Assalaamu Alaikum (Peace be upon you) I was having lunch with a friend the other day. In between bites of her chicken sandwich she would give a big smile and greet Assalaamu Alaikum (Peace be upon you) to kids passing us. After one particularyly heart-filled greeting she turned to me and said, "Finished!" "What?" I asked. "That was my tenth greeting today. I'm finished." I asked what she meant and she told me how she tries to greet ten people with a smile and wave each day. "It makes me happy to be greeted, so I know it makes others happy when I greet them," she said. This seemingly effortless act of kindness made me incredibly happy, so I asked if I could participate as well. It feels great to see the smile on people's faces when they are greeted. Being acknowledged is a great feeling and can brighten anyone's day. It has been narrated by Abu Umamah that the Holy Prophet said, "Whoever commences Salaam is very close to Allah and His Messenger Muhammad ()" Ibn Sunni has narrated this. In Imaam Ahmad’s narration there is, "The closest to Allah, the most glorious and eminent one, from amongst all the people is the one who commences salaam."