Non-Muslim greeting Muslims with As-salamu alaykum (السلام عليكم)
When I encounter Muslims in public, I sometimes greet them with As-salamu alaykum (السلام عليكم). Almost 100% of the time, I get a positive reply back. Worse case is a kind of grunt (like to say oh okay) and then silence. However, most the time, they smile back or say something nice back.
So the questions are...
Is it okay to say As-salamu alaykum to them? (or could it be perceived as me making fun of them in some way?)
Is it okay for me to say this to a Muslim woman? (or is it not appropriate for me, as a single man, to speak with a Muslim woman in public?)
When I encounter Muslims in public, I sometimes greet them with As-salamu alaykum (السلام عليكم). Almost 100% of the time, I get a positive reply back. Worse case is a kind of grunt (like to say oh okay) and then silence. However, most the time, they smile back or say something nice back.
So the questions are...
Is it okay to say As-salamu alaykum to them? (or could it be perceived as me making fun of them in some way?)
Is it okay for me to say this to a Muslim woman? (or is it not appropriate for me, as a single man, to speak with a Muslim woman in public?)