السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ · שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם
as-salāmu ʿalaykum · shalom aleichem
'Peace be upon you.' The same greeting, from the same root, in Arabic and Hebrew. The answer turns it round: 'and upon you be peace'.
Walk into a mosque in Bradford and someone will say as-salāmu ʿalaykum. Walk into a synagogue in Manchester on a Friday night and someone will say shabbat shalom, and the old song Shalom Aleichem welcomes the angels of peace. Walk into a church on Sunday and, at the sign of the peace, the person beside you will say, 'Peace be with you.'
Three buildings, one greeting. Salām and shalom come from the same Semitic root, s-l-m, which carries the idea of wholeness, safety and being at peace.
In scripture
In the Hebrew Bible and Jewish tradition
“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee; The LORD make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”Numbers 6:24-26, JPS 1917In the Hebrew Bible and Jewish tradition
“Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it.”Psalm 34:15, JPS 1917The Talmud teaches that Shalom is one of God's names (Shabbat 10b); Gideon named his altar Adonai-shalom (Judges 6:24).
In the New Testament and Christian tradition
“Jesus came and stood in the middle, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”John 20:19, WEBOn the evening of the resurrection, Jesus greets his frightened disciples with peace.
In the New Testament and Christian tradition
“Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’”Luke 10:5, WEBIn the Qur'an
فَقُلْ سَلَٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ ٱلرَّحْمَةَ
“And when those who believe in Our revelations come unto thee, say: Peace be unto you! Your Lord hath prescribed for Himself mercy, that whoso of you doeth evil through ignorance and repenteth afterward thereof and doeth right, (for him) lo! He is Forgiving, Merciful.”Qur'an 6:54, Pickthall (1930)In the Qur'an
“The (faithful) slaves of the Beneficent are they who walk upon the earth modestly, and when the foolish ones address them answer: Peace.”Qur'an 25:63, Pickthall (1930)In the Qur'an
“He is Allah, than Whom there is no other God, the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One, Peace, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Majestic, the Compeller, the Superb. Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him).”Qur'an 59:23, Pickthall (1930)In the sayings of the Prophet (hadith)
“When God created Adam (peace be upon him), He told him to greet a group of angels and listen to their reply. Adam said, 'Peace be upon you,' and they answered, 'Peace be upon you, and the mercy of God.'”Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6227In the sayings of the Prophet (hadith)
“Asked what is best in Islam, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him) said: to feed people, and to greet with peace those you know and those you do not know.”Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 12In the sayings of the Prophet (hadith)
“You will not believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you something that will make you love one another? Spread the greeting of peace among yourselves.”Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 54How people use it
As hello and goodbye. Muslims greet with as-salāmu ʿalaykum and reply wa ʿalaykumu s-salām; a fuller form adds 'and the mercy of God and His blessings'. In Hebrew, shalom is hello, goodbye and peace in one word, and shalom aleichem is answered aleichem shalom.
In worship. Every Muslim prayer ends by turning the head right and left with the greeting of peace. In church, 'Peace be with you' is shared at the Eucharist. On Friday night, Jewish families sing Shalom Aleichem at the table.
Between neighbours. Many British Muslims, Jews and Christians use each other's greeting as a sign of respect.
What other neighbours say. Christians in Anglican and Catholic churches share the peace with ‘The peace of the Lord be always with you’, answered ‘And also with you’. Sikhs greet each other with Sat Sri Akal, ‘Truth is the Timeless Lord’. A fuller greeting is Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh, ‘the Khalsa belongs to the Wondrous Lord; victory belongs to the Wondrous Lord’. Hindus greet with Namaste, ‘I bow to you’, palms together, or Ram Ram. Every one of them wishes the other well in God’s name.
How it is misheard
Some people hesitate, unsure whether they are 'allowed' to use or return another faith's greeting. A simple answer: if someone greets you with peace, you can reply with peace, in their words or yours.
Muslim scholars have discussed how to greet people of other faiths, and practice varies; many Muslims today greet everyone with peace. Mispronouncing the words is not an insult; mocking them is. The greeting has also been used as a punchline. It deserves better: it is a wish for someone's safety.
Say it
as-sa-LAA-mu a-LAY-kum · sha-LOHM a-LAY-khem
Arabic: stress the long LAA. Reply: wa-a-LAY-ku-mus-sa-LAAM. Hebrew: the 'ch' in aleichem is a soft throat sound, as in Scottish 'loch'.
A moment to reflect
- What would change on your street if everyone greeted each other with a wish for peace?
- What does being ‘at peace’ feel like for you, and when did you last feel it?
- Is it harder to say 'peace' to someone you disagree with? Why?
Do it together
Make a board of 'peace be with you' in every language your group speaks: Arabic, Hebrew, Welsh, Urdu, Polish, Punjabi, Somali. Practise one new greeting a week.
Try greeting a neighbour you have not spoken to before. If you know their greeting, use it. Follow the hadith's advice: greet those you know and those you do not know.
Learn the Friday-night song Shalom Aleichem, which welcomes the angels of peace, from a recording or a Jewish friend. Then learn the Christian sign of the peace and the Muslim salām, and greet each other all three ways.
Go deeper
- Numbers 6, the priestly blessing (Sefaria) · scripture
- John 20, ‘Peace be to you’ (Bible Gateway, WEB) · scripture
- Common Worship: services and prayers (Church of England) · article
Sources (7)
- Qur'an 6:54, 25:63, 59:23: Quran.com
- Adam and the angels' greeting: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6227
- Greet those you know and those you do not: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 12
- Spread the greeting of peace: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 54
- Numbers 6:24–26; Psalm 34:15; Judges 6:24 (JPS 1917): Sefaria
- Shalom as a name of God: Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 10b
- John 20:19; Luke 10:5 (WEB): Bible Gateway