Arrival into Madinah: How to Greet the Messenger ﷺ

The following text is taken from Imam al-Nawawī’s “Kītāb al-īdāh fī manāsīk al-Hājj wa-al-‘Umrah” - chapter six concerning the visitation of the Messenger s and Madīnah. According to Imam al-Nawawī, “after he prays the Tahīyya in the Rawda (or anywhere else in the Masjid), in thankfulness to Allah for this bounty, and asking Him for the completion of his mission and for the acceptance of his visit, he should face the wall of the Prophet’s grave, with the Qibla behind him, looking to the lower part of the grave’s wall, lowering his gaze in a state of awe and reverence, emptying his heart of worldly concerns and focusing on the reverent nature of his situation and the status of the one in whose presence he is. Then he gives greetings in a voice neither too loud nor too soft, but with moderation; he says the following:

السلاَمُ عليكَ يا رسولَ الله، السلاَم عليك يا نبيَّ الله، السلاَم عليكَ يا خِيرةَ الله، السلامُ عليكَ يا خَيْرَ خَلْقِ الله، السلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا حَبِيبَ الله، السلامُ عَلَيْكَ يا نذير، السلامَ عليك يا بشيرُ، السلامُ عليكَ يا طُهْرُ، السلامُ عليك يا طاهِرُ، السلامُ عليكَ يا نبيَّ الرحمةِ، السلامُ عليك يا نبي الأَمَّةِ، السلامُ عليك يا أبا الْقَاسِمِ، السلاَمُ عليكَ يا رَسُولَ رب العالمينَ، السلامُ عليك يا سيدَ المُرْسَلينَ ويا خاتَم النَّبيين، السلامُ عليكَ يا خيرَ الخَلائِقِ أجْمَعينَ، السلامُ عليك يا قائد الغُر المُحَجَّلينَ، السَّلامُ عليكَ وَعَلى آلِكَ وأهْلِ بَيْتِكَ وأزواجِكَ وذُريتِكَ وأصحابِكَ أجمعين، السلاَمُ عليكَ وَعَلى سائِرِ الأنبياءِ وجميع عِبادِ الله الصَالحينَ، جَزَاكَ الله يا رَسُولَ الله عَنَّا أَفضَل مَا جَزَى نَبياً وَرَسُولاً عَنْ أُمَتِهِ، وصلى الله عليك كُلَّمَا ذَكَرَكَ ذاكر وغفل عَنْ ذكرِكَ غَافِل، أفْضَلَ وَأكْمَلَ وأطْيَبَ مَا صَلَّى على أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ أجْمَعِينَ.

Assalamu alayka ya Rasul Allah

Allah Peace be upon you O Messenger of Allah

Assalamu alayka ya Nabi Allah

Peace be upon you O Prophet of Allah

Assalamu alayka ya Khiyarat Allah

Peace be upon you O Elect of Allah

Assalamu alayka ya Khayr Allah

Peace be upon you O Goodness of Allah

Assalamu alayka ya Habib Allah

Peace be upon you O Beloved of Allah

Assalamu alayka ya Nadhir

Peace be upon you O Warner

Assalamu alayka ya Bashir

Peace be upon you O Bearer of Glad Tidings

Assalamu alayka ya Tuhr

Peace be upon you O Purity

Assalamu alayka ya Tahir

Peace be upon you O Pure One

Assalamu alayka ya Nabi al-Rahma

Peace be upon you O Prophet of Mercy

Assalamu alayka ya Nabi al-Umma

Peace be upon you O Prophet of the Community

Assalamu alayka ya Abu Qasim

Peace be upon you O Father of Qasim

Assalamu alayka ya Rasul Rabb al-`Alamin

Peace be upon you O Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds

Assalamu alayka ya sayyid al-mursalin wa ya khatam al-nabiyyin 

Peace be upon you O Master of Messengers and Seal of Prophets

Assalamu alayka ya Khayr al-Khala’iqi ajma`in 

Peace be upon you O Best of All Creatures

Assalamu alayka ya Qa’id al-Ghurri al-Muhajjalin 

Peace be upon you O Leader of the Bright-faced ones

Assalamu alayka wa ala Alika wa Ahli baytika wa Azwajika wa Dhurriyyatika wa Ashabika ajma`in 

Peace be upon you and upon your Family, the People of your House, your Wives, your Children, and all your Companions

Assalamu alayka wa ala Sa’ir al-Anbiya’i wa Jami’i Ibad Allah al-Salihin 
Peace be upon you and upon all the Prophets and Allah's righteous servants

Jazak Allahu Ya Rasulallahi ‘anna Afdala jaza Nabiyyan wa Rasulan ‘an Ummatihi 

May Allah reward you, O Messenger of Allah, with the best reward a Prophet or a Messenger ever received on behalf of his community

Wa Sallallahu alayka wa Sallama kulla ma dhakaraka dhakirun wa ghafala ‘an dhikrika ghafilun 

Blessings and Peace of Allah upon you every time one remembers you and every time one fails to remember you

Afdala wa Akmala wa Atyaba ma Salla wa Sallama ala Ahadin min al-Khalqi ajma’in 

With the best, most perfect, and choicest of blessings and peace ever bestowed upon anyone in creation

أشْهَدُ أنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلا الله وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وأشهدُ أنَّكَ عَبْدُهُ ورسوله وَخِيرَتُهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ، وأشْهَدُ أنَّكَ قَدْ بَلَّغْتَ الرسَالة وَأدّيْتَ الأمَانَةَ وَنَصْحَتَ الأَمةَ وَجَاهَدْت في الله حَقَّ جهَادِهِ، اللَّهُمَّ وآتِهِ الوَسيلَةَ والفضيلَة وابعثهُ مَقَاماً مَحْمُوداً الذي وَعَدْتَهُ، وآتَهِ نِهَايةَ ما ينبغي أَنْ يَسْأَلهُ السَّائِلُونَ. اللَّهُمَّ صلِّ على محمد عَبْدِكَ وَرَسُولكَ النَّبيّ الأُمّي وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وأَزْوَاجِهِ وذريته كما صَلّيت على إبْرَاهِيِمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيم وَبَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّد النَّبِيّ الأمَّي وعَلَى آل مُحَمَّدٍ وَأزْوَاجِهِ وذُرِّيَتِهِ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيم وَعَلى آلِ إبراهيم فِي الْعَالِمينَ إنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مجِيدٌ.

Ashhadu an La Ilaha Illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah 

I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah alone, without partner

Wa ashhadu annaka ‘Abduhu wa Rasuluhu wa Khiyaratuhu min khalqihi 

And I bear witness that you are His servant, His Messenger, His Elect among all creatures

Wa ashhadu annaka qad ballaghta al-Risala wa addayta al-Amana wa nasahta al-Umma wa jahadta fillahi haqqa jihadih 

And I bear witness that you have conveyed the Message and fulfilled the trust and counseled the Community and striven for Allah with the most truthful striving

Allahumma atihi al-wasilata wa al-fadilata wa ib’athhu maqaman mahmudan al-ladhi wa`adtah

O Allah! Grant him the Means and the Excellent Gift and Raise him to the Exalted Station You have promised him

Wa atihi nihayata ma yanbaghi an yas'aluhu al-sa’ilun

And grant him the goal of what those who beseech You must beseech for him

Allahumma salli ala Sayyidina Muhammadin `abdika wa rasulika al-Nabiyyi al-Ummi wa ala Ali Sayyidina Muhammadin wa Azwajihi wa dhurriyyatih

O Allah! Send blessings on our Master Muhammad, Your servant and Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, and upon the Family of our Master Muhammad, his Wives and his Children

Kama sallayta ala Sayyidina Ibrahima wa ala Ali Sayyidina Ibrahima 

As you have sent blessings on our Master Ibrahim and on the Family of our Master Ibrahim

Wa barik ala Sayyidina Muhammadin al-nabiyyi al-ummi wa ala Ali Sayyidina Muhammadin wa Azwajihi wa dhurriyyatih

And send benedictions on our Master Muhammad Your servant and Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, and upon the Family of our Master Muhammad, his Wives and his Children

Kama barakta ala Sayyidina Ibrahima wa ala Ali Sayyidina Ibrahima fi al-‘alamina innaka Hamidun Majid

As you have sent benedictions on our Master Ibrahim and on the Family of our Master Ibrahim in the worlds, for You are truly the most praiseworthy and noble.

وَمَنْ عَجَزَ عَنْ حِفْظِ هَذَا أَوْ ضَاقَ وَقْتُهُ عَنْهُ اقْتَصَرَ عَلَى بَعْضِهِ وَأَقلهُ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم.

As for the person who is unable to memorize all of this, [or does not have the time to recite it] it is enough to recite a part of it. At a minimum the words “Assalamu alayka ya Rasul Allah”.

وَجَاءَ عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنَ السلَفِ رَضِيَ الله عَنْهُم الاْقْتِصَارُ جداً فَكَانَ ابنُ عُمَر يقولُ: السلاَمُ عليكَ يَا رَسُولَ الله، السلامُ عَلَيْكَ يا أبا، بكْرٍ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أبتَاه.

وَعَنْ مَالِكٍ رَحِمَهُ الله تَعَالَى أنه كانَ يقولُ: السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أيها النَّبيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ الله وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، ثُمّ إنْ كانَ قَدْ أَوْصَاهُ أَحَدٌ بِالسَّلاَم عَلَى رَسُولِ الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فَلْيقُلْ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يا رسولَ الله مِنْ فُلاَن ابْنِ فُلاَن، أَوْ فُلاَنُ ابنُ فُلاَنٍ يُسَلّمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ الله أَوْ نَحْوَ هَذَا مِنَ الْعِبَارَاتِ، ثُمَّ يتأخرُ إلى صَوْبِ يَمِينِهِ قدر ذراعٍ فَيُسَلّم على أبِي بكْر رَضِيَ الله عَنه لأنَّ رَأْسهُ عِنْدَ مَنكبِ رَسُول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فَيقُولُ: السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يا أبَا بكْرٍ صَفِيّ رسولِ الله وثانيه في الْغَارِ جَزَاكَ الله عَنْ أمةِ نبيه - صلى الله عليه وسلم - خيراً، ثُمَّ يَتَأخّرُ إلى صَوْبِ يمينه قدر ذِراعٍ للسَّلاَمِ عَلَى عُمَرَ رضي الله عَنْهُ فَتقُولُ: السلامُ عَلَيْكَ يا عُمَرُ أعَزَّ الله بِكَ الإِسْلاَمَ جَزَاكَ الله عَنْ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ - صلى الله عليه وسلم - خَيْراً.

Afterwards, if someone has asked you to convey Salams to Allah’s Messenger, say, “Assalamu alayka ya Rasul Allah min “name” ibn “name”. (Greetings to you, O Messenger of Allah, from So-and-so, the son of So-and-so), or a similar greeting. After that, step an arm’s length to the right and sends Salams to Abu Bakr because he stands at the shoulder of Allah’s Messenger, say:

السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يا أبَا بكْرٍ صَفِيّ رسولِ الله وثانيه في الْغَارِ جَزَاكَ الله عَنْ أمةِ نبيه - صلى الله عليه وسلم

Assalamu alayka ya Aba Bakrin safiyya rasulillahi wa thaniyahu fi al-ghari, jazakallahu `an ummat al-nabiyyi khayran, 
Greetings to you, O Abu Bakr, the Intimate Friend of Allah’s Messenger and his second in the Cave! May Allah grant you the best reward on behalf of the Prophet's Community.

Then he steps an arm’s length to the left of his original position, to the space before Umar, saying:

السلامُ عَلَيْكَ يا عُمَرُ أعَزَّ الله بِكَ الإِسْلاَمَ جَزَاكَ الله عَنْ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ - صلى الله عليه وسلم

Assalamu alayka ya ‘umara a`azz allahu bika al-islam, jazak allahu `an ummati muhammadin khayran 

Greetings to you O ‘Umar, Allah has strengthened Islam through you, may Allah reward you well on behalf of the nation of Muhammad.