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Greetings & goodbyes

Assalamu Alaikum in Arabic

Assalamu alaikum is written السلام عليكم (as-salāmu ʿalaykum) and means "peace be upon you." The full form is السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته, "peace be upon you, and God's mercy and blessings." The reply is وعليكم السلام (wa-ʿalaykum as-salām), "and upon you be peace," ideally extended to match or exceed the greeting.

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ
as-salāmu ʿalaykum

Literally: “peace be upon you”

The Islamic greeting; used daily by Muslims in every Arab country and worldwide
By dialect

Assalamu Alaikum (Peace Be Upon You) across the Arab world

Arabic changes from country to country. Here's what you'll actually hear.

Standard (MSA)السلام عليكمas-salāmu ʿalaykum

The same words everywhere; only the pronunciation shifts by region.

Egyptianالسلام عليكمis-salāmu ʿalēkum

The ay becomes a long ē: ʿalēkum. Often shortened to salāmu ʿalēkum.

Levantineالسلام عليكمis-salāmu ʿalēkum

Also ʿalēkum. Many Levantines use marḥaba as an everyday hello and salām ʿalēkum on entering a room.

Gulfالسلام عليكمas-salāmu ʿalēkum

The default greeting in the Gulf, said on entering any room, majlis or shop.

Darijaالسلام عليكمs-salāmu ʿlīkum

Moroccan Darija: the first vowel of ʿalīkum nearly disappears, giving salāmu ʿlīkum.
Variations

Other ways to say assalamu alaikum (peace be upon you)

ArabicMeaningWhen to use it
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُas-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatu llāhi wa-barakātuh
Peace be upon you, and God's mercy and blessingsThe full, most complete form; common in speeches, letters and formal or warm greetings
السلام عليكم ورحمة اللهas-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatu llāh
Peace be upon you and God's mercyMiddle form; also the words said at the end of the Islamic prayer
سلام عليكمsalāmun ʿalaykum
Peace be upon youWithout the article; the form found in several Quran verses, also used in speech
سلامsalām
Peace / hiShort and casual, common across dialects and standard in Morocco
Replies

How to respond

وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُwa-ʿalaykumu s-salām

And upon you be peace (the basic reply)

وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِwa-ʿalaykumu s-salāmu wa-raḥmatu llāh

And upon you be peace and God's mercy

وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُwa-ʿalaykumu s-salāmu wa-raḥmatu llāhi wa-barakātuh

And upon you be peace, and God's mercy and blessings (the full reply)

Pronunciation

How to say it right

The sounds English speakers find tricky, and how to get them right.

Practise with feedback

  1. The ع in ʿalaykum is a tight squeeze deep in the throat. Don't skip it: "as-salāmu alaykum" without it sounds clearly foreign.

  2. The l of al- merges into the s: say as-sa-LAA-mu, with a doubled s, not al-salāmu.

  3. Raḥmatu has a breathy throat ḥ, like fogging a mirror, different from the plain h in Allāh.

  4. In everyday speech the -u endings fade: as-salām ʿalaykum, wa-ʿalaykum as-salām. Both the full and relaxed versions are correct.

In a sentence

Example sentences

السلام عليكم، كيف حالك؟as-salāmu ʿalaykum, kayfa ḥāluk?

Peace be upon you, how are you?

Standard (MSA)
السلام عليكم يا جماعة، إزيكم؟is-salāmu ʿalēkum ya gamāʿa, izzayyukum?

Peace be upon you, everyone, how are you all?

Egyptian
السلام عليكم، شلونكم؟ عساكم بخير.as-salāmu ʿalēkum, shlōnkum? ʿasākum b-khēr.

Peace be upon you, how are you all? Hope you're well.

Gulf
وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته، تفضل.wa-ʿalaykum as-salām wa-raḥmatu llāhi wa-barakātuh, tfaḍḍal.

And upon you be peace, and God's mercy and blessings. Please, come in.

Levantine
Culture

Using it like a local

As-salāmu ʿalaykum is the greeting taught in Islam, and replying to it is considered a duty. The Quran says: "When you are greeted with a greeting, respond with one better or at least return it" (An-Nisa 4:86). That is why people often add wa-raḥmatu llāh or wa-barakātuh to their reply.

Traditional etiquette, based on hadith, is that the one riding greets the one walking, the walker greets the one sitting, a small group greets a larger one, and the younger greets the older. In practice, whoever enters a room greets those already inside, and one person can greet or answer on behalf of a group.

The plural ʿalaykum is used even when greeting one person. In Arab countries the greeting is part of daily life far beyond the mosque, in shops, offices and on the phone. Many Arab Christians use marḥaba or ahlan instead, while others also use salām ʿalaykum as a general greeting.

FAQ

Assalamu Alaikum (Peace Be Upon You): common questions

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How do you reply to assalamu alaikum?

Say وعليكم السلام (wa-ʿalaykum as-salām), "and upon you be peace." To give a fuller reply, add ورحمة الله وبركاته (wa-raḥmatu llāhi wa-barakātuh). The Quran encourages answering with an equal or better greeting (An-Nisa 4:86).

What is the full form of assalamu alaikum?

The full form is السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته (as-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatu llāhi wa-barakātuh), meaning "peace be upon you, and the mercy of God and His blessings." Its full reply is وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته.

How do you spell assalamu alaikum correctly?

In Arabic it is السلام عليكم. In English letters there's no single official spelling: assalamu alaikum, as-salamu alaykum and salam alaikum are all common. The most accurate is as-salāmu ʿalaykum, which shows the ع sound.

Why is it alaikum (plural) when greeting one person?

Using the plural is the established custom and is seen as respectful and warm. Some scholars also explain it as greeting the person together with the angels who accompany them. Grammatically you could say ʿalayka to one man, but ʿalaykum is what nearly everyone uses.

Can non-Muslims say assalamu alaikum?

Yes. Most Muslims appreciate it when non-Muslims use the greeting respectfully, and in Arab countries it's a normal part of daily courtesy. If someone greets you with it, replying wa-ʿalaykum as-salām is always polite.

Keep learning

Related words & phrases

All words
مرحباHimarḥabaسلامPeacesalāmجَزَاكَ اللهُ خَيْرًاJazakAllah Khairjazāka llāhu khayranبَارَكَ اللهُ فِيكَMay Allah Bless Youbārak allāhu fīkأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِShahadaash-hadu an lā ilāha illā-llāh, wa ash-hadu anna Muḥammadan rasūlu-llāhمع السلامةGoodbyemaʿa as-salāmaمساء الخيرGood Afternoonmasā' al-khayrمساء الخيرGood Eveningmasā' al-khayr

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