Aslam

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Chapter VI: Seclusion

Hazrat Ayesha reported: A party of the Jews came to the Prophet and said : Sa'm (death) on you The Prophet said : On you too. Hazrat Ayesha said : On you also death and curse. The Prophet then said : O Ayesha. God loves kindness in everything .
Hazrat Ayesha said : Have you not heard what they said ? He said : I also said : On you too The Prophet said : The rider will salute one who walks, one who walks will salute one seated, a small party to the big party, the juniors to the seniors. The Prophet said : Don't follow the Jews and the Christians, because the greeting of the Jewsis hint by fingers and the greeting of the Christains is clapping by hands. The Prophet said : When a man reaches an assembly, he shall salute them. When he thinks good to sit, then he will sit. When he goes away, he will salute them.
The first man has got no greater right than the last. Hazrat Omar said : I heard the Prophet say : When two Muslims meet with each other and one of them greets another and handshakes with him, one hundred mercies are showered on them, ninety for one who first greets and ten for one who handshakes. Hazrat Hasan Basari said : Handshake increases love. The Prophet said : Handshakes among you perfects greeting. The Prophet said . Handshake is like kissing the hand of Muslim to his brother. There is no harm in kissing the hand of a religious man and an honourable man out of respect. Ibn Omar said : We used to kiss the hands of the Prophet. A desert Arab came and said : O Messenger of God, give me permission to kiss his head and hands. On permission being given, he kissed his head and hands. Hazrat Bar'a-b-Ajeb reported that when he saluted the Prophet at the time of ablution, he did not respond to it till he finished his ablution.
Then he responded to him and handshaked with him. He said :
This is the practice of the foreigners. The Prophet said : When two Muslims meet with each other and handshake, their sins fall down.

It is prohibited to bow the head at the time of greeting.
Hazrat Anas said : We asked the Prophet : O Messenger of God, shall we bow our head for one another ? He said : No They said :
Shall we kiss one another ? He said : No They said Shall we

VoI-II Love and Brotherhood 127

Source: Imam Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Islamic Sciences)
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