Answer
How to respond to salam during prayer
✅Answer:
Please pay attention to the following narrations:
1 عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عُلْوَانَ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ كُنْتُ أَسْمَعُ أَبِي يَقُولُ إِذَا دَخَلْتَ الْمَسْجِدَ وَ الْقَوْمُ يُصَلُّونَ فَلَا تُسَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ سَلِّمْ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ثُمَّ أَقْبِلْ عَلَى صَلَاتِكَ وَ إِذَا دَخَلْتَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ جُلُوسٍ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ فَسَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِمْ.
📚Qurb al-Isnad, p. 45
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'I used to hear my father say: 'When you enter the mosque and the people are in prayer, do not say salam to them, but say salam to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), then turn to your prayer. And when you enter upon a group who are sitting and talking, then say salam to them!''
2 عَنْ مُصَدِّقِ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيه قَالَ: لَا تُسَلِّمُوا عَلَى الْيَهُودِ وَ لَا النَّصَارَى- إِلَى أَنْ قَالَ وَ لَا عَلَى الْمُصَلِّي وَ ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ الْمُصَلِّيَ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَرُدَّ السَّلَامَ لِأَنَّ التَّسْلِيمَ مِنَ الْمُسَلِّمِ تَطَوُّعٌ وَ الرَّدُّ فَرِيضَةٌ...
📚Al-Khisal, p. 484, Hadith 57
Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: 'Do not say salam to a Jew or a Christian... until he said: 'And do not say salam to a person in prayer, for he cannot respond to the salam, because the salam is voluntary for the one who says it, but the response is obligatory.'
3 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَر وَ هُوَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَقُلْتُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ فَقَالَ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ فَقُلْتُ كَيْفَ أَصْبَحْتَ فَسَكَتَ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قُلْتُ أَ يَرُدُّ السَّلَامَ وَ هُوَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ قَالَ نَعَمْ مِثْلَ مَا قِيلَ لَهُ.
📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p. 329
Muhammad ibn Muslim said: 'I came to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) while he was in prayer, so I said: 'Al-salamu 'alayk.' The Imam responded: 'Al-salamu 'alayk.' I said: 'How are you this morning?' The Imam was silent (and did not respond). When he finished his prayer, I said: 'Is it permissible to respond to salam during prayer?' He said: 'Yes, just like what was said to him!'
4 عَنْ سَمَاعَة عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُسَلَّمُ عَلَيْهِ وَ هُوَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ قَالَ يَرُدُّ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ لَا يَقُولُ وَ عَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَانَ قَائِماً يُصَلِّي فَمَرَّ بِهِ عَمَّارُ بْنُ يَاسِرٍ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ عَمَّارٌ فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ هَكَذَا.
📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 366
Sam'ah said: 'I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a person to whom salam is said while he is in prayer.' He said: 'He should respond: 'Salamun 'alaykum,' and not say: 'Wa 'alaykum al-salam,' because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was standing and praying, and Ammar ibn Yasir passed by him and said salam, so the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) responded to him in this manner!'
5 قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ علیه السلام سَلَّمَ عَمَّارٌ عَلَی رَسُولِ اللَّه وَ هُوَ فِی الصَّلَاةِ فَرَدَّ عَلَیْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ علیه السلام إِنَّ السَّلَامَ اسْمٌ مِنْ أَسْمَاءِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ
📚Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 240
Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: 'While the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was in prayer, Ammar said salam to him, so the Prophet responded to him.' Then Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: 'Indeed, salam is one of the names of Allah Almighty.'
✅It is observed that in some Shi'a narrations, it is forbidden to say salam to someone who is in prayer.
But if someone says salam to us while we are in prayer, we are obligated to respond. According to the above narrations, it is forbidden to respond with 'wa 'alaykum al-salam,' and it is commanded to respond with 'salamun 'alaykum.' Also, in narration 3 and others, it is commanded to respond in the same manner as the salam was said, meaning not to add anything more.
✅Some narrations that indicate responding to salam quietly and secretly during prayer, or responding by a gesture with the finger, were not mentioned because they are in agreement with the majority of Sunnis.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ