السلام عليكم
as-salāmu ʕalaykum/as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.laj.kum/
Peace upon you is said in Arabic as السلام عليكم (as-salāmu ʕalaykum).
السلام عليكم is a traditional greeting used to wish peace upon the person being addressed. It is used both as a greeting when arriving and as a parting salutation when leaving a group or individual.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 'al-salām' (the peace), 'ʿalaykum' (upon you/plural).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is as-salāmu ʕalaykum. The word has 6 syllables.
When do people say it?
This is the standard Islamic greeting used by Muslims worldwide, regardless of their native language. When someone greets you with السلام عليكم, the standard response is وعليكم السلام, which means and upon you be peace.
Did you know?
- The phrase السلام عليكم is a cognate of the Hebrew greeting shalóm aleikhém. Both phrases share a common Semitic root meaning 'peace'.
- Although it translates to 'peace upon you', the word السلام is also one of the names of God in Islam. Using this greeting is seen as invoking divine protection and blessing.
- While the phrase is widely used by Muslims, it is also used by Arabic-speaking Christians in many parts of the Middle East as a culturally standard greeting.
Examples in context
- السلام عليكم يا أصدقاء.al-salāmu ʿalaykum yā aṣdiqāʾ.Peace upon you, friends.
- السلام عليكم ورحمة الله.al-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatu llāh.Peace upon you and the mercy of God.
- دخل الرجل وقال: السلام عليكم.dakhal al-rajul wa-qāla: al-salāmu ʿalaykum.The man entered and said: Peace upon you.
Example conversation
Yusuf enters the room where Maryam is waiting.
- يوسف Youssefالسلام عليكم يا مريم.al-salāmu ʿalaykum yā Maryam.Peace upon you, Maryam.
- مريم Maryamوعليكم السلام يا يوسف.wa-ʿalaykum al-salām yā Yūsuf.And upon you be peace, Yusuf.
- يوسف Youssefكيف حالك اليوم؟kayfa ḥāluki al-yawm?How are you today?
- مريم Maryamأنا بخير، شكراً.anā bi-khayr, shukran.I am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry السلام عليكم, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries السلام عليكم, CC BY-SA 4.0.
