Umāmah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The people closest to Allah are those who are first to greet others with peace.” 1.

If the person expected to initiate the greeting does not do so, the other should offer it, and they should not abandon the Sunnah.

It is Sunnah for the younger to greet the elder, the smaller group to greet the larger, the rider to greet the person walking, and the person walking to greet the one seated. In the two Sahih collections, Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The rider should greet the person walking, the person walking should greet the one seated, and the smaller group should greet the larger.” Another narration recorded by al-Bukhārī states: “The younger should greet the elder, the passerby should greet the one seated, and the smaller group should greet the larger.”2.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would greet children and be the first to extend greetings of peace to them. This was part of his perfect humility, and it was the practice of the righteous predecessors (may Allah have mercy on them). Muslim narrated in his Sahih that Yasār said: “I was walking with Thābit al-Bunānī when he passed some children and greeted them. Thābit related that he had been walking with Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) when he passed some children and greeted them. Anas related that he had been walking with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) when he passed some children and greeted them.”3.

Initiating the greeting of peace is an emphatically recommended Sunnah. If those offering the greeting are a group, it suffices for one of them to do so on behalf of the others, though it is better if they all offer it. It is also Sunnah to voice the initial greeting loudly enough to ensure that everyone being greeted hears it, in accordance with the hadith: “Spread greetings of peace among yourselves.”