Greet is a way of welcoming someone's presence. Saying hello is often done before a conversation or as a polite way of starting a conversation with people. Pakistan is an Islamic country and 98% of the population is Muslim. In order to greet someone in Pakistan's national language, which is known as Urdu, there are certain rules that must be known in order to be able to greet respectfully.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Say hello if you are a non-Muslim
Step 1. Know the rules for greeting men and women
The Islamic State really respects the boundaries between the two genders that have been determined. If you don't fully understand Pakistan and its culture, you should be careful when greeting the opposite sex. Note that there are strict rules regarding how men greet women and vice versa. Almost all Muslimat (Muslim women) will not respond to the greeting of a man who has no family ties with him. In addition, many men view greeting women, especially non-Muslim women, as inappropriate and polite.
Step 2. Practice pronunciation
The complex dialects derived from Persian and Arabic make Urdu difficult for non-native speakers to learn. The Urdu accent varies depending on the region. However, the most appropriate way to greet Muslims is to say salam.
- Say the word "Assalamualaikum" which means "peace be upon you."
- The word is pronounced in the following way: “as-saa-laam-muu-alai-kum.”
Step 3. Change the greeting depending on the other person
Like other languages, the pronouns in greeting will change depending on the person you are speaking to. For example, how to greet a male business partner will be different from how to greet a friend's girlfriend. To change the way you pronounce the greeting, you must change the word "you" represented by "-kum" in the word assalamualaikum:
- As-Salāmu `alayk (a): spoken to greet a man.
- As-Salāmu `alayk (i): spoken to greet a woman.
- As-Salāmu `alayk (umā): spoken to greet two people of any gender.
- As-Salāmu `alayk (unna): spoken only to greet women whose number is more than one.
- As-Salāmu `alayk (Umu): spoken to greet a group of people consisting of three or more people and consisting of at least one man. In addition, this greeting is said to greet officials, such as prime ministers, presidents, kings, and others.
Step 4. Greet people in the right order
Hierarchy is very important in Pakistan. Thus, greeting people must be in a predetermined order. This is often done when meeting with people for business. Show your respect by arriving on time and greeting the oldest or highest-ranking person first. After that, greet people from the highest order to the lowest based on age or position. If you don't know all of the group members, ask a partner to help introduce you. Don't introduce yourself as that would be considered rude. Here are some tips that can help:
- In contrast to Western society, it is customary for Pakistanis not to care too much about one's personal space. That way, don't be surprised or back off when people are standing near you during a meeting.
- When exchanging business cards, use your right hand or both hands to give or receive cards. Do not use the left hand because it is considered rude.
- Make sure your business card contains titles and titles to show status. If the other person gives you a business card, make sure you honor it by studying it and praising its title and title before putting it in the card box.
Step 5. Avoid physical contact unless someone else initiates it
The application of good manners is stricter in Islamic countries. Therefore, you should pay attention to the other person's movements to determine whether or not you should make physical contact, such as shaking hands or embracing. If you are close with someone or he or she is a member of middle class society, shaking hands or embracing them is more common, even with the opposite sex.
- Men usually shake hands with each other. In addition, hugging is usually done by Muslims (Muslim men) and non-Muslims if the relationship is close.
- Women rarely hug or shake hands with men. However, some middle-class and upper-class women wore gloves to circumvent the rule that women could only have physical contact with men with whom they were related.
Step 6. Don't rush the conversation
Despite strict rules governing both genders, Pakistani culture is very vocal and socially active. After starting the conversation by saying hello, be prepared to have a long conversation about the health, family, and business of the other person. Show interest in the conversation and don't interrupt the conversation as that would be considered rude.
Method 2 of 2: Greet Fellow Muslims
Step 1. Always greet fellow Muslims
In an Islamic country like Pakistan, not greeting fellow Muslims is considered very disrespectful. According to the holy book of Muslims, the Qur'an, greetings must be done since they were created and greetings are ordered by Allah SWT. Not greeting fellow Muslims by saying "Assalamualaikum" is an act that goes against the commands of the Qur'an and is considered an immoral act and can be punished.
Step 2. Pay attention to the rules that determine who initiates the greeting
Pakistani culture refers to the injunctions of the Koran, including who is required to initiate greetings. This rule is considered sacred and must be obeyed. While in Pakistan, here are the greeting rules that must be observed:
- The person who arrives greets the person who is waiting.
- The person in the vehicle greets the person walking.
- The person walking greets the person sitting.
- The smaller group greets the larger group.
- Younger people greet older people.
Step 3. Respond to greetings immediately
If another person starts greeting, not responding immediately is considered impolite. According to the Qur'an, a Muslim is obliged to return the greeting spoken by a Muslim or not. Not returning greetings is an act that goes against the commands of the Qur'an.
- Reply to greetings by saying "Wa 'alaikumus salam wa rahmatullahi wabarakatuh," which means "May the salvation, mercy of Allah SWT, and His blessings be upon you."
- Here's how it's pronounced: "waa-alai-kum-us-salam waa-rah-ma-tull-la-hi-waba-ro-ka-tuh."
Step 4. Greet the older man first
In Pakistani and Islamic culture, elders are highly respected and your greeting should reflect this. If you are greeting a group of people who are gathering, start greeting the oldest member of the group. If you are an elderly person and have just arrived, you should start greeting and greet people who are also elderly like you. If you are not sure who is the oldest, you should nod your head and say hello to the elderly. This is a very polite act and you will earn their respect.
Step 5. Greet the remaining people in the correct order
After greeting the oldest man, you should greet people who have not been greeted from the oldest to the youngest as the Qur'an teaches. Greet men first and then continue to greet women. The habit that is now being carried out is greeting children so that they get used to practicing greetings since they were small.
Step 6. Participate in the conversation
Unlike other greetings, greetings are spoken to start a conversation in Pakistan and not just to say hello to someone and pass them by. After saying or returning the greeting, get comfortable and get ready for a long, pleasant conversation about your health, family, and business. Avoid talking only about yourself and be sure to ask about the other person's life.
