
Khutbat al-Hajah (The Sermon of Necessity)
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, we seek His help, we seek His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the evil of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whoever Allah leads astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without any partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.
Allah the Almighty said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
"O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]." (Surah Aal 'Imran, 3:102)
And Allah the Almighty said:
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا
"And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs [family ties]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over you, a Watcher." (Surah An-Nisa, 4:1)
And Allah the Almighty said:
اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا
"And fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment." (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:70-71)
إِنَّ أَصْدَقَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ، وَأَحْسَنَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ، وَكُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ
The truest word is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ. The most evil of matters are those that are newly invented, for every newly invented matter is an innovation, every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Hellfire.
أَمَّا بَعْدُ (To proceed...)
The Main Khutbah: The Sacred Greeting - Spreading Salam
O servants of Allah, I enjoin you and myself with the taqwa (consciousness) of Allah - to fear Him in what we say and in what we do, in our gatherings and in our solitude, in our interactions with the known and the unknown. For it is taqwa that elevates a soul, purifies a heart, and transforms a simple greeting into an act of worship that reaches the heavens.
Dear brothers and sisters in faith, every human culture on this earth has a greeting. The English say "Hello." The Germans say "Hallo." The Arabs of the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance) used to greet one another with words that spoke of morning and evening, of time and season. But when Allah sent His final Messenger Muhammad ﷺ with the religion of Islam, He did not merely give us a word to acknowledge one another's presence. He gave us a greeting that is itself a du'a (supplication), a prayer, a wish for peace, a declaration of safety, and a promise of mercy. He gave us the greeting of Salam - السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ - "Peace be upon you."
Consider this, my beloved brothers and sisters: the very name of our religion - Islam - shares the same root as Salam. Both come from the Arabic root س-ل-م (s-l-m), which carries the meanings of peace, safety, submission, and wholeness. Islam is not merely a set of rituals; it is a path of peace - peace with Allah through submission, peace with oneself through purification, and peace with creation through mercy and good character. And the greeting of Salam is the daily, living expression of that peace. Every time we say As-Salamu Alaikum, we are not just saying "hello" - we are declaring the very essence of our faith: may peace be upon you, may safety surround you, may the mercy of Allah envelop you.
Allah the Almighty revealed in His Noble Book:
وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُمْ بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَا أَوْ رُدُّوهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَسِيبًا
"And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant." (Surah An-Nisa, 4:86)
This verse, my brothers and sisters, is profound in its simplicity and revolutionary in its implications. Allah does not merely command us to return a greeting - He commands us to return it with something better. When someone says to you As-Salamu Alaikum (peace be upon you), you may respond Wa Alaikum As-Salam (and peace be upon you also) - fulfilling the obligation. But the verse encourages you to go further: As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah (peace and mercy of Allah be upon you) - adding mercy. And even further: As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh (peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you) - adding blessings. Each addition is an additional supplication, an additional gift, an additional act of love.
The scholars of Islam, drawing from authentic narrations, have explained that the one who says As-Salamu Alaikum earns ten good deeds. The one who adds wa Rahmatullah earns twenty. And the one who completes it with wa Barakatuh earns thirty. SubhanAllah - thirty good deeds for three seconds of speech! Where else in the world can a person accumulate such reward with so little effort? This is the generosity of Allah and the beauty of the Sunnah of His Beloved Messenger ﷺ.
And listen to this magnificent narration from the Prophet ﷺ. A man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and asked: "Which act of Islam is the best?" The Prophet ﷺ replied:
«أَنْ تُطْعِمَ الطَّعَامَ، وَتَقْرَأَ السَّلَامَ عَلَى مَنْ عَرَفْتَ وَمَنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ»
"To feed [the hungry] and to give the greeting of Salam to those whom you know and those whom you do not know." (Sahih al-Bukhari 12; Sahih Muslim 39)
Place this hadith upon the scales of your heart, my dear brothers and sisters. The Prophet ﷺ was asked about the best act in Islam - the absolute finest deed - and he placed the greeting of Salam side by side with feeding the hungry. He did not say the best act is Salah (prayer), though prayer is the pillar of the religion. He did not say the best act is Hajj or Jihad or Zakat, though all of these are magnificent pillars. In this specific context, he said: feed people and greet them with peace - and not just those you know, but those you do not know.
This is revolutionary. In the world before Islam, people greeted only their own tribe, their own family, their own social circle. A stranger was a threat, not a recipient of peace. But the Prophet ﷺ shattered those walls. He taught us that the greeting of Salam knows no boundary of tribe, race, social class, or familiarity. Every Muslim - whether you know them or not, whether they are rich or poor, whether they are from your country or from across the world - is deserving of your Salam. Because every Muslim is deserving of your prayer for their peace.
And consider the profound hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«لَا تَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا، وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا، أَوَلَا أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ؟ أَفْشُوا السَّلَامَ بَيْنَكُمْ»
"You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread the Salam amongst yourselves." (Sahih Muslim 54)
Read this hadith slowly. Let it settle in your heart. The Prophet ﷺ is telling us that spreading Salam is the key to love, and love is the key to true faith, and true faith is the key to Paradise. It is a chain - a spiritual chain that begins with a simple greeting and ends with eternal bliss. When you greet your brother or sister with Salam, you are not just being polite. You are planting a seed of love. And that love grows into faith. And that faith grows into Paradise. All of this from the words As-Salamu Alaikum.
And in another beautiful narration, Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
«إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِاللَّهِ مَنْ بَدَأَهُمْ بِالسَّلَامِ»
"Verily, the closest of people to Allah are those who are the first to give the greeting of Salam." (Sunan Abu Dawud 5197)
The closest to Allah! Not the one who prays the longest, not the one who fasts the most - though these are great - but in this specific context, the one who initiates the greeting. There is a profound wisdom here. To greet first requires humility. It requires you to set aside your ego, to not wait for the other person to acknowledge you first, to not calculate whether they are "worthy" of your greeting. You simply give - you give peace before you receive it. And Allah loves those who give without expectation of return. The one who says Salam first is practicing a form of sadaqah (charity) - the charity of dignity, the charity of warmth, the charity of making another human being feel seen and valued.
And the Prophet ﷺ did not stop at greeting fellow Muslims. He taught us that Salam is the greeting of the people of Paradise. In a magnificent hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said that when the people of Paradise enter Paradise, they will be greeted by Allah Himself with the word Salam. Allah says in the Quran:
تَحِيَّتُهُمْ يَوْمَ يَلْقَوْنَهُ سَلَامٌ
"Their greeting the Day they meet Him will be, 'Peace.'" (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:44)
And the angels will greet the people of Paradise:
وَتَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلَامٌ
"And their greeting therein will be, 'Peace.'" (Surah Yunus, 10:10)
So when you say As-Salamu Alaikum in this world, you are rehearsing the greeting of Paradise. You are training your tongue for the words of the Garden. You are practicing for eternity.
Now, let us turn to a verse that reveals the character of the true believers - the servants of the Most Merciful. Allah the Almighty says:
وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا
"And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace." (Surah Al-Furqan, 25:63)
This verse, my brothers and sisters, is a complete manual for Muslim character. The servants of Ar-Rahman - the Most Merciful - are described by two qualities: they walk with humility and gentleness upon the earth, and when the ignorant speak to them with harshness, they respond with peace. Not with retaliation. Not with anger. Not with matching insult for insult. But with Salam. They answer ignorance with peace. They answer aggression with tranquility. They answer hostility with the words of Paradise.
In a world today that is saturated with conflict, with division, with hostility - both in the public sphere and in our private lives, both on our screens and in our homes - this verse is a healing balm. How often do we allow the harshness of others to pull us into harshness ourselves? How often do we respond to a rude comment with a ruder one? How often do we let the ignorance of the world drag us down to its level? Allah is telling us: no. The believer rises above. The believer answers with peace. The believer is the one who, even when struck with the arrows of ignorance, responds with the shield of Salam.
And the Prophet ﷺ connected Salam to the broader fabric of community and brotherhood. In a powerful hadith, he said:
«أَفْشُوا السَّلَامَ، وَأَطْعِمُوا الطَّعَامَ، وَصَلُّوا بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ، تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِسَلَامٍ»
"Spread the Salam, feed the people, and pray at night while the people are asleep - you will enter Paradise in peace." (Sunan Ibn Majah 3251; Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2485)
Notice how the Prophet ﷺ begins with Salam and ends with Paradise. He begins with the social - greeting one another - and ends with the spiritual - entering the Garden. This is because in Islam, the social and the spiritual are never separate. How you treat people is a direct reflection of your relationship with Allah. The one who spreads Salam is the one whose heart is filled with the peace that comes from knowing Allah, and that inner peace overflows into outer peace - into greetings, into kindness, into mercy.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us reflect on our own lives. How often do we walk past a fellow Muslim - in the masjid, at work, in the school hallway, at the grocery store - and we do not greet them? Perhaps we are too busy. Perhaps we are on our phones. Perhaps we feel shy. Perhaps we think, "I don't know them, so why should I greet them?" But the Prophet ﷺ said to greet those you know and those you do not know. Every Muslim you pass is a soul who deserves your prayer for peace. Every Muslim you encounter is an opportunity for sadaqah, for love, for the chain that leads to Paradise.
And let us reflect on our homes. The Prophet ﷺ taught us to give Salam when we enter our houses. Allah says in the Quran:
فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُمْ بُيُوتًا فَسَلِّمُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةً مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ مُبَارَكَةً طَيِّبَةً
"But when you enter houses, give greetings of peace upon each other - a greeting from Allah, blessed and good." (Surah An-Nur, 24:61)
When you enter your home, say As-Salamu Alaikum. When you wake up and see your spouse, say As-Salamu Alaikum. When your children come home from school, say As-Salamu Alaikum. Let the greeting of peace be the soundtrack of your household. For a home where Salam is spoken is a home where angels dwell. And a home where Salam is forgotten is a home that slowly loses its warmth.
And let us not forget the adab (etiquette) of Salam that the Prophet ﷺ taught us. He said:
«يُسَلِّمُ الرَّاكِبُ عَلَى الْمَاشِي، وَالْمَاشِي عَلَى الْقَاعِدِ، وَالْقَلِيلُ عَلَى الْكَثِيرِ»
"The rider should greet the walker, the walker should greet the seated, and the smaller group should greet the larger group." (Sahih al-Bukhari 6231; Sahih Muslim 2160)
And in another narration:
«وَالصَّغِيرُ عَلَى الْكَبِيرِ»
"And the young should greet the old." (Sahih al-Bukhari 6232)
These teachings are not arbitrary rules - they are lessons in humility and respect. The one on a horse greets the one on foot because the rider is in a position of advantage and must show humility. The young greet the old because respect for elders is a hallmark of Islamic character. The smaller group greets the larger because the one who initiates is the one who is closest to Allah. Every rule of Salam is a lesson in stripping away arrogance and planting seeds of love.
And the Prophet ﷺ taught us that Salam is so sacred that it should not be interrupted by worldly concerns. He said:
«إِذَا لَقِيتَ أَخَاكَ فَسَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِ»
"When you meet your brother, greet him with Salam." And he taught that if a person's Salam is cut off by a wall, a door, or a barrier, they should repeat it when they meet again. Salam is not a throwaway word - it is a covenant of peace between believers.
My dear brothers and sisters, we live in an age where the word "hello" has been reduced to a reflex, a formality, a sound we make without meaning. People say "hi" and "hey" and "hello" without looking up from their screens. But the Muslim is different. The Muslim says As-Salamu Alaikum with intention, with presence, with heart. The Muslim looks the other person in the eye and means it: I pray for your peace. I wish for your safety. I ask Allah to shower you with His mercy and blessings. This is not a greeting - this is a gift. This is not a formality - this is worship.
And the beauty of Islam is that it does not leave even the smallest act without reward. The Prophet ﷺ said:
«كُلُّ سُلَامَىٰ مِنَ النَّاسِ عَلَيْهِ صَدَقَةٌ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ تَطْلُعُ فِيهِ الشَّمْسُ... وَتُهْدِي السَّلَامَ»
"Every joint of a person's body must perform a charity each day the sun rises... and to greet [people] with Salam [is a charity]." (Sahih al-Bukhari 2989; Sahih Muslim 2626)
Every day, your body owes a charity - and one of the forms of that charity is simply greeting people with peace. Your tongue, which Allah gave you as a trust, can earn you reward beyond measure simply by saying As-Salamu Alaikum to those you meet.
So I ask you, my beloved brothers and sisters: when was the last time you greeted someone you did not know? When was the last time you said Salam first, before waiting for the other person to speak? When was the last time you used the full form - As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh - and truly meant every word? When was the last time you entered your home and greeted your family with peace?
Let us make a covenant with Allah today, on this blessed day of Jumu'ah, that we will revive the Sunnah of Salam. That we will be the ones who greet first. That we will greet those we know and those we do not know. That we will let the words of peace flow from our tongues like rivers, watering the dry hearts of our communities. For in a world that is thirsty for peace, the Muslim is the one who carries the water.
May Allah make us among those who spread Salam, who love one another for His sake, and who enter Paradise in peace. Ameen.
PART TWO - THE SECOND KHUTBAH
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَسْلِيمًا كَثِيرًا
All praise is due to Allah - abundant, pure, and blessed praise. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his family, his companions, and all who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
أَمَّا بَعْدُ (To proceed...)
O servants of Allah, fear Allah - ittaqullah - and know that the simplest acts of this religion are often the most powerful. The Prophet ﷺ taught us that the greeting of Salam is not just a word but a bridge - a bridge between hearts, a bridge between strangers, a bridge between this world and the next. Every As-Salamu Alaikum you say is a brick in that bridge. Every time you greet first, you lay another brick. And Allah, by His mercy, may transform that bridge into a path that leads you to Paradise.
Let me leave you with these practical reminders, my brothers and sisters:
First: Make it a habit to greet first. Do not wait for others to speak. Be the one who initiates. Be the one who is closest to Allah.
Second: Greet those you do not know. The stranger at the masjid, the new family in the neighborhood, the person you have never seen before - they all deserve your Salam. You never know how much a single greeting of peace can mean to a lonely heart.
Third: Use the full form of Salam whenever possible: As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. Three more seconds, thirty good deeds, three supplications of peace, mercy, and blessings. What a magnificent transaction with Allah!
Fourth: Greet your family when you enter your home. Let your house be a house of Salam - a house where peace is spoken, where peace is felt, where peace is lived.
Fifth: When the ignorant address you harshly - whether online, at work, or in the street - respond with the character of the servants of Ar-Rahman. Respond with peace. Do not let the ignorance of others steal your peace. Do not let the harshness of the world harden your heart. Be the one who says Salam when the world expects anger.
And remember the words of Allah:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا
"O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice." (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:70)
The tongue is a trust. The greeting of Salam is one of the most beautiful uses of that trust. Do not waste your speech on gossip, on backbiting, on argument. Instead, fill your speech with Salam, with dhikr (remembrance of Allah), with words of kindness and encouragement. For on the Day of Judgment, you will be questioned about every word your tongue uttered - and what a beautiful thing it will be to find that your words were filled with peace.
Indeed, Allah commands justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives, and He forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. (Surah An-Nahl, 16:90)
Du'a (Supplication)
O Allah, make us among the people of Salam - those who spread peace, who love for their brothers and sisters what they love for themselves, and whose hearts are filled with the tranquility that comes from faith in You.
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنَا مِنْ أَهْلِ السَّلَامِ، وَأَحْبِبْنَا إِلَى النَّاسِ كَمَا أَحْبَبْتَنَا إِلَيْكَ
O Allah, make us among the people of peace, and make us beloved to people just as You have made us beloved to You.
O Allah, soften our hearts toward one another. Remove from us arrogance, remove from us jealousy, remove from us the coldness that keeps us from greeting our brothers and sisters. Plant in our hearts the love that the Prophet ﷺ said is the essence of faith.
اللَّهُمَّ أَلِّفْ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِنَا، وَأَصْلِحْ ذَاتَ بَيْنِنَا، وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَىٰ عَدُوِّنَا
O Allah, unite our hearts, reconcile our differences, and grant us victory over our enemies.
O Allah, bless our tongues with the remembrance of You, with the greeting of Salam, with words of truth and kindness. Save us from the fire of gossip, backbiting, and vain speech. Make our speech a means of drawing closer to You.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنَّا عَلَىٰ ذِكْرِكَ، وَشُكْرِكَ، وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
O Allah, help us to remember You, to be grateful to You, and to worship You in the best manner.
O Allah, send Your peace and blessings upon Your servant and Messenger Muhammad ﷺ, upon his family, upon his companions, and upon all who follow his path until the Day of Judgment.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَىٰ نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ
O Allah, send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, upon his family, and upon all his companions.
O Allah, forgive our sins, cover our faults, and grant us entry into Your Paradise - a Paradise whose greeting is Salam, whose inhabitants are at peace, and whose greatest joy is the pleasure of Your face.
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Our Lord, give us in this world good and in the Hereafter good, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:201)
وَآخِرُ دَعْوَانَا أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
And the last of our call is: All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
Note on Sources: All Quranic verses and hadith references cited in this khutbah are drawn from authentic sources in the Sunni tradition, including Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan Ibn Majah, Sunan At-Tirmidhi, and the Holy Qur'an. The Khutbat al-Hajah opening follows the established Sunnah as recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah 1892 and Sunan an-Nasa'i 1578. May Allah accept this effort and make it a source of benefit. Ameen.
