the Messenger of Allah—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—who said, “My son, when you enter upon your family, greet them with peace, for it will be a blessing upon you and your household.”1

Whoever greets others with peace upon entering his home is under the guarantee of Allah Most High—that is, he is the recipient of a guarantee. In Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Abū Umāmah al-Bāhilī relates that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—said, “There are three people, each of whom is under the guarantee of Allah, Mighty and Majestic: a man who sets out to fight in the way of Allah is under the guarantee of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, until He takes his soul and admits him into Paradise, or brings him back with whatever reward and spoils he has acquired; a man who goes to the mosque is under the guarantee of Allah Most High until He takes his soul and admits him into Paradise, or brings him back with whatever reward and spoils he has acquired; and a man who enters his home with the greeting of peace is under the guarantee of Allah, Glorified and Exalted.”2

Ibn Hibbān also narrated it in his Sahīh, with the wording: “There are three people, each of whom is under the guarantee of Allah. If he lives, he will be provided for and his needs will be met; and if he dies, Allah will admit him into Paradise: whoever enters his home and offers the greeting of peace is under the guarantee of Allah; whoever sets out for the mosque is under the guarantee of Allah; and whoever sets out in the way of Allah is under the guarantee of Allah.”3

The words “under the guarantee of Allah” mean that such a person is the recipient of a guarantee. A guarantee entails caring for something. The meaning, therefore, is that he is under Allah’s protection, care, and guidance. How magnificent a gift and how immense a bounty! We ask Allah the Generous for His bounty.