Answered by Ustadha Umm Abdullah
What is the position in our madhab of saying Salaam to other Muslims i.e. is it Obligatory, Stressed Sunnah, or just Sunnah? What about replying? Also, what about saying it to a group, should you say it to everyone individually, and responding in a group, can one person respond for the whole group? Lastly, what’s the position on saying it when leaving?
In the name of Allah Most Merciful Most Compassionate
I pray you are well and in the best of health and iman.
It is sunna to say salam to other Muslims, and obligatory to reply the salam.
The sunna is also that the young should initiate giving salam to the old, the one riding to the walking, the one walking to the one sitting, and the few to the many, one salam sufficing to the whole group. One person can respond for the whole group.
It is also sunna to say it when leaving.
(As-sahwa Alqareeba, Shaykh Muhammad Al-hajjar. 2-175)