Should the Person Picking Up the Phone Greet First or Speak? New

Who Should Greet First When Answering the Phone?

The issue is whether the person who picks up the phone should greet first or use some form of address. In this matter, the prevailing view is that the person who picks up the phone should say some form of address that is common in their environment and society. In this regard, Sheikh Albani’s stance is the same. Then, the caller should greet the recipient.

To understand this better, consider that when we call someone, sometimes it’s difficult to establish a connection, there might be connection issues, or the person receiving the call or making the call could be a non-Muslim, for whom greeting with Salaam is not permitted in Islam. Hence, there is also the confusion of whether the caller or the person receiving the call should initiate the greeting. So, the best approach is that when we call someone, we should wait for the call to connect. In such cases, the person answering the phone should first say some word of greeting like “Hello”, “Welcome”, “Greetings”, “How may I help you”, “Yes”, or similar, to establish a connection. After that, the caller can begin their conversation with Salaam. If the number is unknown, the caller may introduce themselves before the Salaam, so that the person receiving the call knows whether the caller is a Muslim brother or not. This issue is not related to what is permissible or impermissible but to what is preferred and cautious. However, in my view, there is no significant harm if the person answering the phone directly starts with Salaam, assuming they are certain that the caller is their Muslim brother. Yet, as a matter of caution and preference, the stronger position is that the person receiving the call should first establish contact with a form of address and then the caller should greet Salaam. A supporting Hadith for this position will be presented shortly.

Now, I will also clarify a few doubts. Some have claimed that the word “Hello” should not be used at the beginning of a conversation because it allegedly means “hell-bound.” I have explained this issue in another article. Saying “Hello” has no problem, and it does not mean “hell-bound.” Those who claimed that the British have stopped using this word for such reasons are incorrect. The word “Hello” is still widely used by English speakers, even among the British, just like any other common word.

Some have said that saying “Hello” erases Salaam because the English-speaking world is attempting to eliminate Islamic culture. The answer to this is that no one has made it mandatory to say “Hello.” We do not say it is essential to use this word; we only state that if someone uses it, there is no harm in it. However, for those who argue that starting with Salaam is mandatory, and they bring the Hadith “السلام قبل الكلام” (“Greeting before speech”) as proof, this Hadith will be explained further. But first, let me clarify the ruling on Salaam in Islam. Salaam is not obligatory but recommended in Islam. If someone greets, it becomes obligatory to respond to that greeting.

Furthermore, saying some form of address before Salaam over the phone is similar to someone knocking on a door and asking for permission to enter.

The first Hadith, regarding Salaam before speech:
حدثنا الفضل بن الصباح بغدادي حدثنا سعيد بن زكريا عن عنبسة بن عبد الرحمن عن محمد بن زاذان عن محمد بن المنكدر عن جابر بن عبد الله قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم السلام قبل الكلام وبهذا الإسناد عن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال لا تدعوا أحدا إلى الطعام حتى يسلم قال أبو عيسى هذا حديث منكر لا نعرفه إلا من هذا الوجه وسمعت محمدا يقول عنبسة بن عبد الرحمن ضعيف في الحديث ذاهب و محمد بن زاذان منكر الحديث (سنن ترمذی:٢٦٩٩)
Translation:
Narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Greetings should come before speech.” And in this narration, it is also mentioned that one should not invite anyone to food until they greet.
Imam Tirmidhi said: “This is a weak Hadith, and we only know it from this chain, and I heard Muhammad (Imam Bukhari) say that Anbasa bin Abdul Rahman is weak in narrating Hadith, and Muhammad bin Zadhan is also weak.”
Thus, Imam Tirmidhi declared this Hadith as weak. Sheikh Zubair Ali Zai also classified this Hadith as weak (Anwar al-Sahifah, Da’if Sunan Tirmidhi, 2699).
Sheikh Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) classified this Hadith as fabricated in “Da’if al-Jami'” (3373, 3374).

The second Hadith:
“من بدأ بالكلام قبل السلام ؛ فلا تجيبوه”
Translation:
Whoever speaks before greeting, do not respond to him.

• Abu Hatim declared this Hadith to be false in “Al-‘Ilal” (2/294/2390).
• Abu Zur’ah also did not accept this Hadith in “Al-‘Ilal” (2/332/2517).
• Haythami mentioned in “Al-Majma’” (8/32) that one of the narrators, Harun bin Muhammad Abu al-Tayyib, is a liar.
  Thus, this Hadith is also weak, and it cannot be used as evidence. Even if we were to consider it as authentic, as Sheikh Albani regarded it as hasan, there is still no harm in saying “Hello” or “Welcome” at the beginning of a conversation. This is similar to knocking on a door and asking for permission. This is the position of Sheikh Albani, even though this Hadith was before him, he did not take the meaning that others take who insist on starting with Salaam.

Regarding what the person answering the phone should say, a story of Sheikh Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) is beneficial. It is mentioned by Sheikh Saleh bin Taha Abu Salam in his book Al-Mani’ al-Jamil (1/16-17). He narrates that once Sheikh Albani called me, but I was not at home. My little daughter answered the phone and said, “السلام علیکم ورحمۃ اللہ وبرکاتہ.” Sheikh then inquired about me and asked my daughter to inform me that Sheikh Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani had called. When I returned home, my daughter told me that someone named Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani had called. I immediately called Sheikh Albani back. Sheikh said, “When I tried calling you, your little daughter answered the phone and said, ‘السلام علیکم ورحمۃ اللہ وبرکاتہ.’ Is this an act of certainty or was it a personal decision from the child?”
This was a matter of Sheikh’s humility and wisdom in dawah. When I returned home, I explained to Sheikh that this was the child’s action, and as far as I knew, the person answering the phone should say “Yes,” and the caller should greet Salaam. After that, the person answering would respond to the Salaam, not the other way around.
Sheikh Albani replied, “This is correct. The person calling is like someone knocking on the door, asking for permission. There is no difference.”