Wa Alaikum Assalam Meaning
And upon you be peace. The meaning, Arabic, when to say it, and its source in the Quran and Sunnah.
وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ
- Transliteration
- Wa ʿalaykumu s-salām
- Meaning
- And upon you be peace
Wa alaikum assalam means “and upon you be peace”. It is the reply when someone greets you with Assalamu alaikum, and replying is a duty.
The full reply
وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
Wa ʿalaykumu s-salām wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh: and upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Reply with something better
Allah says: when you are greeted, greet back with something better, or at least return it (Quran 4:86). So if someone says “Assalamu alaikum”, you can add “wa rahmatullah” and “wa barakatuh”. Each addition was counted as more reward by the Prophet ﷺ (Sunan Abi Dawud 5195, graded sahih).
The first greeting
When Allah created Adam, He told him to greet a group of angels. Adam said “As-salāmu ʿalaykum”, and they replied “As-salāmu ʿalayka wa raḥmatullāh”, adding “and the mercy of Allah” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6227).
Quran and hadith references link to quran.com and sunnah.com, where you can read the full text. Reviewed 19 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Let us know.
Related Islamic phrases
All Islamic phrases, dates and tools
Frequently asked questions
What does Wa alaikum assalam mean?
“And upon you be peace.” It is the reply to Assalamu alaikum.
What is the full reply to salam?
“Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh”: and upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.