The greeting
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Jami at-Tirmidhi 2689; Sunan Abi Dawud 5195
Wa alaikum assalam, and how to reply to salam.
Wa alaikum assalam means "and upon you be peace". It is the reply when someone says assalamu alaikum. Replying is a duty, and the fuller your reply, the greater the reward.
The full replyThe reply
وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
Wa ʿalaykumus-salāmu wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh
And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The reply in full
The short replyReply
وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ
Wa ʿalaykumus-salām
And upon you be peace.
The shortest complete reply
Quran 4:86In the Quran
وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍۢ فَحَيُّوا۟ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَآ أَوْ رُدُّوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَسِيبًا
Wa izaa huyyeetum bitahiy yatin fahaiyoo bi ahsana minhaaa aw ruddoohaa; innal laaha kaana 'alaa kulli shai'in Haseeba
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.
Quran 4:86, Sahih International translation
Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.
Guide
Meaning, use and source.
When someone says assalamu alaikum ("peace be upon you"), you reply wa alaikum assalam ("and upon you be peace"). If they say the full greeting, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, reply with the full form too: wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
Reply with the same or better
Allah says: "When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or at least return it" (Quran 4:86). So if someone says only assalamu alaikum, you can add wa rahmatullah, or wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. If they give the full greeting, the best you can do is return it in full.
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said "as-salamu alaikum". The Prophet ﷺ replied and said "ten". Another said "as-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah", and he said "twenty". A third said "as-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh", and he said "thirty", meaning thirty good deeds (Abu Dawud 5195, Tirmidhi 2689, graded hasan).
Why the salam matters
The Prophet ﷺ said: "You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you something that, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread the salam among you" (Sahih Muslim 54). He also taught that the one riding greets the one walking, the one walking greets the one sitting, and the smaller group greets the larger.
Is replying to salam obligatory?
Hanafi position
Starting the salam is sunnah, and replying is wajib (obligatory). When a group is greeted, one person's reply is enough for all of them, and if nobody replies they all fall short. The reply should be heard by the one who greeted.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Starting the salam is sunnah. Replying is obligatory: on the individual when one person is greeted, and on the group as a whole (fard kifayah) when a group is greeted.
- Maliki and Hanbali
- The same in substance: the reply is obligatory, and one person's reply covers a group.
How people spell it
There is no single English spelling. You will see wa alaikum assalam, walaikum assalam, walaikum salam, walekum salam, waalaikumsalam, wa alaykum as-salam and walikum us salam. All of these are the same Arabic words, وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ. The careful transliteration is wa ʿalaykumus-salām. When writing to someone, any clear spelling is fine. What matters is saying it properly.
When a non-Muslim greets you
The Prophet ﷺ said that when the People of the Book greet you, reply "wa alaikum" ("and upon you") (Sahih al-Bukhari 6258, Sahih Muslim 2163). Many scholars say that if a non-Muslim clearly says a good greeting, you may reply in kind, for example with "and peace be upon you", or simply return their "hello" warmly.
- Quran 4:86, translation by Sahih International.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 5195; Jami at-Tirmidhi 2689, graded hasan.
- Sahih Muslim 54.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 6258; Sahih Muslim 2163.
- Al-Marghinani, al-Hidayah, and Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, Kitab al-Karahiyah, on the salam. The other madhhabs' positions are summarised from their standard manuals.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.
Questions
Good to know.
What is the reply to assalamu alaikum?
Wa alaikum assalam (and upon you be peace). Adding wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh is better, and it is the right reply when you were greeted with the full form.
How do you spell walaikum assalam?
Common spellings are wa alaikum assalam, walaikum salam, walekum salam and waalaikumsalam. They are all the same Arabic phrase, وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ.
What is the reply to assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh?
Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh: and upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Do I have to reply to salam in a group?
If you are in a group and someone greets all of you, it is enough if one person replies. It is better if everyone does.
Can I reply to salam by text message?
Yes. A written salam should be answered, in writing or out loud.