DAILY POST #41
“Do not initiate making salam to the Jews and Christians ( I.e when you meet them ),and if you meet them on the road , then force them to go to the narrowest part of the road (I.e not to give them way to pass but one should keep going on the way )”
COMMENTARY
The hadith shows the importance of the following:
1. Not to initiate making salam to the Jews and Christians when we meet them on the road. Though, there are different of opinion between Ulamaa on this matter. Imam Nawawi referred to this in his Shar’h Muslim.
2.It shows that the Muslims wish the disbelievers to convert to Islam and become Muslims like them. The forcing them of going to the narrowest part of the road is to invite them to the straight path which is Islam and to show them that they are on the wrong path. By so doing, the disbelievers will wish to convert to Islam as explained by some ulamaa
3. The superiority of the Muslims over the disbelievers. Allah says in Surah As-Sajda, Verse 18
“Is then he who is a believer like him who is a Faasiq (disbeliever to Allah)? They are not equal” For this reason, we shouldn’t feel inferior to them because of what they have of worldly materials which will vanish sooner or later inshaa Allah.
4. No matter how small the road is, we shouldn’t give them way to pass but they(disbelievers) should give us way first. This is because the messenger of Allah salallahu-alayhi-wasalam used the word:”road”I.e any road whether narrow or wide.
