Using Abbreviation for Salām

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-Salāmu ʿAlaykum Wa-Raḥmatullāhi Wa-Barakātuh

In principle, the salām should be conveyed in its complete form, as the more complete form carries greater virtue and reward. ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn رض ي الله عن هnarrates:

َف َر َّد َع َلْي ِه الَّس َلاَم ُثَّم. الَّس َلاُم َع َلْي ُك ْم: ﷺ َف َق اَل

«َج اَء َرُج ٌل ِإ َلى الَّن: َع ْن ِع ْم َر اَن ْب ِن ُح َص ْي ٍن َق اَل

ِب ِّي

، َف َر َّد َع َلْي ِه َف َج َلَس. الَّس َلاُم َع َلْي ُك ْم َو َر ْح َم ُة اللِه: ُثَّم َج اَء آَخ ُر َف َق اَل. َع ْش ٌر: َف َق اَل الَّن ِب ُّي ﷺ، َج َلَس

: َف َق اَل، َف َر َّد َع َلْي ِه َف َج َلَس. الَّس َلاُم َع َلْي ُك ْم َو َر ْح َم ُة اللِه َو َبَر َك اُتُه: ُثَّم َج اَء آَخ ُر َف َق اَل. ِع ْش ُر وَن: َف َق اَل

. َث َلاُث وَن

“A man came to Nabi ﷺand said, “Assalāmu ʿAlaikum,” He ﷺresponded to his salām, and

then he sat down. Nabi ﷺsaid, ‘Ten.’ Then another man came and said, “Assalāmu ʿAlaikum wa Raḥmatullāh,” He ﷺresponded to him, and then he sat down. He ﷺsaid, ‘Twenty.’ Then another man came and said, “Assalāmu ʿAlaikum wa Raḥmatullāhi wa Barakātuh,” He ﷺ responded to him, and then he sat down. He ﷺsaid, ‘Thirty.’ (Sunan Abī Dāwūd 4/516)

Accordingly, abbreviating the salām by writing expressions such as “slm,” “slmz,” or “aslm” should be avoided. Such abbreviations do not convey the salām in its complete form, and one should not consider the Sunnah of conveying the salām in its proper form to have been fulfilled through such abbreviations.

As for writing the salām in transliteration, such as “Assalāmu ʿAlaikum,” this is permissible and conveys the intended salām. [1]

And Allah Taʿāla Knows Best.