Assalamu Alaikum is the standard Muslim greeting. It means peace be upon you. English speakers meet it at a mosque door, in a group chat, or from a colleague, and usually want two things: what it means and what to say back. The wider guide to why Muslims keep Arabic phrases in English covers the habit behind greetings like this one.
What does Assalamu Alaikum mean?
Literally, it is peace be upon you. Wiktionary glosses the equivalent salaam alaikum as a Muslim greeting and gives wa alaikum assalam as the reply. The root word salām carries peace, safety, and soundness, so the greeting asks that the person be safe and whole. It is a wish for well-being, not only for a calm day.
Wikipedia describes it as a greeting of Arabic origin, and records that non-Muslim Arabic speakers use it and that the practice is older than Islam. Muslims use it because it is part of the religion, and because it is simply the ordinary way to open a conversation in many communities.
How is it written and pronounced?
Arabic, with vowel marks: ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ
Common English spellings: Assalamu Alaikum, Assalamualaikum, As-salamu alaykum, and Salaam alaikum. They all point to the same Arabic line, so they belong on this one page.
Transliteration: as-salāmu ʿalaykum.
Approximate pronunciation: as · sa · laa · mu ʿa · lay · kum. The ʿayn in ʿalaykum has no exact English sound; learners usually render it as a light catch in the throat. This page is conversational, not tajwid, so take your pronunciation from a teacher if you want it exact.
The shorter form salām (peace) works as a greeting on its own in many places, which Wikipedia also records. Assalamu Alaikum adds ʿalaykum, meaning upon you.
When do Muslims say it?
On meeting someone, when entering a home, and at the start of a message or call. Many Muslims also use it when parting, though that varies by community.
Two brief reports sit behind the practice. Sunan Abi Dawud 5197 has the Prophet saying that those nearest to Allah are the first to give a salutation, which is why many Muslims greet first rather than wait. Sahih Muslim 54 reports the instruction to spread the greeting of salaam, described as something that fosters love between people.
Meeting someone:
Assalamu alaikum. It is good to see you.
Opening a message or call:
Assalamu alaikum. I was just about to message you.
Entering a home: Quran 24:61 tells believers to greet one another with a greeting from Allah when they enter houses, so many Muslims say it at the door when they come home or visit.
How do you reply to Assalamu Alaikum?
The reply is Wa alaikum assalam, meaning and peace be upon you. Quran 4:86 asks that a greeting be returned with something better than it, or at least equal to it. Because of that instruction, many Muslims answer with the longer form rather than the shortest one.
Wa alaikum assalam.
Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
Adding wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh extends the wish to Allah’s mercy and His blessings. Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2689 (graded Hasan) records the three forms together: as-salamu alaykum on its own, then with wa rahmatullah, then with wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Sunan Abi Dawud 5195 narrates the same report. The narration attaches ten, twenty, and thirty to the three forms. This page reports what the hadith says and does not turn those numbers into a promise about reward.
What is the full greeting?
The expanded form is as-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatu llāhi wa-barakātuh, written in Arabic as ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ. It asks for peace for the person addressed, then adds Allah’s mercy and blessings on top of that wish. People use the long form more in writing and formal settings than in a quick spoken hello.
This page covers the greeting and its reply in one place rather than splitting them across separate articles, because most readers arrive with both questions at once.
Can a non-Muslim say Assalamu Alaikum?
It is an Arabic greeting of peace. Wikipedia records that non-Muslim Arabic speakers use it as well, and that the habit goes back before Islam. So the phrase itself is not a statement of faith. Someone greeting a Muslim friend this way is wishing them peace.
Two reports shape how Muslims handle greeting non-Muslims. Sahih Muslim 2167 says not to initiate the greeting with Jews and Christians before they greet you. Sahih al-Bukhari 6256 narrates a group using a hostile distortion of the greeting, to which the Prophet replied Alaikum (upon you). How a Muslim greets, or answers, a non-Muslim is a legal question with more than one position, and it depends on the setting. This page reports the narrations and leaves the ruling open rather than issuing one.
Assalamu Alaikum and other everyday expressions
Assalamu Alaikum is a greeting, so it does a different job from the reaction phrases. Mashallah admires something good that already is. Inshallah marks a future intention under Allah’s will. Alhamdulillah gives praise or thanks. Ameen seals a dua. SubhanAllah marks wonder and exaltation. Astaghfirullah seeks forgiveness. Assalamu Alaikum opens or closes an encounter and asks peace for the other person. For send-off speech when someone leaves for pilgrimage, see what to say to someone going for Hajj.
Common questions
Is it obligatory to reply?
Quran 4:86 instructs a reply that is better than, or at least equal to, the greeting. How that instruction applies in law, and who carries the duty in a given setting, is a question for qualified scholars. This page reports the verse and leaves the ruling to them.
What does wa alaikum assalam mean?
It means and peace be upon you. It is the mirror of the greeting, returning the same wish for peace to the person who offered it.
Do Muslims say it when parting?
Practice varies. In many places Muslims say it when leaving; in others the goodbye uses a different phrase. The greeting itself does not fix the moment, so follow the people around you.
Why do the English spellings differ?
Assalamu Alaikum, Assalamualaikum, As-salamu alaykum, and Salaam alaikum all point to the same Arabic words. English has no single standard way to write them, so people pick whichever version they met first. Any of those searches should reach this page.
Religious claims on this page stay tied to the checked sources, and open questions stay open. See the sources policy.