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Surah An-Nisa, Verse 86

سورة النساء، الآية ٨٦

4:86 Juz 5 Hizb 9 Page 91 of the mushaf Medinan surah

Text of verse 4:86

وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا۟ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَآ أَوْ رُدُّوهَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَسِيبًا ۝٨٦

Transliteration

wa-idhā ḥuyyītum bitaḥiyyatin faḥayyū bi-aḥsana min'hā aw ruddūhā inna l-laha kāna ʿalā kulli shayin ḥasīban

Translation

And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed Allāh is ever, over all things, an Accountant.

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 86 of Surah An-Nisa (4:86), a Medinan surah, is in juz 5, on page 91 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.

Listen to verse 86 of Surah An-Nisa

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Tafsir of verse 86

Al-Mukhtasar

When anyone offers a greeting of peace to you, then respond to him with something better than what he offered or return a similar greeting to him. To respond with something better is more virtuous. Allah keeps watch over what you do and He will reward each person according to his actions.

Tafsir of the whole Surah An-Nisa

Other translations of verse 86

When you are given a greeting, respond with a better greeting or return the same65. Indeed, Allah is the Reckoner of all things.

Notes

[65] ‘Imrān ibn al-Husayn (رضي الله عنه) said: “A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: “Assalāmu ‘alaykum (Peace be upon you)”. He was replied to and sat down. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Ten (rewards)”. Then another one came and said: “Assalāmu ‘alaykum wa raḥmatu Allah (Peace be upon you and Allah’s Mercy)”. He was replied to and sat down. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Twenty”. Then another one came and said: “Assalāmu ‘alaykum wa raḥmatu Allah wa barakātuhu (Peace be upon you and Allah’s Mercy and His Blessings)”. He was replied to and sat down. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Thirty”. [Abū Dāwūd: 5195, At-Tirmidhī: 2689, Ahmad: 19948]

When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally. Certainly, Allâh is Ever a Careful Account Taker of all things.29

Notes

[29] (V.4:86) How the Salâm (greeting) began.
Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه : The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "Allâh created Adam in His Image,* sixty cubits (about 30 metres) in height. When He created him, He said (to him), "Go and greet that group of angels sitting there, and listen what they will say in reply to you, for that will be your greeting and the greeting of your offspring." Adam (went and) said, "As-Salâmu ‘Alaikum (peace be upon you)." They replied, "As-Salâmu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullah (Peace and Allâh’s Mercy be on you)." So they increased ‘wa Rahmatullah ’ " The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم added, "So, whoever will enter Paradise, will be of the shape and picture of Adam. Since then the creation of Adam’s (offspring) (i.e. stature of human beings) is being diminished continuously up to the present time." (Sahih Al-Bukhâri, Vol.8, Hadîth No.246).
*"His Image" means that Adam has been bestowed with life, knowledge, power of hearing, seeing, understanding, but the features of Adam are different from those of Allâh, only the names are the same, e.g., Allâh has life and knowledge and power of understanding, and Adam also has them, but there is no comparison between the Creator and the created thing. As Allâh says in the Qur’ân: "There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer." (V.42:11), Allâh does not eat or sleep, while Adam used to eat and sleep [for details See Fath Al-Bâri, Vol.6, Page 108,9 and Vol.13, Page 238,9].

When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it or return it. Lo! Allah taketh count of all things.

When a (courteous) greeting is offered you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy. Allah takes careful account of all things.

And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet with a better (greeting) than it or return it; surely Allah takes account of all things.

And when you are greeted with a greeting, then greet a fairer one than it, or give it back again; surely Allah has been Ever-Reckoner over everything.

Verse 86 word by word

  1. وَإِذَا wa-idhā And when
  2. حُيِّيتُم ḥuyyītum you are greeted ح ي ي
  3. بِتَحِيَّةٍ bitaḥiyyatin with a greeting ح ي ي
  4. فَحَيُّوا۟ faḥayyū then greet ح ي ي
  5. بِأَحْسَنَ bi-aḥsana with better ح س ن
  6. مِنْهَآ min'hā than it
  7. أَوْ aw or
  8. رُدُّوهَآ ruddūhā return it ر د د
  9. إِنَّ inna Indeed
  10. ٱللَّهَ l-laha Allah
  11. كَانَ kāna is ك و ن
  12. عَلَىٰ ʿalā of
  13. كُلِّ kulli every ك ل ل
  14. شَىْءٍ shayin thing ش ي أ
  15. حَسِيبًا ḥasīban an Accountant ح س ب

Hadiths that cite this verse

Not graded Al-Adab al-Mufrad 1107

Ibn 'Abbas said, "Return the greeting to whomever it is, Jew, Christian, or Magian. That is because Allah says, 'When you are greeted with a greeting, greet with one better than it or return it.' (4:86)"

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي ثَوْرٍ، عَنْ سِمَاكٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ‏:‏ رُدُّوا السَّلاَمَ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا، أَوْ نَصْرَانِيًّا…

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 2121c

If you insist on sitting there, then give the road its due rights. They said: What are its rights? He said: Lowering the gaze, refraining from doing harm (to others), returning the greeting, enjoining what is good, and forbidding what is evil

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Beware! Avoid sitting on the roads." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, we cannot help sitting there, as these are our places where we talk to one another." He said: "If…

إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْجُلُوسَ بِالطُّرُقَاتِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا لَنَا بُدٌّ مِنْ مَجَالِسِنَا نَتَحَدَّثُ فِيهَا ‏.‏ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ إِذَا أَبَيْتُمْ إِلاَّ الْمَجْلِسَ…

Narrated by Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri + 12 other versions Explained

Verses related to verse 86

Verses with similar wording

They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.

  • An-Nisa 4:33

    وَلِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مَوَٰلِىَ مِمَّا تَرَكَ ٱلْوَٰلِدَانِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ عَقَدَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُمْ فَـَٔاتُوهُمْ نَصِيبَهُمْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدًا

    And for all, We have made heirs to what is left by parents and relatives. And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share. Indeed Allāh is ever, over all things, a Witness.

  • Al-Ahzab 33:55

    لَّا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِنَّ فِىٓ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ وَلَآ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ وَلَآ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ وَلَآ أَبْنَآءِ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ وَلَآ أَبْنَآءِ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ وَلَا نِسَآئِهِنَّ وَلَا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُنَّ وَٱتَّقِينَ ٱللَّهَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدًا

    There is no blame upon them [i.e., women] concerning their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their brothers' sons or their sisters' sons or their women or those their right hands possess [i.e., slaves]. And fear Allāh. Indeed Allāh is ever, over all things, Witness.

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