As salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
Hello everyone,
I know saying As salamu alaykum is reserved for Muslims only, and it is only allowed if they say As salamu alaykum. But what about hello?
Isn't it just common courtesy / custom?
JazakAllah khayr! I want this cleared once and for all.
Walaykum asalam warahmatullahi wabarakatahu
Wa iyyak
Ofcourse you can say hello/bye/how are you etc etc to ANYONE its just a form of polite interaction between fellow human beings which is commanded in our deen to be kind and merciful to all of creation including non-muslims i.e everyone.
“Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal with equity”
[al-Mumtahanah 60:8].
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
I say: based on that, kind treatment of neighbours is enjoined and is recommended, whether they are Muslim or not. And this is the right thing to do. Kind treatment may be in the sense of helping or it may be in the sense of being kind, refraining from annoyance and standing by them.
Al-Bukhaari narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Jibreel kept urging me to treat neighbours kindly until I thought that he would make them heirs.”
And it was narrated from Abu Shurayh that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By Allah, he does not believe; by Allah, he does not believe; by Allah, he does not believe.” It was said: O Messenger of Allah, who is that? He said: “The one whose neighbour is not safe from his annoyance.”
This is general in meaning and applies to all neighbours, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) affirmed that the neighbour should not be annoyed by swearing three times and stating that the one who annoys his neighbour is not a believer in the complete sense. So the believer should avoid annoying his neighbour and refrain from doing what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden; he should strive to do that which pleases Him and encourage others to do likewise
(Source
https://islamqa.info/en/128862
And.
https://islamqa.info/en/26721)