TO GREET

The answer to the Islamic salutation,’Assalam O Alaikum’ [peace be with (or upon) you] is, Wa Alaikum As-Salam’ [and with you (be) the peace, too]. Such mutual greeting begets love. Hadrat Abdullah, the son of the great Caliph, Hadrat Umar, was well aware of this fact. He used to observe that the Apostle of Allah greeted every big and small person he came across. He used to greet even the children whom he met on the way while they played about happily. How could Hadrat Abdullah miss the thing which the prophet (pbuh) was doing habitually? He too showed his utmost zeal in greeting others.

So much was Hadrat Abdullah impressed by the winsome mode of greeting of the Holy prophet (pbuh) that in later life he made it his practice to go to the bazaar, only to find an opportunity to greet people. He greeted every shop-keeper, every destitute person and every passerby whom he came across on the way.

One day a person asked him:
“Hadrat! Every day you come to the bazaar, but, you do not buy anything, nor you sit anywhere. Why do you come out at all, if one could know?

He said:”I come out only to greet the people.”

According to Hadrat Abdullah, visiting bazaar merely for the sake of greeting people was in no way less important than any purposeful visit to bazaar to make purchases.

He said: “I come out only to greet the people.”

According to Hadrat Abdullah, visiting bazaar merely for the sake of greeting people was in no way less important than any purposeful visit to bazaar.

EXERCISES
What was the purpose of Hadrat Abdullah in going to bazaar?
What are the virtues of greetings?
What are the etiquettes of greetings in Islam?

Modesty

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.), was but a child when a portion of the wall of the Ka’ba gave way. People were busy in rebuilding it. Children too were engaged in this job. They were carrying rocks over their shoulders and setting them in the wall. After a while, when their shoulders, started paining, each one of them removed the cloth over his waist, coiled it and placed it over his shoulders as a cushion. Thus they continued to carry the stones over their shoulders.

The Holy Prophet (pbuh) too carried the stones over his shoulders. And his shoulders too began to ache. His uncle, who was seeing the hardship his nephew under went, said to him, “Myson! You too unite your waist-cloth and coil it over your shoulders, so that the burden be less painful”.

In compliance with the advice of his uncle, the beloved prophet (p.b.u.h.) wanted to divest his waist-cloth, but was too modest to bear his nakedness. So sensitive was he in this matter that he swooned the moment he was bout to loosen his garment in accordance with his uncles advice. On observing his extreme bashfulness, the uncle regretted the plain caused to the Holy Prophet by his unscrupulous advice.

EXERCISES
1. Why were the boys carrying the stones?
2. What did the people do when their shoulders were aching?
3. What happened when the uncle gave some orders to the Holy Prophet?