Walaikum Assalam (وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ) means “and upon you be peace.” It is the obligatory Muslim reply to the greeting Assalamualaikum. The reply has three forms — short, medium, and full — and the longer version you say, the greater the reward narrated in the hadith.
This page covers the Arabic spelling, word-by-word meaning, the three reply forms with their reward hierarchy, the Quranic command to return greetings, the Sunnah etiquette of salam, how to reply to non-Muslims, and the common spellings and language variants used worldwide.
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Walaikum Assalam in Arabic
Walaikum Assalam is written in Arabic in three forms, depending on how complete the reply is. Each form adds an extra clause of blessing on the person you are greeting back.
وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ — short form
وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ — medium form
وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ — full form
Without diacritical marks the full reply is written: وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته. The short reply وعليكم السلام is the minimum required to fulfill the obligation; scholars consider this the floor, not the goal.
Pronunciation Guide
The transliteration of the full reply is Walaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh. The video below walks you through the pronunciation word by word so you can match the Arabic precisely.
Walaikum Assalam Meaning (Word by Word)
The phrase has five components in its full form. The short reply uses the first three; each added word increases the reward and the depth of the prayer you are returning.
| Transliteration | Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Wa | وَ | And |
| Alaikum | عَلَيْكُمُ | Upon you |
| As-Salam | السَّلَامُ | The peace |
| Wa Rahmatullahi | وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ | And the mercy of Allah |
| Wa Barakatuh | وَبَرَكَاتُهُ | And His blessings |
“As-Salam” (السَّلَامُ) is also one of the names of Allah, mentioned in the Quran as al-Salam — The Source of Peace. So when you reply with salam, you are invoking one of Allah’s own names upon the person you greet.
The Three Reply Forms and Their Reward
A famous hadith narrated by Imran ibn Husain explains why the longer reply is better. Three men came to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) one after the other:
Related:
- The first said “As-Salamu Alaikum”. The Prophet (ﷺ) replied and said: “Ten.”
- The second said “As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah”. The Prophet (ﷺ) replied and said: “Twenty.”
- The third said “As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh”. The Prophet (ﷺ) replied and said: “Thirty.”
The numbers refer to good deeds (hasanat) recorded for the one who gave the greeting. Reported in Sunan Abi Dawud 5195 and graded sahih. The same scaling applies to the reply — if someone gives you the full greeting, you should match it or improve on it, which brings us to the next section.
When to Reply — the Quranic Command
Returning the greeting is not optional. Allah commands it directly in Surah An-Nisa:
“And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant.”
Quran, Surah An-Nisa 4:86
Two principles flow from this ayah. First, the reply must be at least equal to the greeting given — if someone gives the full form, replying with only the short form falls short of the floor. Second, you may go better: if someone says the short form, you can reply with the medium or full form and earn the larger reward.
Salam is also the greeting commanded when entering homes, mentioned in Surah An-Nur 24:61: “…when you enter houses, give greetings of peace upon each other — a greeting from Allah, blessed and good.” The same exchange — greeting and reply — is the greeting of the people of Jannah, described in Surah Az-Zumar 39:73: “…its keepers will say, ‘Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein.'”
Sunnah Etiquette of Salam
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) gave specific guidance on who should initiate the greeting and how it should be spread:
- Spread salam. “You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you something which, if you do, you will love one another? Spread salam among yourselves.” (Sahih Muslim 54)
- The rider greets the walker. The one mounted greets the one on foot, the walker greets the one sitting, and the smaller group greets the larger group. (Sahih al-Bukhari 6234, Sahih Muslim 2160)
- The younger greets the older. Stated in Sahih al-Bukhari 6231, this etiquette guards adab between generations.
- Greet on arrival and on leaving. Sunan Abi Dawud 5208 narrates that salam should be given when joining a gathering and again when leaving it — the first is no more important than the last.
Replying to Non-Muslims
If a non-Muslim greets you with the salam, classical scholarship — based on Sahih al-Bukhari 6258 — advises replying with the short form “wa alaykum” (وَعَلَيْكُمْ — “and upon you”) rather than the full reply. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “If the People of the Book greet you, say: ‘wa alaykum.'” The shortened response keeps the exchange courteous while not invoking Allah’s mercy and blessing on a specific religious salutation that the other party may not share.
Scholars differ on whether a Muslim should initiate the greeting with a non-Muslim — the majority view is to initiate with a neutral greeting (good morning, hello) rather than salam. Returning a salam offered first, however, is encouraged with the short form above.
Common Spellings and Language Variants
Because the phrase is transliterated from Arabic, multiple Romanized spellings appear online. The pronunciation is the same; the spellings are stylistic.
- Walaikum Assalam
- Wa Alaikum Assalam
- Wa Alaikum Salam
- Walaikum Salam
- Waalaikumussalam
- Wa Alaikum Salaam
- Wa ‘alaykumu s-salam (academic)
In Urdu and Hindi, the reply is commonly written وعلیکم السلام and pronounced walaikum assalam. In Indonesian and Malay communities it is waalaikumsalam or wa’alaikumussalam. Bosnian and Albanian Muslims write ve alejkum esselam. Across all of these the underlying Arabic and the meaning are identical.
What does Walaikum Assalam mean?
Walaikum Assalam means “and upon you be peace.” It is the standard Muslim reply to the greeting Assalamualaikum. The full reply, Walaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh, means “and upon you be peace, the mercy of Allah, and His blessings.”
How do you reply to Assalamualaikum?
You reply with at least “Walaikum Assalam” (وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ). The Quran (An-Nisa 4:86) commands the reply to be at least equal to the greeting given, or better. If someone says the full form, reply with the full form: Walaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.
Is Walaikum Assalam or Wa Alaikum Salam correct?
Both spellings are correct. They are different Romanizations of the same Arabic phrase وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ. The pronunciation is identical — only the English spelling differs.
Is replying to salam mandatory?
Yes. Surah An-Nisa 4:86 commands every Muslim to return a greeting with one equal to or better than the one received. The minimum reply is the short form Walaikum Assalam; the longer forms earn additional reward as narrated in Sunan Abi Dawud 5195.
How do you reply to a non-Muslim who says Assalamualaikum?
Based on Sahih al-Bukhari 6258, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) instructed Muslims to reply with the short form “wa alaykum” (and upon you) rather than the full Walaikum Assalam. The shortened reply is courteous without invoking the full Islamic blessing.
What is the reward for replying with the full Walaikum Assalam?
In Sunan Abi Dawud 5195, the Prophet (ﷺ) recorded ten good deeds for the short form, twenty for the medium form (with rahmatullah), and thirty for the full form (with rahmatullah wa barakatuh). The longer your reply, the greater the reward.
Make replying with the full Walaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh a habit. It is one of the easiest acts of worship in Islam — a single sentence that fulfills a Quranic command, follows the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ), spreads peace, and earns thirty good deeds every time you say it.
