FatwaFederal TerritoriesEthics, Remembrance & Supplication
AL-KAFI #1453 : HUKUM MENJAWAB SALAM YANG BERTULIS
Is it obligatory to reply to a greeting of salam received in writing, such as on WhatsApp?
Short answer
Initiating the salam is a strongly recommended sunnah, while replying to it is obligatory.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Ethics, Remembrance & Supplication
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Initiating the salam is a strongly recommended sunnah, while replying to it is obligatory. If the greeting is addressed to one person, replying is an individual obligation, and if addressed to a group, it is a collective obligation. A shortened written salam such as 'salam' or 'aslmkm' counts as a greeting when the writer intends it as one, though writing the full wording is better and avoids disagreement. According to Imam al-Nawawi, a salam that arrives in writing from an absent person must be answered verbally and immediately once it is read.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Hukum memberi salam asalnya ialah sunat yang sangat dituntut. Adapun menjawabnya adalah wajib.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #1453 : HUKUM MENJAWAB SALAM YANG BERTULIS”, 2 December 2019. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/3846-al-kafi-1453-hukum-menjawab-salam-yang-bertulis. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-on-replying-to-written-salam/