عَنْ أبي أُمامةَ صُدَيِّ بنِ عَجْلانَ الْبَاهِلِيِّ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: قالَ رسولُ اللّهِ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّمَ: «إنَّ أوْلى النَّاسِ باللّهِ مَنْ بَدأَهُمْ بالسَّلامِ». رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُودَ بإسنادٍ جيدٍ. ورواهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ عنْ أبي أُمامةَ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ: قِيلَ: يا رسولَ اللّهِ، الرَّجُلانِ يَلْتَقيانِ، أيُّهُمَا يَبْدأُ بالسَّلامِ؟ قال: «أَوْلاهُمَا باللّهِ تعالى» قالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ.
From Abu Umamah Sudayy ibn Ajlan al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, the closest of people to Allah are those who begin with the greeting." Reported by Abu Dawud with a good chain of narration. And al-Tirmidhi reported from Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him): It was said: "O Messenger of Allah, when two men meet, which of them should begin with the greeting?" He said: "The one of them who is closest to Allah the Exalted." Al-Tirmidhi said: a hasan (good) hadith.
الشرح · explanation
أولى الناس باللّهِ: أي أحقهم بالقرب منه سبحانه وتعالى.
"The closest of people to Allah": that is, the most deserving of nearness to Him, Glorified and Exalted is He.
الدروس · lessons
أنّ أقرب الناس من اللّهِ بالطاعة من بدأ أخاه بالسلام عند ملاقاته، لأنّه السابق إلى ذكر اللّهِ والمبادر إلى تطييب نفس أخيه. فضل البداءة بالسلام وهو سنّة، لأنه سبب للمحبّة بين المؤمنين.
That the closest of people to Allah in obedience is the one who begins his brother with the greeting upon meeting him, because he is the first to remember Allah and the foremost in gladdening the heart of his brother. The merit of initiating the greeting, which is a sunnah, because it is a cause of love between the believers.