Q 6: If a Muslim begins Salah (Prayer) then someone greets them, how can they respond to the greeting while in Prayer? (Part No. 24; Page No. 134

A: They should answer by gesturing or returning Salam after completing the prayer. It was narrated on the authority of Muslim in his Sahih (Authentic book of Hadith) on the authority of `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said, We used to greet the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while he was engaged in prayer and he would respond to our greeting. But after we returned from the Najashi we greeted him and he did not respond to us; so we said: O' Messenger of Allah, we used to greet you when you were engaged in prayer and you would respond to us. He replied, "Prayer requires complete devotion (i.e. not to be occupied by anything but prayers)." It was also related by Abu Dawud from the Hadith of Ibn `Umar on the authority of Suhayb that he said: I passed by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while he was praying. I greeted him and he returned the greeting by making a gesture. The narrator said: I do not know but that he said: He made a signal with his finger. Related by Al-Nasa'y and Al-Tirmidhy who said: This is a Hadith Hasan (a Hadith whose chain of narration contains a narrator with weak exactitude, but is free from eccentricity or blemish). May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.