15/10/2026
The Prophet (peace be upon him) raised people upon virtues and noble character, so that society might become one of mutual love and cooperation demonstrating that noble character traits carry immense reward with Allah.
In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Salam, may Allah be pleased with him, says: "When the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived" meaning came and migrated "to Medina, the people rushed toward him" meaning, people headed in his direction and hurried to see him "and it was said: 'The Messenger of Allah has arrived! The Messenger of Allah has arrived! The Messenger of Allah has arrived!' three times. So I came among the people to look, and when I observed his face" meaning, I saw his features "I knew that his face was not the face of a liar" due to the light, beauty, and genuine dignity visible upon it. "The first thing I heard him say was: 'O people, spread the greeting of peace (salam)'" meaning, disseminate it widely and say it often. "Salam" is one of Allah's names, and spreading this greeting is a means leading to love among Muslims; it is the blessed greeting of this community. The Prophet (peace be upon him) made spreading this greeting which extends universally, not limited to those one knows, in order to be purely for Allah's sake among the best deeds of kindness and honor.
"And feed others" encompassing all forms of feeding, including charity, gifts, and hospitality. "And maintain family ties" referring to all those connected to you by blood relation or kinship, whether through your father or mother; the Noble Quran strongly encourages maintaining these ties and sternly warns against severing them, as Allah says: {And fear Allah, through whom you ask [one another], and the wombs [relations]. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer} [An-Nisa: 1].
"And pray at night while people are sleeping" meaning, perform voluntary night prayers and vigils, as Allah describes His believing servants: {Their sides forsake their beds, [they] invoking their Lord in fear and hope} [As-Sajdah: 16]. One should strive earnestly to maintain night prayer and adopt means that help facilitate it, such as staying away from sins and transgressions, and eating lightly before sleeping.
His statement: "You will enter Paradise in peace" means Paradise will be the reward for whoever performs these qualities sincerely for Allah's sake.
The hadith shows: an encouragement to spread the greeting of peace, both as a verbal greeting and as a behavior among people, and to foster mutual compassion through performing commendable deeds.
It also shows: the command to maintain family ties and not sever them.
It also shows: an illustration of the importance of voluntary night prayers.
Lessons learned:
Simple, universal gestures of goodwill can carry profound spiritual and social weight. Something as basic as greeting others with "salam," extended to strangers and acquaintances alike, is framed as a foundational act of kindness leading to communal love.
Character was judged by the Prophet's followers even before formal teaching began. Abdullah ibn Salam's immediate recognition of sincerity in the Prophet's face, before hearing any words, shows how authentic character can be perceptible through presence and demeanor alone.
Several distinct virtuous practices together form a comprehensive path to Paradise.
The combination of spreading peace, feeding others, maintaining family ties, and performing night prayer illustrates that righteousness involves a holistic range of social and devotional actions, not a single isolated practice.
Maintaining family bonds is treated as a serious religious and moral obligation. The Quranic warning against severing family ties, paired with the hadith's instruction to uphold them, underscores that kinship relationships carry weight beyond personal preference, rooted in divine command.
