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It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed: He who believes in Allah and the Last Day should either utter good words or better keep silence; and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day should treat his neighbour with kindness and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his guest.
(Sahih Muslim 47a, Book 1, Hadith 80)
The Forgotten Beauty and Virtue of Spreading Salaam!
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
A man once passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "Al-salāmu ʿalaykum." The Prophet ﷺ replied: عَشْرُ حَسَنَاتٍ
“Ten good deeds.”
Another man passed and said, "Assalamu alaikum wa raḥmatullah."
The Prophet ﷺ said: عِشْرُونَ حَسَنَةً
“Twenty good deeds.”
Then a third man passed and said, "Assalamu alaikum wa raḥmatullahi wa barakatuhu." The Prophet ﷺ said: ثَلَاثُونَ حَسَنَةً
“Thirty good deeds” (al Adab al Mufrad).
Whoever makes spreading salaam his constant habit will find his scale of good deeds made heavy and his honour greatly increased. And what honour could be greater than for his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, to receive him with peace? Allah says: تَحِيَّتُهُمْ يَوْمَ يَلْقَوْنَهُ سَلَامٌ
“Their greeting on the Day they meet Him will be: Peace” (Qur'an 33:44).
The gates of Paradise will then be opened for them, and the angels will receive them saying: يَقُولُونَ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمُ ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
“Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise because of what you used to do” (Qur'an 16:32).
The people of Paradise themselves will greet one another with peace:
وَتَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلَامٌ
“Their greeting therein will be: Peace” (Qur'an 10:10).
Such is the greeting of peace, dear believers. It is among the means by which you enter Paradise. Sufficient proof of this is the oath of your Prophet ﷺ when he said:
وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ؛ لَا تَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا، وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا، أَوَلَا أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ؟ أَفْشُوا السَّلَامَ بَيْنَكُمْ
“By Him in whose Hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not truly believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salaam among yourselves” (Muslim).
So why do some people treat this magnificent greeting lightly? One passes by his neighbour without saying anything, while another enters his own home without greeting his family. Do they not know that it is a blessed greeting from Allah and that it is a cause of harmony, love, and blessing? Has Allah not said:
فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُمْ بُيُوتًا فَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةً مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ مُبَارَكَةً طَيِّبَةً
“When you enter houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah, blessed and good” (Qur'an 24:61)
That is, a greeting blessed in its effects and wholesome in its meaning? Accordingly, a believer should greet others both when entering upon them and when departing from them. This is what our Prophet ﷺ taught us. He said: إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدُكُمُ الْمَجْلِسَ فَلْيُسَلِّمْ، فَإِنْ بَدَا لَهُ أَنْ يَجْلِسَ فَلْيَجْلِسْ، وَإِذَا قَامَ فَلْيُسَلِّمْ، مَا الْأُولَى بِأَحَقَّ مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ
“When one of you comes to a gathering, let him offer salām. If he sits, then let him sit. When he leaves, let him offer salām again, for the first greeting is no more deserving than the last” (al Adab al Mufrad).
He ﷺ also taught the etiquette of giving salām, saying:
يُسَلِّمُ الصَّغِيرُ عَلَى الْكَبِيرِ، وَالْمَارُّ عَلَى الْقَاعِدِ، وَالْقَلِيلُ عَلَى الْكَثِيرِ
“The younger should greet the older, the one walking should greet the one sitting, and the smaller group should greet the larger group” (Bukhari).
Among the etiquettes of salaam is that you raise your voice sufficiently for it to be heard and that you do not single out one person while excluding others. The scholars have said: "When greeting even one individual, say Assalamu alaikum using the plural form, because the angels are with him. Likewise, the reply should also be in the plural." Therefore, greet everyone. When the Prophet ﷺ was asked, “Which aspect of Islam is best?” he replied:
تُطْعِمُ الطَّعامَ، وَتَقْرَأُ السَّلامَ عَلَى مَنْ عَرَفْتَ وَمَنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ
Kaduna State has fallen:
Ever since Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and his battalion left the state, the momentum that once made Kaduna one of the most economically vibrant and competitive states in Northern Nigeria seems to have faded.
There was a time when Kaduna attracted investments, witnessed massive infrastructure development, improved internally generated revenue, and became a reference point for reforms and urban renewal. Today, many people feel the state has lost direction, with declining public confidence, slower development, and fewer bold policies driving growth and innovation.
Whether people agreed with Mallam’s style of leadership or not, it is difficult to deny that his administration brought energy, vision with young minds and aggressive reforms that kept Kaduna constantly in national discussions for development and economic progress.