Both Im?m Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and Im?m Ish?q Ibn Rahawiah affirmed the ruling mentioned in the had?th.

Having heard the had?th, Shaikh Al-Marwaz? said to Im?m Ahmad: ‘Is it permissible that one greets other people while they are performing Sal?t?’

He answered in the affirmative and then mentioned Bil?l’s narration and Ibn ‘Umar’s inquiry regarding the prophet’s ( - ) manner of returning the greeting back, to which Bil?l explained that he ( - ) used to point with his hand.

Ish?q said: ‘It is indeed as Im?m Ahmad stated’. (1)

Al-Q?d? Ibn Al-‘Arab? held the same view, he said: ‘Pointing with one’s hand while one is doing Sal?t may be done for: returning others’ greeting, something unusual takes place during Sal?t or for a dire necessity the praying person needs to satisfy. As for the first case, it was affirmed in many authentic narrations one of which states that the prophet ( - ) did so while he was doing Sal?t in Qub?’ and other mosques’. (2)

As for greeting others after performing Sal?t, it is clearly stated in Ab? Hurairah’s ( - رضي الله عنه -) had?th. He ( - رضي الله عنه -) said that ‘once, the prophet ( - ) entered the mosque. Then a man came afterwards, did Sal?t, headed towards the prophet ( - ) and greeted him. The prophet ( - ) returned the greeting and then asked the man to repeat his Sal?t and said: ‘You have not performed your Sal?t [properly]’. The man repeated his Sal?t in the same manner he did earlier. Then he came to the prophet ( - ) (and the same conversation took place three times)’.

This had?th was narrated by the two shaikhs and many other had?th scholars. (3)

Al-Alb?n? said: ‘Sidd?q Hasan Kh?n in his “Nuzulul Abr?r” (4) considered the aforementioned had?th to be a hard evidence for the