As-Salām (The Closing Salutation)
Arabic | Transliteration | English Translation |
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ | As-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah (to the right, then to the left)
| Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah.
|
Said turning the face to the right, then again to the left.
Word-by-Word Meaning
Arabic | Meaning |
اَلسَّلَامُ | peace |
عَلَيْكُمْ | be upon you (all) |
وَرَحْمَةُ | and the mercy |
اللّٰهِ | of Allah |
Key Points to Remember
- ✅ The salām is how the prayer formally ends; the first salām (to the right) marks the exit from Salah, and turning for the second is the established sunnah.
- ✅ The head turns fully enough that the cheek could be seen from behind — first right, then left — while the body remains seated and facing the qiblah.
- ✅ In congregation, one intends the greeting for the angels and the worshippers on each side; the follower gives salām after the imam.
- ✅ After the salām, the well-known adhkār are recommended: Astaghfirullāh three times, Allāhumma antas-salām wa minkas-salām tabārakta yā dhal-jalāli wal-ikrām, followed by tasbīḥ (SubḥānAllāh ×33, Alḥamdulillāh ×33, Allāhu Akbar ×34).