Giving the greeting when entering and leaving a gathering is a sunnah.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) advised giving the greeting when entering a gathering and again when leaving it. Greeting a room as you enter, or as a meeting ends, is a living reflection of this sunnah today.
What does the hadith say?
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، وَمُسَدَّدٌ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرٌ، - يَعْنِيَانِ ابْنَ الْمُفَضَّلِ - عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنِ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، - قَالَ مُسَدَّدٌ سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ - عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِذَا انْتَهَى أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى الْمَجْلِسِ فَلْيُسَلِّمْ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَقُومَ فَلْيُسَلِّمْ فَلَيْسَتِ الأُولَى بِأَحَقَّ مِنَ الآخِرَةِ " .
Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you comes to an assembly, he should give a salutation and if he feels inclined to get up, he should give a salutation, for the former is not more of a duty than the latter
Text: Sunan Abi Dawud, hadith no. 5208. Grade: Hasan Sahih, Hasan, Isnaad Hasan.
What is the hadith source of this sunnah?
This sunnah rests on the following hadith. The reference gives the collection, chapter and number where the hadith appears.
- Abu Dawud, Book of Good Manners, 138-139 (hadith no. 5208)
How this page was prepared: sources and verification method.
More sunnahs in Greetings
As a table with references: Greetings sunnahs.
- Greeting Everyone: Greeting every Muslim, known to you or not, is a sunnah.
- Returning a Greeting Well: A greeting must be returned with at least its like, and if possible with something better.
- Greeting When Entering the Home: Greeting the household as you enter your home brings blessing to it.