There are at least three Facebook groups (click at your own discretion) that make light of the fact that some people are just plain awkward. This awkwardness can be observed in the way that they carry themselves, the random information that they bring to a conversation, or perhaps in the way they greet others.
Not too much can be done about the first two things listed, without intensive therapy, but there may be a way to lessen the awkwardness when it comes to greeting others. Here's how!
The noble Prophet Muhammad shared the proper etiquette of giving salaam (greetings) in a variety of situations and to a variety of people. The rules he laid out are pretty straight forward and can be broken into two short gems of information:
First,
(1) "The young should greet the old, the passerby should greet the sitting one, and the small group of persons should greet the large group of persons. "
Further,
(2) "The riding one should greet the walking one, and the walking one should greet the sitting one, and (again) the small number of persons (1 or more) should greet the large number of persons (a group) when leaving."
The two above ahadith, or narrations/traditions of the prophet, are authentic narrations from Sahih Bukhari. Imagine, if we were to follow these suggestions, it would be prophet-like to do so. How Kewl!
These are the instructions every Muslim should default to when they are in a situation that involves offering greetings to someone else. Of course non-Muslims are welcome to this advice too, since it has a lot of merit and rationality attached to it (right?). Maybe if we all did it together, we all could, um, be less, you know, um,...Awkward!
*the standard greeting for Muslims is Asalaamu Alaykum, or Peace Be Upon You. The response is Wa Alaykum Asalaam, or And Upon You Be Peace. :-)
