Islamic QuotesA reminder for every moment.

Hadith · EXCERPT

Take the initiative in greeting

Source

Sahih al-Bukhari 6231

Book 79, Hadith 5

English translation on Sunnah.com

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This is an excerpt. Read the complete narration at the linked source.

Source text checked 2026-09-18. Included in a Sahih collection; no separate grading claim added.

What It Means: Reading in Context

Abu Huraira reports guidance about who initiates a greeting. This excerpt retains the first two examples; the narration then says that a smaller group should greet a larger one. These are manners of taking the initiative, not an excuse to withhold a greeting from someone else. This entry comes from Sahih al-Bukhari 6231. The displayed text is an excerpt, not the complete narration. Follow the source link to read the narrator, full wording and in-book reference together. A hadith number identifies the source used here; numbering systems can differ between editions. Being able to inspect a source is important when a short statement is shared outside its original setting. The accompanying reflection is an editorial prompt for everyday conduct. It is not part of the hadith and does not replace explanation from qualified scholarship. Avoid extending a short reminder into a religious ruling that the entry itself does not establish.

REFLECTION · EDITORIAL

Offer a greeting when you arrive or pass someone. Let courtesy begin with you instead of waiting for recognition.

This reflection is not Qur’an, hadith or an authoritative tafsir.
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Related Reminders

Hadith

أَنَّهُ مَرَّ عَلَى صِبْيَانٍ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَقَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَفْعَلُهُ

that he passed by a group of boys and greeted them and said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) used to do so."

Sahih al-Bukhari 6247 · Source checked

English translation on Sunnah.com

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Hadith · EXCERPT

تُطْعِمُ الطَّعَامَ، وَتَقْرَأُ السَّلاَمَ عَلَى مَنْ عَرَفْتَ وَمَنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ

To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not Know

Sahih al-Bukhari 12 · Source checked

English translation on Sunnah.com

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