LavadaTitheradge: Arabic greeting meaning

2023-09-27T13:43:50Z

Arabic greeting meaning

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{{Short description|Arabic greeting meaning "Peace be upon you"}}
{{redirect2|Salaam|Salam||Salaam (disambiguation)}}
[[File:assalamu-aleykum.svg|thumb|''salamu alaykum'' written in the [[Thuluth]] style of [[Arabic calligraphy]]]]

'''''As-salamu alaykum''''' ({{lang-ar|ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ}}, {{transl|ar|as-salāmu ʿalaykum}}, {{IPA-ar|as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.lej.kum|lang|Ar-السلام_عليكم.oga}}), also written '''''salamun alaykum''''' and typically rendered in English as '''''salam alaykum''''', is a greeting in [[Arabic]] that means 'Peace be upon you'. The {{lang|ar-Latn|salām}} ({{lang|ar|سَلَام}}, meaning 'peace') has become a religious [[salutation]] for [[Muslims]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ahadith.net/bukhari/book/79/chapter/1/hadith/6229 |title=Sayings of the Messenger (s.a.w) – Sahih Al-Bukhari- |publisher=ahadith.net |access-date=2019-03-25}}</ref><ref name="Ccnmtl">{{cite web |url=http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/mmt/mxp/notes/5140.html|title='As-Salaamu-Alaikum' and 'Wa-Alaikum-as-Salaam' |publisher=ccnmtl.columbia.edu |access-date=2013-07-27}}</ref> worldwide when greeting each other, though its use as a greeting pre-dates [[Islam]], and is also common among [[Arabic]] speakers of other religions (such as [[Arab Christians]] and [[Mizrahi Jews]]).

In colloquial speech, often only the first part of the phrase (so: {{lang|ar-Latn|salām}}, 'peace') is used to greet a person. The typical response to the greeting is {{lang|ar-Latn|[[wa alaykumu s-salam|wa ʿalaykumu s-salām]]}} ({{lang|ar|وَعَلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَامُ}}, {{IPA-ar|wa ʔa.lej.kum mus.sa.laːm|lang|Ar-وعليكم_السلام.oga}}, 'and peace be upon you'). The complete phrase is {{lang|ar-Latn|as-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatu -llāhi wa-barakātuh{{smallsup|ū}}}} ({{lang|ar|ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ}}, {{IPA-ar|as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.lej.kum wa.raħ.ma.tu‿ɫ.ɫaː.hi wa.ba.ra.kaː.tu.huː|}}), 'Peace be upon you, as well as the mercy of [[God]] and His blessings'.

This greeting in its abbreviated form, {{lang|ar-Latn|salām}} <ref>{{Cite web |last=assalamu |first=alaikum |title=Assalamu Alaikum सलाम करने के 38 सुन्नते और आदाब In HIndi |url=https://www.irfani-islam.in/2021/11/assalamu-alaikum.html |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=Irfani-Islam}}</ref>({{lang|ar|سَلَام}}), has come to be used as the general salutation in other languages as well.

[[Cognate]] [[Semitic languages|Semitic language]] parallels include the [[Aramaic]]/[[Syriac language|Classical Syriac]] {{lang|syc-Latn|šlāmā ʿalḵōn}} ({{lang|syc|ܫܠܵܡܵܐ ܥܲܠܟ݂ܘܿܢ}}), and the [[Hebrew]] {{lang|he-Latn|[[shalom aleichem]]}} ({{lang|he|שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם}} {{lang|he-Latn|shālôm ʻalêḵem}}).<ref name="auto">{{Cite Merriam-Webster|shalom aleichem|access-date=May 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/amp/english/shalom-aleichem |title=shalom aleichem |work=Collins Dictionary |access-date=May 19, 2018 }}</ref> In Christian denominations that perform [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] or other liturgical services, the priest or pastor and the congregation often use the salutation, "peace be with you", sometimes replying, "and also with you".

==Pronunciation==
The phrase is normally pronounced according to local [[Varieties of Arabic|dialects]] of speakers and is very often shortened.

For example:
* In Egypt: {{IPA-arz|sæˈlæːmu ʕæˈleːku|}}, {{IPA-arz|we ʕæˈleːkom es.sæˈlæːm|}}
* By native English-speaking Muslims: {{IPAc-en|s|æ|l|ɑː|m|uː|_|æ|l|aɪ|k|ʊ|m}}, {{IPAc-en|w|æ|l|aɪ|k|ʊ|m|_|s|æ|l|ɑː|m}}

==Grammatical variants==
The expression commonly uses the second person plural masculine, even when used to address one person. It may be modified by choosing the appropriate [[Arabic grammar#Enclitic pronouns|enclitic pronoun]] to address a person in the masculine and feminine singular form, the dual form, or the feminine plural form. The conjugations are as follows (note: according to the standard pronunciation rules of [[Classical Arabic]], the last short vowel in each word is not pronounced in [[pausa]]):

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
! style="width:20%;"| Gender || style="width:40%;"| Greeting || style="width:40%;"| Response
|-
|rowspan="3"|Singular Masculine ||{{lang|ar|ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ}} ||{{lang|ar|وَعَلَيْكَ ٱلسَّلَامُ}}
|-
|{{IPA-ar|as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.lej.ka|}} || {{IPA-ar|wa.ʕa.lej.ka‿s.sa.laː.mu|}}
|-
|{{transl|ar|as-salāmu ʿalayk{{smallsup|a}}}} || {{transl|ar|wa ʿalayka s-salām{{smallsup|u}}}}
|-
|rowspan="3"|Singular Feminine ||{{lang|ar|ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكِ}} ||{{lang|ar|وَعَلَيْكِ ٱلسَّلَامُ}}
|-
|{{IPA-ar|as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.lej.ki|}} || {{IPA-ar|wa.ʕa.lej.ki‿s.sa.laː.mu|}}
|-
|{{transl|ar|as-salāmu ʿalayk{{smallsup|i}}}} || {{transl|ar|wa ʿalayki s-salām{{smallsup|u}}}}
|-
|rowspan="3"|Dual Unisex ||{{lang|ar|ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمَا}} ||{{lang|ar|وَعَلَيْكُمَا ٱلسَّلَامُ}}
|-
|{{IPA-ar|as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.lej.ku.maː|}} || {{IPA-ar|wa.ʕa.lej.ku.maː‿s.sa.laː.mu|}}
|-
|{{transl|ar|as-salāmu ʿalaykumā}} || {{transl|ar|wa ʿalaykumā s-salām{{smallsup|u}}}}
|-
|rowspan="3"|Plural Masculine ||{{lang|ar|ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ}} ||{{lang|ar|وَعَلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَامُ}}
|-
|{{IPA-ar|as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.lej.kum|}} || {{IPA-ar|wa.ʕa.lej.ku.mu‿s.sa.laː.mu|}}
|-
|{{transl|ar|as-salāmu ʿalaykum}} || {{transl|ar|wa ʿalaykumu s-salām{{smallsup|u}}}}
|-
|rowspan="3"|Plural Feminine ||{{lang|ar|ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُنَّ}} ||{{lang|ar|وَعَلَيْكُنَّ ٱلسَّلَامُ}}
|-
|{{IPA-ar|as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.lej.kun.na|}} || {{IPA-ar|wa.ʕa.lej.kun.na‿s.sa.laː.mu|}}
|-
|{{transl|ar|as-salāmu ʿalaykunn{{smallsup|a}}}} || {{transl|ar|wa ʿalaykunna s-salām{{smallsup|u}}}}
|}

A third-person variant, [[Peace be upon him|''ʿalayhi as-salām'', "peace be upon him"]], is often used by Muslims for prophets other than Muhammad and other holy personalities, such as angels.

== In Islam ==
{{Fiqh|etiquette}}
According to Islamic tradition, the origin of the greeting "Peace be upon you" dates back to the first human, Adam:

[[Abu Huraira]] reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Allah said: Go and greet with peace these groups of assembled angels and listen to how they greet you, for this will be the greeting among your progeny. Adam said: '''Peace be upon you'''. The angels said: '''Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah'''. Thus, they added the mercy of Allah” <ref>Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5873, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2841</ref>

The final Prophet said, “None of you will enter paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you about something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salaam amongst yourselves.” <ref>[Muslim (54), Aḥmad (2/391), and al-Tirmidhī (2513) narrated from Abū Hurairah]</ref>

It is also stated that one should give the Salam greeting upon entering a house. This is based upon a verse of the Quran: "However, when you enter houses, greet one another with a greeting ˹of peace˺ from Allah, blessed and good. This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so perhaps you will understand." ([[An-Nur]] 24:61).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://quran.com/24/61 |title=Surat An-Nur [24:61] - The Noble Qur'an - القرآن الكريم |publisher=Quran.com |access-date=2013-07-27}}</ref>

The phrase appears a total of 7 times in the Quran, each time as ''salamun ʿalaykum'' ({{lang-ar|سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ|link=no}}). In [[Classical Arabic]], used in the [[Quran|Qur'an]] and early [[Hadith manuscripts]], the phrase is spelled as {{lang|ar|ٱلسَّلَٰمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبَرَكَٰتُهُ}}. In [[Rasm]], it is written as {{lang|ar|السلم علىکم ورحمٮ ال‍له وٮرکٮه}}.

* [[Surah]] [[Al-An'am]] (6), [[Ayah]] 54:
{{quote|{{lang|ar|وَإِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِآيَاتِنَا فَقُلْ '''سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ''' ۖ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ ٱلرَّحْمَةَ ۖ أَنَّهُۥ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنكُمْ سُوٓءًۢا بِجَهَالَةٍۢ ثُمَّ تَابَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَنَّهُۥ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ}} 
“When those who have faith in Our signs come to you, say, ‘'''Peace to you!''' Your Lord has made mercy incumbent upon Himself: whoever of you commits an evil [deed] out of ignorance and then repents after that and reforms, then He is indeed All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.’”}}
* Surah [[Al-A'raf]] (7), Ayah 46:
{{quote|{{lang|ar|وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌۭ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱلْأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌۭ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلًّۢا بِسِيمَاهُمْ ۚ وَنَادَوْا۟ أَصْحَابَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ أَن '''سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ''' ۚ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ}} 
“And there will be a veil between them. And on the Elevations will be certain men who recognize each of them by their mark. They will call out to the inhabitants of paradise, ‘'''Peace be to you!'''’ They will not have entered it, though they would be eager to do so.”}}
* Surah [[Ar-Ra'd]] (13), Ayah 24:
{{quote|{{lang|ar|'''سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُم''' بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ ۚ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ}} 
“‘'''Peace be to you''', for your patience.’ How excellent is the reward of the [ultimate] abode!”}}
* Surah [[An-Nahl]] (16), Ayah 32:
{{quote|{{lang|ar|ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ ٱلْمَلَائِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ ۙ يَقُولُونَ '''سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمُ''' ٱدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ}} 
“Those whom the angels take away while they are pure. They say [to them], ‘'''Peace be to you'''! Enter paradise because of what you used to do.’”}}
*Surah [[Maryam (surah)|Maryam]] (19), Ayah 47:
{{quote|{{lang|ar|قَالَ '''سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ''' ۖ سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّي ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِي حَفِيًّۭا}} 
“He said, ‘'''Peace be to you'''! I shall plead with my Lord to forgive you. Indeed He is gracious to me.’”}}
*Surah [[Al-Qasas]] (28), Ayah 55:
{{quote|{{lang|ar|وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا۟ لَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ '''سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ''' لَا نَبْتَغِي ٱلْجَاهِلِينَ}} 
“And when they hear vain talk, they avoid it and say, ‘Our deeds belong to us, and your deeds belong to you. '''Peace be to you'''. We do not court the ignorant.’”}}
*Surah [[Az-Zumar]] (39), Ayah 73:
{{quote|{{lang|ar|وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا '''سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ''' طِبْتُمْ فَٱدْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَ}} 
“Those who are wary of their Lord will be led to paradise in throngs. When they reach it, and its gates are opened, its keepers will say to them, ‘'''Peace be to you'''! You are welcome! Enter it to remain [forever].’”}}

Other variants, such as ''salamun ʿalā'' ({{lang|ar|سَلَامٌ عَلَىٰ}}), or the term ''salam'' ({{lang|ar|سَلَام}}) alone is also mentioned in several other Ayahs of the Qur'an.

==Usage by non-Arabic speakers==
* [[Cognate]] [[Semitic languages|Semitic language]] parallels include the [[Aramaic]]/[[Syriac language|Classical Syriac]] ''šlāmā ʿalḵōn'' (ܫܠܵܡܵܐ ܥܲܠܟ݂ܘܿܢ), and the [[Hebrew]] ''[[Shalom aleichem]]'' ({{lang|he|שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם}} ''shālôm ʻalêḵem'').<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/amp/english/shalom-aleichem|title=shalom aleichem|work=Collins Dictionary|access-date=May 19, 2018}}</ref>
* In [[Iran]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Azerbaijan]] and [[Tajikistan]], ''Salâm'' ({{lang|fa|{{Nastaliq|سلام}}}}) is used alone more frequently, with occasional use of ''Salam-o aleykom'' and the more common ''beh salâmat'' ({{lang|fa|{{Nastaliq|به سلامت}}}}), meaning "[go] with peace". Goodbye is supplanted by a ''Khudâ hâfez'' ({{lang-fa|{{Nastaliq|خدا حافظ}}}}), meaning "with the protection of God".
* In [[Albania]] and [[Kosovo]], a diminutive form in the Albanian language, ''Selamun Alejkem'' or ''Selamun Alejqum'' is rarely used, the 'q' being a voiceless palatal stop typical of [[Turks in the Balkans|Balkan Turkish]] and Thracian Turkish phonology.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://humstatic.uchicago.edu/slavic/archived/papers/Friedman-TurkEncyc.pdf |title=Balkan Turkish in Macedonia and Adjacent Areas |first=Victor A. |last=Friedman |publisher=[[University of Chicago]] |access-date=18 December 2019 |pages=12}}</ref> Similarly, [[Bosniaks]] and [[Macedonian Muslims]] use the phrase "{{lang|bs|selam alejkum}}" ([[Cyrillic]]: {{lang|mk|селам алејкум}}).
* In [[Amharic]], the native [[Amharic]] term ''Selam'' is used in place of ''Tadias'', which is the equivalent of "What's up".
* In [[Turkey]], [[Kazakhstan]] and [[Kyrgyzstan]], many religious people use "''Äs-sälamwaleykum''" or "{{lang|tr|selamun aleyküm}}" and shake hands and it is the same for saying "Hello"; more secular and non-religious people say "''Selam''" and in Kazakhstan say "''Sälem''" or "''Sälemetsız be''" as an equivalent to "Hello" or "Hi". However, many Turks pronounce it differently as "''Selamün aleyküm''".
* In [[Pakistan]], the greeting is also associated with shaking right hands and is also often accompanied with a hug when meeting infrequently (only between the same gender). In some places, people put a hand on their heart as they shake your hand and greet. Also, the full greeting (As-salamu alaykum) is preferred versus the shorter greeting of "salam" or "salamu alaykum". Goodbye is supplanted by a "Khuda Hafiz" or the variation "Allah Hafiz", both of which mean "May God protect you".
* In [[India]], the greeting mostly among Muslims is a simple handshake or hug, As-salamu alaykum ({{Lang-hi|असलम अलैकुम}}) or the shorter greeting "Salam" is used in informal situations. Goodbye is supplanted by a "Khuda Hafiz" or the alternative form "Allah Hafiz" ({{Lang-hi|अल्लाह हफीज|translit=Allāh Hāphêj}}), both of which mean "May God protect you".
* In [[Bangladesh]], Assalamu alaikum ({{lang-bn|আসসালামু আলাইকুম}}) is the most common Muslim greeting.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://files.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/audio/languagelessons/bangladesh/BD_Bangla_Language_Lessons.pdf |title=Introduction to the bangla language |journal=[[Peace Corps]] |page=6 |access-date=18 December 2019}}</ref> Some Muslims greet their elders with these words whilst raising their right hand to the forehead.<ref>{{cite Banglapedia|author=Enamul Haq|article=Customs and Traditions}}</ref> Assalamu alaikum is even used as to say goodbye, while many others say "Khoda Hafez" or "Allah Hafez" ({{Lang-bn|আল্লাহ হাফেজ|translit=Āllāha hāphêj}}) "May God protect you".
* In [[Uzbekistan]] and [[Turkmenistan]], Assalomu aleykum is used as an informal greeting.
* In [[Indonesia]], the greeting is sometimes mixed with other [[Interfaith greetings in Indonesia|greeting phrases of other religions]].
* Shortening the greeting to acronyms, such as ''A.S.'', ''As'kum'' (in [[Malaysia]]), or ''AsA'' is becoming common amongst Internet users in chat rooms and by people using [[Short Message Service|SMS]]. This trend is similar to writing (S) or SAWS in place of [[Peace be upon him (Islam)|''ṣallā llāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam'']].
* In [[Chechnya]] and other parts of the Caucasus, Salamun Alaykum ({{Lang-ce|Саламун алайкум}}) is used to say hello, in [[Ossetia]], a corrupted version of Salam is used ({{Lang-os|Салам}}).
* In [[Senegal]] which has a majority of Muslims with [[Tasawwuf]]-orientation, it is a common greeting. Spelled and pronounced in [[Wolof language|Wolof]]: "a-sala māleykum", with the reply being "må-lekum salām."
* In [[Xinjiang, China]], "Essalam eleykum" is used as a greeting by [[Uyghurs]], and the reply is "We-eleykum essalam".
* In [[Portugal]], the expression [[wikt:salamaleque|Salamaleque]] gained a totally distinct and curious meaning: due to the habit of [[Al-Andalus|Iberian Arabs]] to bow and wave their hand when greeting a person, the expression "Salamaleque" is applied to exaggerated movements or acts in order to appear to be formal, entertaining or fancy. "Os rapazes chegaram cheios de salamaleques".
* In [[Italy]], [[:wikt:salamelecco|''Salamelecco'']] has a similar meaning, referring to excessive courtesy and politeness.
* In [[France]], [[:wikt:salamalec|''salamalec'']] has similar meaning, referring to excessive flattery.
*In [[Malta]], [[wiktionary:is-sliem_għalikom|''Is-sliem għalikom'']] is often used in [[Catholic Church in Malta|Catholic Church]] masses as a way of greeting, often by the priest, as a way of saying "peace be upon you". As the [[Maltese language]] derives from [[Arabic]], it inherited and still uses Arabic terms for religion amongst other things.
*In the [[Maldives]], "{{lang|dv|އައްސަލާމް ޢަލައިކުމް}}" (''assalaam 'alaikum'') is used as a common formal greeting, used similar to "hello".<ref>[https://english2dhivehi.com/ Common Phrases]</ref>
*In [[Nigeria]], the phrase "''assalamu alaikum''" is used as a formal greeting by Muslims.
*In [[Kurdish languages|Kurdish]], the phrase "{{lang|ku|selam eleykum|italic=yes}}" is used as a formal greeting among, often shortened to just "{{lang|ku|selam|italic=yes}}".
* In [[Russia]], Muslims use variations of the phrase, such as "{{lang|ru|салам алейкум}}" ([[Russian language|Russian]]) and "{{lang|tt|салам алайкум}}" ([[Tatar language|Tatar]]).

==See also==

{{columns-list|
* [[Adhan]]
* [[Dhikr]]
* [[Pax (liturgy)|Pax vobiscum]]
* [[Peace be upon him]]
* [[Š-L-M]]
* [[Salawat]]
* [[Shahadah]]
* [[Shalom aleichem]] (equivalent Hebrew phrase)
* [[Tashahhud]]
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.islam-guide.com/ A brief illustrated guide to understanding Islam]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geFK3-y_VK4 How to pronounce As salamu alaykum in Arabic]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBOc-P_bmck How To Pronounce Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh in Arabic]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amKP_xzRaHM How to pronounce Walaikum Assalam in Arabic]

[[Category:Arabic words and phrases]]
[[Category:Arabic words and phrases in Sharia]]
[[Category:Greeting words and phrases]]
[[Category:Islamic honorifics]]
[[Category:Religion and peace]]

As-salamu alaykum - Revision history

LavadaTitheradge: Arabic greeting meaning