Hadith 1

Al-Adab Al-Mufrad

Book 44: The People of the Book

Chapter 512

When a dhimmi writes and gives the greeting, he is answered

بَابُ إِذَا كَتَبَ الذِّمِّيُّ فَسَلَّمَ، يُرَدُّ عَلَيْهِ

Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1101
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بِشْرٍ، قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَكَمُ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنَا عَبَّادٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّادٍ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ الأَحْوَلِ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيِّ قَالَ‏:‏ كَتَبَ أَبُو مُوسَى إِلَى رُهْبَانٍ يُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ فِي كِتَابِهِ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ‏:‏ أَتُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ‏؟‏ قَالَ‏:‏ إِنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيَّ، فَرَدَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ‏.‏
Abu 'Uthman an-Nahdi said, "Abu Musa wrote to a Persian grandee and greeted him in his letter. He was asked, 'Do you greet him when he is an unbeliever?' He replied, 'He wrote to me and greeted me, so I have answered him.'"