Islamic phrase · meaning and usage
Assalamu Alaikum meaning
Also written Assalamu Alaikum, As-salamu Alaykum, Salam Alaikum, Assalamualaikum, Asalam o Alaikum, Salaam
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ
as-salāmu ‘alaykum
“Peace be upon you”
The sound button uses your device’s built-in Arabic voice. It is a computer voice, so use it as a rough guide and learn the exact sounds from a teacher or a reciter.
Assalamu alaikum (السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ) means “peace be upon you”. The reply is wa ‘alaykumus-salām, “and upon you be peace”. The full greeting adds wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh, and each part carries ten rewards.
What Assalamu Alaikum means
As-Salām is one of the names of Allah, and the greeting is a dua for safety and peace from Him. It is said in the plural (‘alaykum) even to one person.
The Qur’an tells believers to answer a greeting with a better one or at least the same (4:86). So the reply should be at least as full as the greeting you received.
Word by word
| Arabic | Say | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| السَّلَامُ | as-salāmu | peace (also a name of Allah) |
| عَلَيْ | ‘alay | upon |
| كُمْ | kum | you (all) |
When to say it
- When you meet a Muslim, and when you leave.
- When you enter a home, even an empty one (24:61).
- At the start of a call, message or talk.
- At the end of the prayer (the taslim), turning right and left.
How to reply
Returning the greeting is required: the Qur’an commands it (4:86). Answer with the same or a fuller form:
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
as-salāmu ‘alaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. (The full greeting.)
Sunan Abi Dawud 5195
وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ
wa ‘alaykumus-salām
And upon you be peace. (The shortest reply.)
وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
wa ‘alaykumus-salām wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh
And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. (The full reply.)
Where it comes from
In the Qur’an
وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍۢ فَحَيُّوا۟ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَآ أَوْ رُدُّوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَسِيبًا
And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant.
لَّيْسَ عَلَى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ حَرَجٌۭ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْأَعْرَجِ حَرَجٌۭ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْمَرِيضِ حَرَجٌۭ وَلَا عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَن تَأْكُلُوا۟ مِنۢ بُيُوتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ ءَابَآئِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ إِخْوَٰنِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَخَوَٰتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَعْمَٰمِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ عَمَّٰتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَخْوَٰلِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ خَٰلَٰتِكُمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكْتُم مَّفَاتِحَهُۥٓ أَوْ صَدِيقِكُمْ ۚ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَأْكُلُوا۟ جَمِيعًا أَوْ أَشْتَاتًۭا ۚ فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُم بُيُوتًۭا فَسَلِّمُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُبَٰرَكَةًۭ طَيِّبَةًۭ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
There is not upon the blind [any] constraint nor upon the lame constraint nor upon the ill constraint nor upon yourselves when you eat from your [own] houses or the houses of your fathers or the houses of your mothers or the houses of your brothers or the houses of your sisters or the houses of your father's brothers or the houses of your father's sisters or the houses of your mother's brothers or the houses of your mother's sisters or [from houses] whose keys you possess or [from the house] of your friend. There is no blame upon you whether you eat together or separately. But when you enter houses, give greetings of peace upon each other - a greeting from Allah, blessed and good. Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses [of ordinance] that you may understand.
In the hadith
A man said “as-salāmu ‘alaykum” and the Prophet ﷺ said “ten”. Another added “wa raḥmatullāh”: “twenty”. Another added “wa barakātuh”: “thirty”.
Sunan Abi Dawud 5195; Jami at-Tirmidhi 2689
“You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you something that will make you love one another? Spread the salam among yourselves.”
Sahih Muslim 54
The rider greets the one walking, the one walking greets the one sitting, the smaller group greets the larger, and the young greet the old.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6231-6234
Common mistakes
- Replying with less. If someone gives the full greeting, the reply should be full too (4:86).
- Shortening it to “slm” or “AOA” in messages. Writing the words in full keeps the dua and its reward.
- Swallowing the l. As-sāmu ‘alaykum, without the l, means “death be upon you”: words some of the Prophet’s opponents used as a trick (Sahih al-Bukhari 6024). Say as-salāmu clearly.
Frequently asked questions
What does assalamu alaikum mean?
It means “peace be upon you”. It is the greeting of Muslims and a dua for peace from Allah.
What is the reply to assalamu alaikum?
Wa ‘alaykumus-salām (“and upon you be peace”). The full reply is wa ‘alaykumus-salām wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh.
Is replying to salam obligatory?
Yes. Qur’an 4:86 commands it. For a group, scholars say one person replying is enough for all, though everyone replying is better.
What is the full salam?
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh: “peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings”. It earns thirty rewards (Abu Dawud 5195).
Who should say salam first?
The rider to the walker, the walker to the one sitting, the smaller group to the larger, and the younger to the older (Bukhari 6231-6234). Anyone may start, and starting is better.
Related phrases
How this page works and sources
Qur’an text and its English meaning are taken from the same Uthmani text and translation the Niyat app uses, and each ayah links to its place in our Qur’an reader. Hadith are cited by collection and number (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami at-Tirmidhi, Sunan an-Nasa’i, Sunan Ibn Majah); where a narration has a weak chain we say so. Hadith wording is summarised in plain English. Where the schools of law differ, the page says so in one line. The sound button uses your browser’s own Arabic voice; nothing is sent anywhere.
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