السلام عليكم
as-salāmu ʕalaykum/as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.laj.kum/
Salam alaikum in Arabic is السلام عليكم (as-salāmu ʕalaykum), a greeting that means peace be upon you.
السلام عليكم is used both as a greeting when arriving and as a parting salutation when leaving.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is made of السلام, the peace and عليكم, upon you in the plural.
Which one should you use?
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah is a longer greeting that adds and the mercy of Allah. Salaam and Salam are shorter, informal versions.
How do you pronounce it?
It has six syllables, with a long a in the middle of the first word.
When do people say it?
The standard reply is وعليكم السلام, and upon you be peace.
Did you know?
- The phrase السلام عليكم is a cognate with the Hebrew greeting שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם ('shalóm aleikhém').
- While it means 'peace', السلام is also one of the 99 Names of God in Islam, representing the source of peace.
- In certain social contexts, the person who is younger or of lower status is traditionally expected to initiate the السلام عليكم greeting first.
Examples in context
- السلام عليكم يا أصدقائي.as-salāmu ʿalaykum yā aṣdiqāʾī.Peace be upon you, my friends.
- السلام عليكم، كيف حالكم؟as-salāmu ʿalaykum, kayfa ḥālukum?Peace be upon you, how are you all?
- السلام عليكم جميعاً.as-salāmu ʿalaykum jamīʿan.Peace be upon you all.
Example conversation
Omar enters the room where Maryam is sitting.
- عمر Omarالسلام عليكم يا مريم.as-salāmu ʿalaykum yā maryam.Peace be upon you, Maryam.
- مريم Maryamوعليكم السلام يا عمر.wa ʿalaykum as-salām yā ʿumar.And upon you be peace, Omar.
- عمر Omarكيف حالك اليوم؟kayfa ḥāluki l-yawm?How are you today?
- مريم Maryamأنا بخير، شكراً لك.anā bi-khayr, shukran lak.I am well, 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.
