How may someone praying return a greeting or open a door?
2026-10-13
F201 · Selected fatwas
Shaykh Ibn Bāz
الشيخ عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز
Original Q&A · Complete published question and answer
Complete published question, answer and follow-up. The transcript describes a demonstrated hand gesture; the English preserves that description without inventing further movement.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
ورد عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه كان يرد السلام بالإشارة، وهو في الصلاة، هل هذا منسوخ بحديث، أو آية؟
الجواب
لا ما هو منسوخ، المصلي يرد السلام بالإشارة، إذا سلم عليك؛ ترد عليه بالإشارة، هكذا بيدك، كأنك تصافح، أو برأسك، لا بأس، النبي كان يرد عليهم بالإشارة، يقول هكذا بيده -عليه الصلاة والسلام- بطنه إلى الأرض، وظهرها إلى السماء، كأنه يصافح، إشارة إلى رد السلام.
السؤال: يقال أنه فتح الباب وهو يصلي هل هذا صحيح؟
الجواب: نعم، نعم للحاجة، قليلا لا بأس.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ would return greetings with a gesture while praying. Has this been abrogated by a hadith or a verse?
Answer
No, it has not been abrogated. A person praying returns the greeting with a gesture. If someone greets you, you respond with a gesture like this with your hand, as though shaking hands, or with your head; there is no harm. The Prophet used to respond to them with a gesture, making this motion with his hand—peace and blessings be upon him—with its palm towards the ground and its back towards the sky, as though shaking hands, indicating his return of the greeting.
Question: It is said that he opened the door while praying. Is that correct?
Answer: Yes, yes—for a need. A little movement entails no harm.
Source and editorial notes
Official Ibn Bāz website, fatwa 1817
الموقع الرسمي للشيخ عبد العزيز بن باز
Official Ibn Bāz website
Complete published Arabic question and answer checked against the official source, including follow-up exchanges and closing words where present. Arabic diacritics omitted, directional formatting marks removed and honorific glyphs expanded for display. Source footnotes are kept separate.