Assalamu Alaikum Meaning in Urdu & the Correct Reply
Reviewed by Abrar Iqbal, Islamic scholar (PhD in Islamic research)
Assalamu alaikum means "Peace be upon you." In Urdu: Aap par salaamti ho. The reply is Wa alaikum assalam, "and upon you be peace."
It is the greeting Muslims everywhere use, from a village in Bihar to a mosque in London. And according to the hadith, it is the oldest greeting of all: the one taught to the first human being.
Peace be upon you.
Aap par salaamti ho.
as-salāmu ʿalaykum · the greeting of Islam
How to say it: As-salāmu ʿalaykum. People write it many ways: Assalamu alaikum, Asalam o alaikum, Assalamualaikum, Salam alaikum. The reply is written Wa alaikum assalam, Walaikum assalam, Wa alaikumus salam.
Assalamu alaikum in Urdu and Hindi
آپ پر سلامتی ہو · اور آپ پر بھی سلامتی ہو
आप पर सलामती हो · और आप पर भी सलामती हो
Assalamu alaikum, and the reply Wa alaikum assalam · Urdu and Hindi
In Hindi script: अस्सलामु अलैकुम and the reply व अलैकुमुस्सलाम.
Word by word
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning | In the book |
|---|---|---|---|
| السَّلَامُ | as-salāmu | peace (the peace) | #138 salām · 42× |
| عَلَيْكُمْ | ʿalaykum | upon you (all) | ʿalā (upon) + kum (you) |
ʿAlaykum is plural, "upon you all". It is normally used even when greeting one person, a bit like the respectful aap in Urdu. The reply swaps the order: wa ʿalaykum as-salām, "and upon you be peace".
The full greeting and its reward
| You say | Meaning | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| As-salāmu ʿalaykum | Peace be upon you | ten |
| … wa raḥmatullāh | … and the mercy of Allah | twenty |
| … wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh | … and the mercy of Allah and His blessings | thirty |
Imran ibn Husain narrated that a man came and said as-salāmu ʿalaykum; the Prophet ﷺ returned it and said "Ten." Another came and added wa raḥmatullāh: "Twenty." A third added wa barakātuh: "Thirty" (Abu Dawud 5195, graded sahih by al-Albani; Tirmidhi 2689).
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah, and His blessings.
Aap par salaamti ho, aur Allah ki rehmat aur us ki barkatein.
Raḥma (mercy) is word #285 in our list, one of the most common words of the Quran (114 times).
How to reply: the Quran's rule
When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it or return it. Lo! Allah taketh count of all things.
Aur jab tumhein salaam kiya jaaye to tum us se achha jawaab do ya unhi alfaaz ko lauta do, be-shubah Allah Ta'ala har cheez ka hisaab lene wala hai
Surah An-Nisa · 4:86
So the minimum reply is the same words back: wa ʿalaykum as-salām. Better is to add more: wa ʿalaykum as-salām wa raḥmatullāh, or wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh. You can see this in a hadith: when the Prophet ﷺ told Aisha that Jibril was sending her salam, she replied wa ʿalayhis-salāmu wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh, "and upon him be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3217). Returning salam is also one of the rights a Muslim has over another (Sahih Muslim 2162).
The first salam: Adam and the angels
The Prophet ﷺ said that when Allah created Adam, He told him to go and greet a group of angels and listen to their reply, "for that will be your greeting and the greeting of your offspring." Adam said as-salāmu ʿalaykum, and they replied as-salāmu ʿalayka wa raḥmatullāh, adding wa raḥmatullāh (Sahih al-Bukhari 6227).
Every time you say salam, you are using the words of Adam, and the angels' reply was already "better than it", the way the Quran later taught.
Salam in the Quran
Allah told the Prophet ﷺ to greet the believers who came to him with salām:
…say: Peace be unto you!
…(yun) keh dijiye ke tum par salaamti hai
Surah Al-An'am · 6:54 (part)
Salām is also the greeting of Paradise. The people of Paradise greet each other with it (10:10), and they are greeted with it by their Lord: "The word from a Merciful Lord (for them) is: Peace!" (36:58). And As-Salām, "Peace", is one of Allah's own names (59:23).
Why salam matters so much
- It builds love. The Prophet ﷺ said: "You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salam among you" (Sahih Muslim 54; Abu Dawud 5193; English adapted from sunnah.com).
- It is for everyone you meet. Asked which Islam is best, he said: to feed people, and to greet those you know and those you don't know (Sahih al-Bukhari 12).
- Who goes first: "The young should greet the old, the passer-by should greet the one sitting, and the small group should greet the large group" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6231; English adapted from sunnah.com).
Try this today
Greet one person you don't usually greet, and use the full form: as-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh. And when someone greets you, reply with a little more than they said.
For other everyday phrases and their meanings, see InshaAllah meaning, JazakAllah Khair meaning and Barakallah meaning. The words salām, raḥma and Allāh are taught in 600 Words of the Quran, each with a real verse and its meaning in English and Roman Urdu. You also say salam at the end of every namaz: see namaz ka tarjuma.
Sources: Quran text from the Quranic Arabic Corpus and Tanzil · verse meanings in English from Marmaduke Pickthall and in Urdu from Maulana Muhammad Junagarhi · meanings of duas and phrases in Roman Urdu, Urdu and Hindi are our own plain renderings · hadith with collection and number, linked to sunnah.com. How we check every article →
Frequently asked questions
What does Assalamu alaikum mean?
Peace be upon you. In Urdu: 'Aap par salaamti ho.'
What is the reply to Assalamu alaikum?
Wa alaikum assalam, 'and upon you be peace'. The Quran says to answer a greeting with a better one or at least the same (4:86), so many people reply 'Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah' or add 'wa barakatuh'.
What does Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh mean?
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah, and His blessings. The Prophet ﷺ said the short greeting earns ten, adding 'wa rahmatullah' twenty, and adding 'wa barakatuh' thirty (Abu Dawud 5195, Tirmidhi 2689).
Who should say salam first?
The Prophet ﷺ said the young should greet the old, the one passing by should greet the one sitting, and a small group should greet a large group (Sahih al-Bukhari 6231).
