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Fatwa CenterSalaam between men and women / Declaring someone as a non-Muslim has to be avoided
Question
Salam alaikum wa rahmatAllah wa barakatuhu, A brother just now blamed me for making Takfir on him, when I told him, I don't make takfir, it was him who constantly makes takfir on the Muslim rulers, he said, not saying "Salam" to a Muslim is automatically Takfir. I never say Hi and always say Salam, except when I am on the street and am just sending a one-sentence-email, as I have read about the virtue of saying salam, but I have never read, that not saying it means making takfir? Is there any proof for that claim in Qur'an and Sunnah? Salam alaikum wa rahmatAllah wa barakatuhu Nuha
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
This is absolutely not true; rather, it is a Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) for a Muslim to start greeting the other Muslim with Salaam and not an obligation, as we clarified in Fatwa 85077. Perhaps your friend means that there must be a reason for not greeting someone with Salaam, among which is disbelief (i.e. if the person is a non-Muslim).
In general, if a Muslim meets another, it is recommended that he greets him with Salaam and this is his right upon him; the Prophet 
said: “The rights of a Muslim upon another Muslim are six.” He was asked by the Companions 
“What are these rights, O Prophet of Allaah?” He said: “If you meet him, you should greet him with Salaam.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
The scholars elaborated on the issue of a woman greeting non-Mahram (marriageable) men with Salaam and this is discussed in Fatwa 85855.
Besides, it is not permissible for a woman to talk with a non-Mahram (marriageable) man except for a need, provided she observes the Islamic conditions in this regard, like not speaking in a soft and attractive manner and similar matters that may cause the man to be tempted by her.
Finally, it should be noted that it is very serious to declare someone a non-Muslim and it is an obligation to avoid it. Indeed, declaring a Muslim a non-Muslim is not permissible even if he commits an act that takes a person out of the fold of Islam unless all the conditions of declaring him as such are present while there are no impediments for declaring him as such.
For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 87963 and 16205.
Allaah Knows best.
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