Hadith: O Abu Batn, we only go to the market to greet with peace everyone we meet

عن الطُّفَيْلَ بن أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ: أنه كان يأتي عبد الله بن عمر، فيَغْدُو معه إلى السوق، قال: فإذا غَدَوْنَا إلى السوق، لم يَمُرَّ عبد الله على سَقَّاطٍ ولا صاحب بَيْعَةٍ ، ولا مسكين، ولا أحد إلا سَلَّمَ عليه، قال الطُفيل: فجئت عبد الله بن عمر يوما، فَاسْتَتْبَعَنِي إلى السوق، فقلت له: ما تصنع بالسوق، وأنت لا تَقِف على البيع، ولا تسأل عن السِّلَعِ، ولا تَسُومُ بها، ولا تجلس في مجالس السوق؟ وأقول: اجلس بنا هاهنا نَتَحَدَثُ، فقال: يا أبا بَطْنٍ -وكان الطفيل ذا بَطْنٍ- إنما نَغْدُو من أجل السلام، فنُسَلِّمُ على من لَقيْنَاهُ.
[صحيح] - [رواه مالك]

At-Tufayl ibn Ubay ibn Ka‘b reported that he used to visit Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in the morning and accompany him to the market. Abdullāh would offer greetings of peace to every one he met on the way, be they sellers of petty goods, store owners, or poor people. At-Tufayl said: "One day when I went to Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar, he asked me to accompany him to the market. I said to him: "What do you do in the market if you do not sell, nor ask about merchandise, nor offer a price for them, nor you sit in the market gatherings? and said to him: Let us sit here and talk." He replied: "O Abu Batn, we only go to the market to greet with peace everyone we meet."
[Authentic hadith] - [Maalik]

Explanation

Hadīth explanation: At-Tufayl ibn Ubay ibn Ka‘b used to visit ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and then go to the market with him. At-Tufayl recounts that when they entered the market, Ibn ‘Umar would greet everyone he passed, whether they were sellers of insignificant or precious goods, the poor, or anyone else. In other words, he would greet everyone he met, young or old, rich or poor, etc. At-Tufayl says that one day he went to see ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Umar asked him to accompany him to the market. At-Tufayl asked him why he goes to the market even though he does not sell, buy, ask about merchandise, or barter with the sellers; i.e. he does not do any of the things that people usually do at the market. What is the use of going to the market if he does not have anything to do there? So Ibn ‘Umar explained to him that his purpose was not to buy something or to sit in the marketplace, but rather to receive reward and blessings from greeting the people with the Salām. This is a great indication of Ibn ‘Umar's keenness to implement the Sunnah of spreading the greeting of peace among people, because he knew that this was an easy way to attain rewards. The greetings of Salām are a few words that cost nothing to say, yet yield an immense reward.