Crtique: What is an Islamic greeting?

[Joseph Islam]

Wa alaikum assalam brother Khalid,

I have shown you with clear evidence from the Quranic verses the expression 'Salamun Alaikum' used. With respect, you have not provided any convincing evidence to the contrary. With utmost respect, I am not interested in an  'Arab history of phonology' or any other Islamic secondary source when the matter is clear cut from the Quran.

Let us simply agree to disagree and let the readers make up their own minds.

Please accept my post as the last on this matter.

Regards,
Joseph

[Sword]

Dear brother Joseph,


May peace be upon you.


I have gone through this thread from the beginning 'til the end, and I am happy to say that I agree with your contentions since you always let the Quran speak and always hold the Quran as the primary source to understand Arabic terms and expressions, and this is my approach as well.


Now I have a simple question to ask you regarding the Islamic greeting. When I use that greeting in my speech, I always say "Salam Alaikum". Please note that I keep the "un" silent, which is the tanween. So my question is, should I pronounce the tanween as well during my everyday usage of the greeting? If I don't pronounce the "un", will it not be Quranic?


My target is to stay Quranic as much as possible.




Reagrds.

[Joseph Islam]

Dear Sword,

May peace be with you too.

The suffix is not necessary, unless you want to use it. If a believer does not part with salutations of peace, then arguably that is 'unquranic' in my humble opinion.

The Quran's primary intention is simply to instruct believers to part with a greeting of peace. It doesn't even need to be in Arabic. As you will have noted, that was also the gist of the article.

Even prophet Muhammad was instructed to say peace to disbelievers (43:88-9). And when one hears vain talk, one is expected to turn away, once again with salutations of peace (28:55)

Salutations of peace (regardless of language or form) is key from a Quranic perspective.

I hope that helps, God willing.
Joseph

[Ismail]

Salaam.

Perhaps, in the heat of this debate, an interesting episode may be of help:

I used to remark to my friends that courteous greetings should be seen in the light of the sincerity behind them, and, that we must take this sincerity for granted, normally, irrespective of the words used in the greeting.

Two of my Urdu-speaking friends - extraordinarily smart ones - diligently planned to corner me in an argument, or, to catch me off-guard.

So, one fine morning, when I happened to meet them, they asked me to tell the meaning of the English greeting, Good Morning.

They expected that I will translate the phrase into Urdu, word for word. Then they could easily and sarcastically dismiss it as by far quite inferior to Assalaamu 'Alaikum.

I said, Good Morning means Assalaamu 'Alaikum.

They were shocked and surprised, and expressed their agitation.

Then, I coolly explained to them that such differences are only a matter of culture. There may be a thousand and one such different words, phrases, and sentences used in the world to express courteous greetings. The spirit behind them is what we must appreciate, and respond to.

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.

[Joseph Islam]

Absolutely brother Ismail. Your sentiments are very true. 

[Sword]

Dear brother Joseph,


Peace be with you.


Thanks for your reply. Yes, that has helped a lot.



Regards.

[Saba]

Salaam

I think Khalid Zia is same person as 'The_Chimp' from free-minds.org.

http://quransmessage.com/forum/index.php?topic=1093.msg4469#new

[Truth Seeker]

Salaam all,

Having read this topic, I must say that Khalid has wasted so much time nit picking with Joseph over  2 phrases, that are in fact both expressing greetings of peace.

Where has his perspective gone?? There are so many pressing and real issues going on for Muslims, those that affect people on a daily basis, yet Khalid has time to get worked up over which phrase the prophet used.

All this fuss over an 'un'. That is what he has made this whole discussion about !