The Beauty of Salam: Did You Know?

Assalamualaikum wbt...

"Whoever commences Salaam is very close to Allah and His Messenger, Muhammad" 

Said the Holy Prophet,  narrated by Abu Umamah

About 97% Muslim and Muslimah that I've met always come across this one particular problem. For example, I stumbled across a friend of mine. Let's just say her name is N.

Me: N, my mother sends her salaam to you.

N  : Oh, really? Well, waalaikummussalam.

Okay, yeah I know there's nothing peculiar about it because most of you did this, right? Well, allow me to enlighten you what is the meaning of this beautiful greeting.

Assalamualaikum= Peace be upon you

Waalaikummussalam= Upon you be peace

Now, let me share with you this hadith:

A person from (the tribe of) Banu Tameem narrates from his father who narrates from his paternal grandfather that he arrived in the presence of the Holy Prophet and said, "My father sends salaam upon you."

The Holy Prophet replied, "Wa Alaika Wa’alaa Abeekas Salaam (Peace be upon you and your father)." Imaam Abu Dawood, Nasai and Ibn Sunni have narrated this.

According to this hadith, our Holy Prophet  already taught us how to reply to a third person's salaam. Instead of Waalaikummussalam (Upon you be peace) {which we've done every time}, we should actually say Wa'alaika wa'alaihassalam. It actually means Peace be upon you and her.

Okay, I'll give you this one simple situation regarding this virtues of Salaam. I hope it will enlighten you easily.

If the sender of salaam is a boy and the one who wants to give salaam to you is a boy, you should answer: Wa'alaika wa'alaihissalam.

If the sender of salaam is a girl and the one who wants to give salaam to you is a girl, you should answer: Wa'alaiki wa'alaihassalam.

If the sender of salaam is a girl and the one who wants to give salaam to you is a boy, you should answer: Wa'alaiki wa'alaihissalam.

If the sender of salaam is a boy and the one who wants to give salaam to you is a girl, you should answer: Wa'alaika wa'alaihassalam.

Note:

Ka= sender of salaam is a guy(awak lelaki)

Ki= sender of salaam is a girl(awak perempuan)

Ha= giver of salaam is a girl(dia perempuan)

Hi=giver of salaam is a boy (dia lelaki)

I hope the bold letters might help you. It is sunnah for those who gives salaam but it is WAJIB for those who answers/commence it.

Nasai narrates from Hazrat Abu Hurairah that the Holy Prophet said, "There are rights of a Muslim over a Muslim: Responding to salaam, visiting the sick, following the bier (A platform upon which the corpse rests), accepting an invitation (to a meal) and blessing a person who sneezes."