I came to a gathering so how should I make salam to the people, or should I just start greeting people from my right? And if there is a person in my right and on my left is a pious person, so who should I greet first, because it is sunnah to make salam from your right and it is also sunnah to greet pious people first? And please give me a hadith to prove the answer.
Answer
(Fatwa: 1383/1022/D=1433)
It is enough to say salam once on visiting a gathering. There is no need to say salam to each one separately. Yes, if you mean musafaha then there are both the options whether you start from the right side as it is sunnah or from the pious or respectful person as it is the way of paying respect to the elders.
Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best
Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband