حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، عَنْ بَشِيرِ بْنِ سَلْمَانَ، عَنْ سَيَّارٍ أَبِي الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ طَارِقٍ قَالَ: كُنَّا عِنْدَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ جُلُوسًا، فَجَاءَ آذِنُهُ فَقَالَ: قَدْ قَامَتِ الصَّلَاةُ، فَقَامَ وَقُمْنَا مَعَهُ، فَدَخَلْنَا الْمَسْجِدَ، فَرَأَى النَّاسَ رُكُوعًا فِي مُقَدَّمِ الْمَسْجِدِ، فَكَبَّرَ وَرَكَعَ، وَمَشَيْنَا وَفَعَلْنَا مِثْلَ مَا فَعَلَ، فَمَرَّ رَجُلٌ مُسْرِعٌ فَقَالَ: عَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، فَقَالَ: صَدَقَ اللَّهُ، وَبَلَّغَ رَسُولُهُ، فَلَمَّا صَلَّيْنَا رَجَعَ، فَوَلَجَ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ، وَجَلَسْنَا فِي مَكَانِنَا نَنْتَظِرُهُ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ: أَيُّكُمْ يَسْأَلُهُ؟ قَالَ طَارِقٌ: أَنَا أَسْأَلُهُ، فَسَأَلَهُ، فَقَالَ: عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: بَيْنَ يَدَيِ السَّاعَةِ: تَسْلِيمُ الْخَاصَّةِ، وَفُشُوُّ التِّجَارَةِ حَتَّى تُعِينَ الْمَرْأَةُ زَوْجَهَا عَلَى التِّجَارَةِ، وَقَطْعُ الْأَرْحَامِ، وَفُشُوُّ الْقَلَمِ، وَظُهُورُ الشَّهَادَةِ بِالزُّورِ، وَكِتْمَانُ شَهَادَةِ الْحَقِّ

Book [42]: Greetings
Chapter [480]: One who dislikes to greet a particular person in a group

Ḥadīth [1049]: It is reported on the authority of Ṭāriq (may Allāh have mercy upon him) that he said: We were sitting with ‘Abdullāh when his servant came and said: The iqāmah for the prayer has been given. He got up and we got up with him and went to the masjid. He saw people praying and were in rukū’ at the front of the masjid. He joined them saying the takbīr and bowed and we did as he did. Then a man rushed past and said: ‘Peace be upon you, Abū ‘Abdur Raḥmān.’ He (‘Abdullāh) said: ‘Allāh has spoken the truth and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) has conveyed the message.’ When we had prayed, he returned and went into his house. We remained sitting in our places, waiting for him until he came out. We said to each other, ‘which of us will ask him?’ Ṭāriq said: I will ask him, and he did so. ‘Abdullāh replied, (reporting) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) that he said: “Before the Hour people will single out one individual for the greeting, commerce will grow until a women helps her husband in business, people will cut off links with their relatives, knowledge will spread, false testimony will appear, and true testimony will be concealed.”

These matters have been fulfilled exactly in the present era.

Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh bin Mas’ūd’s (may Allāh be pleased with him) saying ‘ṣadaq Allāhu wa rasūluhu’ (Allāh and his Messenger said the truth) in the prayer, was not actually a response to that man, but rather he was expressing humility before Allāh, the Exalted, after seeing the state of the people, (remarking) how quickly the signs of the Day of Judgment are being fulfilled.

• Reference: [8257 (7/574), Fatḥur Rabbānī, Ansarus Sunnah Publications, Lahore (Ur)]

Translated by ‘Imrān (Germany)

(1) When more than one person is present in a place, it is not correct to greet one person specifically and ignore the rest. However, it is permissible to greet someone specific after a general greeting. It is permissible not to respond to someone who gives a specific greeting as a form of admonition.
(2) The other signs of the Day of Judgment mentioned in the ḥadīth have also been fulfilled. The severing of family ties is common, and women are striving to work alongside men in business. And knowledge has spread throughout the East and West in the form of books and computers.

• Reference: [1049 (1/783-784), Al-Adab al-Mufrad, Ansarus Sunnah Publications, Lahore (Ur)]

Translated by ‘Imrān (Germany)

The sunnah is to give the greeting of salām to those we know and those we do not know amongst the Muslims, fulfilling our duties to them and not being miserly as contained in the aḥādīth mentioned earlier. However, when the Hour draws near the people will abandon this sunnah, being undutiful and miserly giving the greeting only to those whom they know!

• Reference: [1049 (1/685-686), Al-Adab al-Mufrad, Dakwah Corner Publications (Eng)]

• Musnad Aḥmad (3870 (6/415-417)) [Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ]
• Musnad Aḥmad (3982 (7/89-90)) [Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ]
• Musnad Aḥmad (3870 (4/65-66)) [Aḥmad Shākir]
• Musnad Aḥmad (3982 (4/107)) [Aḥmad Shākir]
• Silsilah Aḥādīth aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥah (647 (2/246-248); & 2767 (6/633))
• Talkhīṣ al-Jāmi’ al-Kāmil (5496 (2/513); & 15927 (6/301-302))

Grade:

• Ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī (Al-Adab al-Mufrad)
• Ḥasan by Shaykh Dr. Ḍiyā’-ur-Raḥmān al-‘Aẓamī (Talkhīṣ al-Jāmi’ al-Kāmil)
• Isnād ḥasan by Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ (Musnad Aḥmad)
• Isnād ḥasan by Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir (Musnad Aḥmad)