To "akhi" or not to "akhi", that is the question...

DanyalSAC

Junior Member
Asalaamu alaikum folks, and Eid Mubarak - sorry I've been away.

During Ramadan & the following Eid I sent out a string of emails to friends in other countries and to those who were Muslim I ended with "Eid Mubarak, akhi!". Two of those friends replied and asked me to NOT call them that again. One went so far as to lecture me that that was an American custom, not a true "Islamic" one (this guy has been a trial to me since he first found out I was Muslim too) and said that "nobody says that here or says 'brother', you call by first name or by Abo with their son's name".

My question for any brothers living in an Arabic speaking Muslim country: is there something wrong with addressing another Muslim brother as brother or akhi? Most of the men in my masjid are from the Arabian Penninsula and when they speak to each other they say "akhi" so why is it wrong for me to do so?

Appreciate any feed back!
JazakAllah Khairn
D.
 

zbhotto

Banned
What does akhi mean? This word is very nice to hear. But I donot know its meaning. Can anyone help me please?
 

Muslimah16

ServantOfAllah*
Wa'alaykum salaam wa rahmatulLAH

Akh = brother
Akhi = my brother

Ukht = Sister
Ukhtii = My sister

well, im not from a muslim country, BUT i dont see anything wrong in saying brother/sister. It's very polite.
Though in the prophet :saw: time we do hear Abu with the sons name. That was how they were known

Sorry, im not of much help, inshaALlah someone with more knowledge can answer you better

Wassalaam
 

DanyalSAC

Junior Member
I believe it means brother, and I haven't heard of that before(being a western thing)

Yes it means brother and - at least in my experience - is used to denote a Muslim from a non-Muslim. For example: If I were to bring a friend to my mosque and say "This is my friend Dave..." they would greet him with a handshake but most likely not with the salaam. If I said "This is my friend, brother Dave..." they would know he was a Muslim. The Arabic word "akhi" is used as the vocative form.
 

Munawar

Striving for Paradise
Yes it means brother and - at least in my experience - is used to denote a Muslim from a non-Muslim. For example: If I were to bring a friend to my mosque and say "This is my friend Dave..." they would greet him with a handshake but most likely not with the salaam. If I said "This is my friend, brother Dave..." they would know he was a Muslim. The Arabic word "akhi" is used as the vocative form.

:salam2:
My Akhi Danyal,
Eid Mubarak !!!
Hope you had a spritually uplifting Ramadan and a great Eid day yesterday.

Akhi... This may be the practice of the people in your Masjid, but frankly the word "Akhi" is just equivalent to the word "Brother", it does not have any added meaning to be used for Muslims only. As far as salaam is concerned our Prophet :saw: used to say Salaam to every one including non-Muslims.

As far as those Muslim "friends" of yours who objected to the word Akhi... All I can say is that they are misguided. Instead of saying thank you for including them in the list of your brothers, if they get upset, then probably they do not deserve to be called a brother or a akhi. All I can say is that they are so unlucky and ignorant people that they don't even know that they are unlucky and ignorant. :)

Talk to you later Akhi Danyal.
:wasalam:
 

DanyalSAC

Junior Member
:salam2:
My Akhi Danyal,
Eid Mubarak !!!
Hope you had a spritually uplifting Ramadan and a great Eid day yesterday.

Akhi... This may be the practice of the people in your Masjid, but frankly the word "Akhi" is just equivalent to the word "Brother", it does not have any added meaning to be used for Muslims only. As far as salaam is concerned our Prophet :saw: used to say Salaam to every one including non-Muslims.

As far as those Muslim "friends" of yours who objected to the word Akhi... All I can say is that they are misguided. Instead of saying thank you for including them in the list of your brothers, if they get upset, then probably they do not deserve to be called a brother or a akhi. All I can say is that they are so unlucky and ignorant people that they don't even know that they are unlucky and ignorant. :)

Talk to you later Akhi Danyal.
:wasalam:

Eid Mubarak to you as well :)

Perhaps you are correct, but my masjid is the only experience I have. And most of them won't even address a Shia as "brother". I remember right after I made my shahadah I was introduced by the very man who took it to some of the gentlemen in the hall; he said "this is Daniel..." then caught himself and said "Brother Daniel that is..." indicating that I was now a brother in Islam...or at least that is how I took it.
 

misalat

Junior Member
:salam2:

Akhi... This may be the practice of the people in your Masjid, but frankly the word "Akhi" is just equivalent to the word "Brother", it does not have any added meaning to be used for Muslims only. As far as salaam is concerned our Prophet :saw: used to say Salaam to every one including non-Muslims.

Talk to you later Akhi Danyal.
:wasalam:
:salam2:
brother, Danyal i also believe same as you - i would NOT call a non-muslim AKHI, but i should address all muslims as AKHI or UKHTI ... in the sense that - a any mustlim is a brother to the other muslim - this a hadith from our prophet.

but may i ask where is the source of saying that our prophet used to say Salaam to every one including non-Muslims????? any authentic proof for this?

wa jazakumu Allah kheir ....
 

Munawar

Striving for Paradise
:salam2:
brother, Danyal i also believe same as you - i would NOT call a non-muslim AKHI, but i should address all muslims as AKHI or UKHTI ... in the sense that - a any mustlim is a brother to the other muslim - this a hadith from our prophet.

but may i ask where is the source of saying that our prophet used to say Salaam to every one including non-Muslims????? any authentic proof for this?

wa jazakumu Allah kheir ....

:salam2:
There may be more evidance but at this time at 11:30 PM I have this: :)

Aisha(R.A) said, “A Jew once passed by the prophet’s (S.A.W) house and said: “ as-SAAM alaikum (i.e. death be on you), and prophet (S.A.W) replied :” walaikum" (i.e. same to you). Aisha (R.A) couldn’t bear it, so when she heard it she responded , "death be on you too, and Allah’s curse and anger”
The prophet (S.A.W) said, “ take it easy ! O’ Aisha ! you should be gentle. You shouldn’t curse or be harsh”
Aisha (R.A) said: ” didn’t you hear what he said?”
Prophet(S.A.W) replied: ”didn’t you hear what I said?"


So I can say with confidance that had he said "Assalam-o-alikum" then prophet would have said "Walikum Assalam".
Because if the Prophet or the Muslims wouldn't say "Walikum Assalam" to non-Muslims then this would have become a good propaganda material for Jews, but we see that there is no such complaint from Jews or any other people.
:wasalam:
 

ProudToBeaMuslim

Junior Member
:salam2:
There may be more evidance but at this time at 11:30 PM I have this: :)

Aisha(R.A) said, “A Jew once passed by the prophet’s (S.A.W) house and said: “ as-SAAM alaikum (i.e. death be on you), and prophet (S.A.W) replied :” walaikum" (i.e. same to you). Aisha (R.A) couldn’t bear it, so when she heard it she responded , "death be on you too, and Allah’s curse and anger”
The prophet (S.A.W) said, “ take it easy ! O’ Aisha ! you should be gentle. You shouldn’t curse or be harsh”
Aisha (R.A) said: ” didn’t you hear what he said?”
Prophet(S.A.W) replied: ”didn’t you hear what I said?"


So I can say with confidance that had he said "Assalam-o-alikum" then prophet would have said "Walikum Assalam".
Because if the Prophet or the Muslims wouldn't say "Walikum Assalam" to non-Muslims then this would have become a good propaganda material for Jews, but we see that there is no such complaint from Jews or any other people.
:wasalam:

actually this hadith indicates that the Prophet(pbuh) said "Walaikum" (unto to you too) not "walaikumussalam" (peace be upon you too)
 
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