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To what extent is the statement true that the word "al-Tahiyyat" (greetings/salutations) was not compiled in Arabic language books except in the context of sitting in prayer, and therefore it is impermissible to use it except for Allah Almighty?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Islamic greeting is "As-salamu alaykum" (Peace be upon you), and it is not permissible to deviate from it. The phrase "tahiyyati" (my greetings) can be used after finishing speech, at the end of letters, or after giving the greeting of peace, as "al-tahiyyah" (the greeting) in the Arabic language means "peace."

Sheikh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen clarified that "al-tahiyyat" is a plural of glorification, and the definite article "al-" in it conveys generality. It is pluralized due to the variation in its types. He stated that "al-tahiyyat lillah" (all greetings are for Allah) means that all forms of glorification are for Allah, and thus, no one deserves greetings in an absolute sense except Allah.

He explained that there is no harm in saying: "lak tahiyyati" (my greetings to you) or "ma' al-tahiyyah" (with greetings), because these are specific greetings and not general, whereas greetings in their general and perfect sense belong to Allah alone.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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