Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Is there anything wrong with not coming before the “uncle-visitors” to give them salaam? Sometimes I really don’t feel comfortable (especially if they are men I don’t really know well) but on the same hand, I feel bad when they (usually the “desi” ones, not all) feel saddened or offended by my behavior. Is this a question of cultural acceptability or shar’i acceptability?
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
There are two things:
a) sitting around with them: don’t;
b) just appearing, giving salams/respects, and then leaving: there is nothing wrong with this, and avoiding this would probably cause unnecessary offense in many cultures.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani