what does 'wa salam' mean if used as a salutation?

Question

a friend typed it in a recent email

Answer 1

Assalamu alaykum,

The above answers are sort of correct. It is true that Muslims say "Assalamu alaykum" (Peace be upon you) as a salutation. The response is "Walaykum assalam" (And peace be upon you too).

But your question is a little different: "Wa salam" literally means "And peace." "Wa" means "and" in Arabic. "Salam" means peace. Sometimes, as a short form of "Asslamu alaykum," people may write in an email "Salam" or "Salams."

Also, at the end of an email, sometimes people write "Wassalam" or "Wa salam" because they want to begin and end the email with blessings of peace upon the other person instead of just saying ttyl, or Regards, or Sincerely, etc. Because in Islam you give greetings of peace in place of both "hello" AND "goodbye."

Also, sometimes you have already exchanged an email with someone in which you guys already wrote "Assalamu alaykum." Now you're on your second email in the thread and the person writes "Wa salam," to kind of say, And peace to you again.

So yeah, it can be used as a short form for "Assalamu alaykum" or as a goodbye/at the end of an email for extra blessings to the person.

Hope that helps!

Wassalam.

Answer 2

That would normally be a reply to someone else's Arabic greeting of Salaam, which is 'peace' - like Hebrew 'Shalom'. The full versions would be: 'Assalaamu :alaykum' and the reply 'Wa :alaykum assalaam'.

Answer 3

It's arabic salutation used by muslims to respond to a gesture of peace. I understand it by the gesture because I don't know arabic. It could mean "Hello, peace be with you." It is the neighbor of Jewish greeting "Shalom", I think.