Salâm or Greetings

1. Inculcate the habit of greeting each other by saying  "As salâmu ‘alaykum" and reply by saying "Wa ‘alaykumus salâm".  All other methods of greeting are nonsensical. 2. The person who greets first receives more reward. 3. When a person conveys someone's salâm to you, reply by saying "‘Alayhim wa ‘alaykumus salâm". 4. If one person from a group of people makes salâm, it will suffice on behalf of the rest. Similarly, if one person in a group  replies, it will suffice on behalf of the rest. Additional notes: It is prohibited to bow when greeting by hand. If you are at a distance and you greet someone or  that person greets you, it will be permissible to use your hand.  However, you should also make a verbal salâm or reply.  Muslim children who study in government schools should  not greet in methods that are adopted by the west and non-Muslims. Instead, they should greet the teachers according to the Islamic method (i.e. if the teachers are  Muslims). If the teacher is not a Muslim, one should merely say "salâm" or "As salâmu ‘alâ manit taba'al huda". The words "As salâmu ‘alaykum" should not be used for  the kuffâr. These rules apply to all Muslims.  Bahishti Zewar