peace and blessings be upon him: “When the People of the Book greet you, say: ‘And upon you.’” It has been fully referenced in al-Irwā’ (5/111–118). In my view, responding to them with “And upon you” applies when their greeting is not explicit. Otherwise, one must reciprocate in kind: “And upon you be peace,” in view of the general purport of Allah Most High’s saying: “When you are greeted with a greeting, return it with one better than it, or return it in kind”; and in view of the implication of his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “When the Jews greet you, one of them merely says: ‘Death be upon you’; so say: ‘And upon you.’” It was reported by al-Bukhari (6257), Muslim, and others.

Perhaps this is the basis for what al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar related in al-Fath (11/45) from a group of the early righteous predecessors: that they held it permissible to reply to them, “Upon you be peace,” just as one replies to a Muslim. And Allah Most High knows best.

2243 — “Begin with those in your care, and charity should be given out of surplus wealth.”

Al-Tabarani reported it in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir (3/227/3129), through Abu al-Zubayr, from Abu Salih, the client of Hakim ibn Hizam, from Hakim ibn Hizam, who asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: “Which charity is best?” He said: and then mentioned it.

I say: The narrators in its chain of transmission are trustworthy, apart from Abu Salih. Al-Dhahabi and al-‘Asqalani said: “He is unknown.” Al-Haythami likewise cited this as its defect in al-Majma‘ (3/116), saying: “Al-Tabarani reported it in al-Kabir, but I have found no biographical notice for Abu Salih, the client of Hakim.”

I say: However, he was corroborated by a number of trustworthy narrators in the two Sahihs and elsewhere, as will follow.

A number of scholars have erred regarding this hadith, and this must be pointed out:

First: al-Haythami, in citing it in al-Majma‘, although it is reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim from Hakim ibn