The Salaam
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (radhiAllah anh) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
You will not 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.
—Sahih Muslim 54, Ahmad 2/391, at-Tirmidhi 2513
There is much to be said about the love and brotherhood of Al-Islam but a major component of this which is often overlooked is the Islamic greeting: As-salaam-alaikum. A unique aspect of the Islamic greeting that I have never seen among other countries/peoples is that it is shared by those who you know and those who you do not know.
Narrated from Abd-Allaah ibn Umar that a man asked the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) : What is the best thing in Islam? He said: "Feeding others and giving the greeting of salaam to those whom you know and those whom you do not know."
—Sahih al-Bukhari 12, 28, 6236; Sahih Muslim 39; Ahmad 2/169; Abu Dawood 5494; an-Nasa’i 8/107; ibn Hibbaan 505
Most Western countries are hyper-individualistic. The social focus is on I, me, the individual and only passing or secondary concern is given to the larger group (family, community, society at large). Thus greetings are exchanged between only those people who have some business between them, whether work or play.
By contrast, as Muslims, we’re encouraged to greet ALL Muslims, which fosters an amazing sense of community and goodwill among complete strangers. There is a special thrill from seeing a fellow Muslim "in the wild" and exchanging salaams only for the sake of Allah. You are strangers with no other business between yourselves, maybe you don’t even stop to chat, but you exchange the greeting and that is beautiful.
The Rewards
Reported from Abu Hurayrah (radhiAllah anh) that a man passed by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) whilst he was sitting with some others, and said Salaam alaykum (peace be upon you). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, [He will have] ten hasanaat (rewards). Another man passed by and said Salaam alaykum wa rahmat-Allaah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, [He will have] twenty hasanaat. Another man passed by and said Salaam alaykum wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, [He will have] thirty hasanaat.
—an-Nasa’i in Aml al-Yawm wal-Laylah 368, Sahih al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad 586, Sahih ibn Hibban 493
How many opportunities do we get in the West to attain such a simple reward? Maybe a handful, on Jumuah, if we’re lucky. Unfortunately, some Muslims don’t even return salaams, which can be a little disheartening.
By contrast, in Muslim countries, your neighbors are Muslim, the taxi driver is Muslim, the shopkeepers are Muslim, the street sweepers are Muslim, your professors and teachers are Muslim, etc. You can gain good deeds throughout the day just going about your normal life by greeting your fellow Muslims. And they will return your salaam.
It seems like such a small and simple thing, but giving and returning salaams is one of the rights Muslims have over each other. And I, for one, can use all the extra hasanaat.
Additional Resources
Further Reading: The Importance of Saying Salaam and Returning the Greeting
Short Video: Hello vs As-salamu Alaykum