[Q 723] Passing Salaam: Is it Wajib?

Question

If Zaid asks Bakr to pass his salaam over to certain people but Bakr doesn’t promise to pass it over then is it still wajib to pass over the salaam?

And if Bakr says “inshaa Allah I’ll pass it over” then is he sinful for not doing it?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

There are two scenarios for this question:

(1) If Bakr has not promised Zayd that he will convey his salam to another person, then it is not wajib for him to convey the salam. However, it is better for him to convey the salam, as it is a rewarding act.

(2) If Bakr has promised Zayd to convey the salam, for example, by saying, “In sha Allah, I will convey your salam,” then in this situation, conveying the salam is wajib for him.

Allamah Ibn Abidin Shami رحمۃ اللہ تعالی علیہ states:

”فِي شَرْحِ الْمَنَاوِي عَنْ ابْنِ حَجَرٍ التَّحْقِيقَ أَنَّ الرَّسُوْلَ إِنِ الْتَزَمَهُ أَشْبَهَ الْأَمَانَةَ وَإِلَّا فَوَدِيْعَةٌ“

(Fatawa Shami, vol. 6, p. 415, Dar al-Fikr Beirut)

It is stated in Bahar-e-Shariat: “Conveying salam is wajib when one has undertaken to do so, meaning, if he has said, ‘Yes, I will convey your salam,’ because at that time, this salam is a trust with him, which must be delivered to its rightful recipient. Otherwise, it is akin to a wadi’ah (deposit), and it is not obligatory for him to go there to convey the salam.”

(Bahar-e-Shariat, vol. 3, p. 463)

Answered by: Jahanzaib Madani (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 29th September 2026