عنْ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ: أنَّ رسولَ اللّهِ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّمَ قالَ: «يُسَلِّمُ الرَّاكبُ عَلَى الْمَاشِي، وَالْماشِي عَلَى القَاعِدِ، والقلِيلُ على الْكَثِيرِ» مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ . وفي روايةٍ لِلْبُخَارِيِّ: «وَالصَّغِيرُ على الْكَبِيرِ».
From Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The rider should greet the one walking, the one walking should greet the one sitting, and the smaller group should greet the larger." Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim). In a narration of al-Bukhari: "And the young should greet the old."
الدروس · lessons
أنّ تسليم الراكب على الماشي والماشي على القاعد و.... كلّه للاستحباب وهو الأفضل، ولو عكسوا جاز وكان خلاف الأفضل. من الحِكَم في ابتداء السلام أن تسليم الصغير لأجل حق الكبير؛ لأنه أُمر بتوقيره والتواضع له، وتسليم القليل لأجل حق الكثير؛ لأن حقهم أعظم، وتسليم الماشي على القاعد لشَبهِه بالداخل على أهل المنزل، وتسليم الراكب؛ لئلا يتكبر بركوبه. إذا تساوى المتلاقيان من كلّ جهة، فخيرهما الذي يبدأ بالسلام.
That the greeting of the rider to the one walking, the one walking to the one sitting, and so on, is all recommended and is the better course; but if they were to reverse it, it would be permissible, though contrary to the better course. Among the wisdoms in the initiation of the greeting: the greeting of the young is out of respect for the right of the elder, since he is commanded to honor him and be humble toward him; the greeting of the few is for the right of the many, since their right is greater; the greeting of the one walking to the one sitting is because he resembles one entering upon the people of a house; and the greeting of the rider is so that he does not become arrogant on account of his riding. If the two who meet are equal in every respect, then the better of them is the one who begins with the greeting.