communities of Uttar Pradesh,
Hyderabadi Muslims
Hyderabadi Muslims, also referred to as Hyderabadis are a community of Deccani people, who are part of a larger ethnic group of Urdu-speaking Muslims, from the area that used to be the princely state of Hyderabad in the regions of Marathwad ...
, and
Muhajir people
Muhajir or Mohajir ( ar, مهاجر, '; pl. , ') is an Arabic word meaning ''migrant'' (see immigration and emigration) which is also used in other languages spoken by Muslims, including English. In English, this term and its derivatives may refer ...
of Pakistan.
History
Since the religious greeting of Muslims i.e. "
Assalamu Alaikum
As-salamu alaykum ( ar, ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ, , ), also ''Salamun Alaykum'' is a greeting in Arabic that means 'Peace be upon you'. The (, meaning 'peace') has become a religious salutation for Muslims worldwide when greet ...
" was meant for Muslims only, and
Muslims in India
Islam is India's second-largest religion, with 14.2% of the country's population, approximately 172.2 million people identifying as adherents of Islam in 2011 Census. India is also the country with the second or third largest number of Muslim ...
lived in a multi-faith and a multi-lingual society, this alternative form of greeting was coined. Its use became so pervasive in the high culture of northern and central India that it was not considered inappropriate to reply to 'salaam' with 'aadaab' and vice versa and it was used frequently in non-Muslim households as well.
The use of ''Aadab'' is especially popular in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n city of
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
, where
religious pluralism
Religious pluralism is an attitude or policy regarding the diversity of religious belief systems co-existing in society. It can indicate one or more of the following:
* Recognizing and tolerating the religious diversity of a society or countr ...
has been historically emphasized; the
Nizam
The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...
of the region stated: "Hindus and Muslims are like my two eyes ... How can I favor one eye over the other?"
In some localities of India and Pakistan, the phrase and gesture has decreased in use because it is perceived as insufficiently Islamic compared to other greetings, though it is preferred by many who still use it due to its inclusive nature.
Description
The gesture involves raising the right hand towards the face with palm inwards such that it is in front of the eyes and the finger tips are almost touching the forehead, as the upper torso is bent forward.
It is typical for the person to say "''adab arz hai''" (Nastaleeq: آداب عرض ہے, Devanagari: आदाब अर्ज़ है), meaning "I offer my respects to you", or simply just "''aadab''".
It is often answered with the same or the word "''tasleem''" is said as an answer or sometimes it is answered with a facial gesture of acceptance.
In popular culture today, the adab is often associated with the courtly culture of the Muslim
Nawab
Nawab (Balochi language, Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi language, Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian language, Persian,
Punjabi language, Punjabi ,
Sindhi language, Sindhi,
Urd ...
s.
See also
*
Civilian salutes
*
Greetings
Greeting is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship (usually cordial) or social status (formal or informal) between indiv ...
*
Hindu-Muslim unity
References
{{Gestures
Hand gestures
Islamic culture
Islam in South Asia
Greeting words and phrases of Bangladesh
Greeting words and phrases of India
Greeting words and phrases of Pakistan
Gestures of respect
ar:أدب