Assalamu Alaikum Meaning
Peace be upon you: the Muslim greeting, and how to reply. Here is its meaning, the Arabic and where it comes from.
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ
- Transliteration
- As-salāmu ʿalaykum
- Meaning
- Peace be upon you
- Say it
- as-sa-LAA-mu a-LAY-kum
Quick answer
Assalamu alaikum (السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ) means “peace be upon you”. It is the greeting Muslims use everywhere in the world. The reply is “Wa alaikum assalam” (and upon you be peace). The full greeting is “Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh”, and the Prophet ﷺ counted ten, twenty and thirty rewards as each part was added (Sunan Abi Dawud 5195).
Assalamu alaikum means “peace be upon you”. It is the greeting Muslims use everywhere in the world, and replying to it is a duty.
You will also see it written Assalamualaikum, Asalamualaikum, As-salamu alaykum, Assalam walekum or simply Salam alaikum. These are all the same Arabic greeting, السلام عليكم, spelled in English letters.
How to reply to Assalamu alaikum
وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ
The reply is “Wa ʿalaykumu s-salām”: “and upon you be peace”. The Quran says: when you are greeted, greet back with something better, or at least return it (Quran 4:86).
The full reply is “Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh”: and upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. See Wa alaikum assalam meaning for the reply in full, its Arabic and its reward.
The full greeting and its reward
| Greeting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| As-salāmu ʿalaykum | Peace be upon you |
| … wa raḥmatullāh | … and the mercy of Allah |
| … wa barakātuh | … and His blessings |
A man greeted the Prophet ﷺ with “Assalamu alaikum” and he said “ten”; the next added “wa rahmatullah” and he said “twenty”; the third added “wa barakatuh” and he said “thirty”, meaning rewards (Sunan Abi Dawud 5195).
Spreading salam
The Prophet ﷺ said that you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another, and then pointed to spreading salam among yourselves (Sahih Muslim 54).
Who should greet first?
The Prophet ﷺ said the young should greet the old, the one passing by should greet the one sitting, and a small group should greet a larger one (Sahih al-Bukhari 6231).
Quran and hadith references link to quran.com and sunnah.com, where you can read the full text. Reviewed 29 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Let us know.
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Frequently asked questions
What does Assalamualaikum mean in English?
Assalamualaikum means “peace be upon you”. It is one English spelling of the Arabic greeting السلام عليكم (as-salamu alaykum).
What is the correct spelling: Assalamu alaikum or Assalamualaikum?
Both are fine. English has no fixed spelling for السلام عليكم, so Assalamu alaikum, Assalamualaikum and As-salamu alaykum all mean the same greeting: peace be upon you.
What is the reply to Assalamu alaikum?
“Wa alaikum assalam” (and upon you be peace). You can add “wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh”.
What is the full form of Assalamu alaikum?
“Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh”: peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Is it Assalamu alaikum or Salam alaykum?
Both are used. “As-salamu alaykum” is closest to the Arabic السلام عليكم.
Who should say salam first?
The young greet the old, the one passing by greets the one sitting, and a small group greets a larger one (Sahih al-Bukhari 6231).