Tweet
When answering a phone - what salutation do you use?
Salaam All,
Maybe in this day and age of mobiles/cells your incoming call numbers are displayed, but if you're unsure what do you say?
I made a slight gaff today, I guess. I got a call - the number was from Afghanistan, but not one from my contacts - and I said "Hello" - the voice at the other end, I recognised immediately - a very dear friend whom I've not had the chance to speak to in months - he asked, "Da "Hello" tsa dee?", we laughed it off and carried on, but Ouch, I almost always begin with "Salaam u Alaikum". (Haven't kept a count, of course).
This time, I began with "Hello" because over the past week or so all my incoming calls from Afghanistan have been from a friend who is an American (speaks English) and he's used anything from his Skype to an office phone. I guess I thought it would be him.
That said, I almost always begin with "Salaam", even with certain non-Muslim family members of mine and living in my part of the world, that is not unusual.
One of my friends; an Algerian, alternates between "Salaam u Alaikum", "Oui!" and "Hello" when answering the phone and his wife, a Pakistani, also begins with "Oui!" Another friend, a Turk, who is part Iranian, switches between "Salaam" to "Bale" and "Merhaba".
So what's your intro? Salaam? 'Allo? Bale? Pa Khair? ہیلو ?
Salaam All,
Maybe in this day and age of mobiles/cells your incoming call numbers are displayed, but if you're unsure what do you say?
I made a slight gaff today, I guess. I got a call - the number was from Afghanistan, but not one from my contacts - and I said "Hello" - the voice at the other end, I recognised immediately - a very dear friend whom I've not had the chance to speak to in months - he asked, "Da "Hello" tsa dee?", we laughed it off and carried on, but Ouch, I almost always begin with "Salaam u Alaikum". (Haven't kept a count, of course).
This time, I began with "Hello" because over the past week or so all my incoming calls from Afghanistan have been from a friend who is an American (speaks English) and he's used anything from his Skype to an office phone. I guess I thought it would be him.
That said, I almost always begin with "Salaam", even with certain non-Muslim family members of mine and living in my part of the world, that is not unusual.
One of my friends; an Algerian, alternates between "Salaam u Alaikum", "Oui!" and "Hello" when answering the phone and his wife, a Pakistani, also begins with "Oui!" Another friend, a Turk, who is part Iranian, switches between "Salaam" to "Bale" and "Merhaba".
So what's your intro? Salaam? 'Allo? Bale? Pa Khair? ہیلو ?
Comment