Manners of Greeting

Islam has encouraged that member of society greet each other with Salaam due to love and friendship which it produces. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

 “You will never enter Paradise until you believe, and you will never believe fully until you love each other. Shall I not lead you to something that if you do it, you will love each other? Spread the greetings of ‘Salaam’ amongst yourselves.” [Muslim]

 It is obligatory that one replies if he is greeted with Salaam. Allah (SWT) says:

When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally [4:86]

Islam has also clarified who must initiate the greeting. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

 “A rider should greet a pedestrian, a pedestrian should greet one who is seated, and a smaller group of people should greet a larger.” [al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Manners that relate to the Sitting Place

One should greet those who are present in the gathering, upon entering as well as exiting. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

 “If one of you comes to a gathering, let him greet them with Salaam. If it seems to him that he should sit, then let him sit. When he stands [to leave] then let him greet them [again] with Salaam, for indeed the first one is no more important than the other.” [Abu Dawood & at-Tirmidhi]

People should make room for others. Allah (SWT) says:

O you who believe! When you are told to make room in the assemblies, (spread out and) make room. Allah will give you (ample) room (hereafter). And when you are told to rise up, rise up. Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do. [58:11]

 One should not ask others to stand for them to be seated in their place. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“A person should not cause another to stand from his place and then sit in it, but rather, you should spread out and make room.” [Muslim]

 If a person stands and leaves from his seat, he has more right over it if he returns. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

 “If a person stands from his seat and return to it, he has more right to it.” [Muslim]

One should not part two people sitting together except after seeking permission from both. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

 “It is not permissible for a person to separate two people by sitting between them unless they give permission.” [Abu Dawood & at-Tirmidhi]

One should not talk to someone privately in the presence of a third person. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

 “If you are three, two people should not privately speak without the third until you mix with other people, for that will grieve him.” [al-Bukhari & Muslim]

One should not sit in the middle of a circle or group of people. Hudhaifah reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

 “He who sits in the center of gatherings is cursed.” [Abu Dawood & at-Tirmidhi]

People in a gathering should not busy themselves with nonsense or talk void of the remembrance of Allah or useful discussions of worldly and religious affairs of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

 “No people rise from an assembly in which the name of Allah was not mentioned, except that they are like those who rise from around a donkey’s carcass, and the assembly will be a source of sorrow for them.” [Abu Dawood]

A person should not do anything which his companions in the gathering dislike.

Manners of Gathering

Islam gives consideration to the general feeling of people who gather at any place; so people would desire to gather. Therefore, Islam instructs its followers to be clean; they should not come with a bad odor that bothers others, and they should come well-dressed so that people would not be harmed by his sight. Islam also instructs people to pay attention to the speaker without interrupting him and to sit where they find room without crossing people or causing them any inconvenience. The Prophet (ﷺ) said about the gathering of the Friday Prayer (Jumu`ah):

“Whoever takes a bath on Friday, applies some scent on if any, wears the best of his clothes, then attends Friday prayer without crossing over people’s necks and performs whatever rak’ahs  he is able, and then keeps quiet when the Imam mounts the pulpit until he concludes prayer, his prayer will be an atonement for the whole week preceding that prayer.” [Abu Dawood Ibn Maajah]

If someone sneezes, he should say,

“Alhamdulillaah.”(All praise is due to Allah)

 Those who hear him should say,

 “Yarhamuk-Allahu (may Allah have mercy on you).” The one who sneezes should again reply to them by saying,

“Yahdeekumullaah wa yuslihu baalakum

 (may Allah guide you and improve your heart, your living, and your affairs).

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

 “When one of you sneezes, let him say, Alhamdulillaah,’ and then let his brother or companion say to him “Yahdeekumuk -Allahu,’ and then let him (the one who sneezed) say, “Yahdeekumullaah wa yuslihu baalakum’’’ [al-Bukhari]

 From its manners is what Abu Hurairah (RA) related, that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“When one of you sneezes, let him place his hands on his face and lower his voice.” [al-Haakim]

“When someone feels like yawning, they should try to stop it as much as possible. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Indeed Allah loves sneezes but hates yawns. When one of you sneezes and then thanks and praises Allah, it is his right that every Muslim that hears him says “Yarhamuk-Allah”. As for yawning, it is from Satan, so let a person try to suppress it as much as possible. And if one of you sighs, “Aahh!” [while doing so], Shaytaan laughs.” [al-Bukhari]

 One should not belch in public. Ibn Umar (RA) said:

 “A man belched while in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and so he said to him: ‘Save us from your belching, for the most satiated in this life will be hungry for the longest time on the Day of Resurrection.’ “ [at- Tirmidhi & bin Maajah]

Manners of Conversation

The person should always be attentive to the speaker, without interrupting him, until he finishes. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) started his speech during the Farewell Pilgrimage by saying to one of his companions:

“Ask the people to keep quiet.” [al-Bukhari & Muslim]

 One should speak clearly and adequately explain his intent so p that the listener may understand. `A’ishah, the Prophet’s wife, said:

“The Prophet’s words were clear so that anyone who heard him could understand him.’’ [Abu Dawood]

 The speaker as well as the listener should be cheerful and pleasant in their expressions and speech. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Do not underestimate any good deed, even meeting heard him could understand him.” [Abu Dawood]

your brother with a cheerful face.” [Muslim]

 The Prophet (ﷺ) also said: ”

There is a charity to be given for every joint of the human body (as a sign of gratitude to Allah) everyday the sun rises. To judge justly between two persons is regarded as charity, and to help a man concerning his riding animal by helping him to ride it or by lifting his luggage on to it, is also regarded as charity, and (saying) a good word is also charity, and every step taken on one’s way to offer the compulsory prayer (in the mosque) is also as charity and to remove a harmful thing from the way is also as charity.” [al-Bukhari]