Hadith 17

Sahih Muslim

Book 39: The Book of Greetings

Chapter 4

The Prohibition Of Initiating The Greeting With The People Of The Book, And How To Respond To Them

باب النَّهْىِ عَنِ ابْتِدَاءِ، أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ بِالسَّلاَمِ وَكَيْفَ يَرُدُّ عَلَيْهِمْ ‏‏

Sahih Muslim 2167b
وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ، بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَفِي حَدِيثِ وَكِيعٍ ‏"‏ إِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الْيَهُودَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ قَالَ فِي أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ ‏.‏ وَفِي حَدِيثِ جَرِيرٍ ‏"‏ إِذَا لَقِيتُمُوهُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَلَمْ يُسَمِّ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ‏.‏
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Suhail with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording. The hadith transmitted on the authority of Waki', the words are 'When you meet the Jews." And in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Shu'ba, the words are:

'When you meet the People of the Book." And in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Jarir the words are:" When you meet them," but none amongst the polytheists has been mentioned explicitly by name.