Thursday, November 28, 2019

What It Means - Day 255

"And when you are offered a greeting, respond with a greeting that is better, or return it; such God takes account of all things."
Quran 4:86

Here's another passage from al-Nisa, or "Women," the fourth surah. As Nasr tells us in the Study Quran: "When one is offered a greeting (tahiyyah), which is usually understood to be the proper Islamic greeting, 'Peace be upon you (al-salamu alaykum),' one should respond with a greeting that is better such as, 'And upon you be peace, and the Mercy of God, and His Blessing,' or simply return it, that is, respond in a similar manner by saying, 'And upon you be peace (wa-alaykum al-salaum); or simply, 'And upon you.'" (p. 230) as Muslims we are directed to always return the worse with the better, that is to avoid an eye for an eye approach (as we've discussed previously). This passage is a simpler, everyday version of the same basic Islamic approach, in this case responding with a "better" greeting.


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