Comparative Theology · Common Ground
Peace be upon this house
In short
- 1.Luke 10:5 gives peace as the first word on entering.
- 2.Muslims greet with peace dozens of times a day.
- 3.The greeting itself is common ground.
The claim being examined
Jesus (PBUH) instructs his disciples to greet a household with peace on entering.
The Islamic position
The Islamic greeting as-salamu alaykum is the same greeting, still in daily use.
Analysis
Shalom aleichem and as-salamu alaykum are cognate Semitic greetings, and the Gospel instruction preserves the same idiom in Greek.
From the Qur'an
لَّيْسَ عَلَى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ حَرَجٌۭ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْأَعْرَجِ حَرَجٌۭ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْمَرِيضِ حَرَجٌۭ وَلَا عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَن تَأْكُلُوا۟ مِنۢ بُيُوتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ ءَابَآئِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ إِخْوَٰنِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَخَوَٰتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَعْمَـٰمِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ عَمَّـٰتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَخْوَٰلِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ خَـٰلَـٰتِكُمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكْتُم مَّفَاتِحَهُۥٓ أَوْ صَدِيقِكُمْ ۚ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَأْكُلُوا۟ جَمِيعًا أَوْ أَشْتَاتًۭا ۚ فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُم بُيُوتًۭا فَسَلِّمُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُبَـٰرَكَةًۭ طَيِّبَةًۭ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
laysa ʿalā l-aʿmā ḥarajun walā ʿalā l-aʿraji ḥarajun walā ʿalā l-marīḍi ḥarajun walā ʿalā anfusikum an takulū min buyūtikum aw buyūti ābāikum aw buyūti ummahātikum aw buyūti ikh'wānikum aw buyūti akhawātikum aw buyūti aʿmāmikum aw buyūti ʿammātikum aw buyūti akhwālikum aw buyūti khālātikum aw mā malaktum mafātiḥahu aw ṣadīqikum laysa ʿalaykum junāḥun an takulū jamīʿan aw ashtātan fa-idhā dakhaltum buyūtan fasallimū ʿalā anfusikum taḥiyyatan min ʿindi l-lahi mubārakatan ṭayyibatan kadhālika yubayyinu l-lahu lakumu l-āyāti laʿallakum taʿqilūna
But when you enter houses, give greetings of peace upon each other.
From the Bible
Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you!
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