Reflections on the spreading of salaam...

Once upon a time, when I was sixteen, I used to abhor shopping. I could never fit in with the strange staring people milling around, the bright showy advertisements, the rainbow of merchandise swirling around me. The females in my family were irritated at my hatred of shopping, but being used to my objections on almost every worldly matter, they shrugged and left me to my opinions. One day, I read about a Companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who would go to the market solely to offer the greeting of the believers:  Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh- Peace be upon you and God Almighty's mercy and blessings...

In Mu’atta, Tufail ibn Abi Shayba regarding Ibn Umar radiyallahu anhuma says that one day when I came to Abdullah ibn Umar, he asked me to go to the market (with him). I asked, "What are you going to do in the market? You do not go to any salesman, or ask about any goods or its price nor do you want to sit in any market gatherings, so stay here with us, we will talk here." 
Abdullah ibn Umar then said, "O Abu Battan, (he called him Abu Battan because Tufail ibn Abi had a large stomach) we are going to the market for the cause of giving salaam."

After reading this extraordinary anecdote, I became the person most eager to go shopping, much to my family's consternation. There are not many Muslims where I live, and so, I thought it would be wonderful, by the Will of the Almighty,to practice on this tradition. Once in the shopping mall, I would try and offer the salaam to almost every female Muslimah I came across. I thought, in the innocent bubble that I lived in, that every single person would be eager to reply, 'Wa'alay-kumus-salam.' However, that was not the case. As I was sixteen, rather self consciousness and not as brave as my wild opinions, it became quite a challenge. There were woman that would scrutinize me before replying. Others, especially the young, would be hesitant and would reply would a soft nod. Then, there were the ladies that seemed offended, and would reply in a loud manner. There was one elderly women, in stripped clothes, that gave me her hand 'oh, do I know you from somewhere?' I found all this rather surprising, but only the Almighty knows my intention and theirs.

After about a year, I found that I could do it no more. It was supposed to be about spreading peace and love and a united sisterhood, not regulation. But by then, I had been bitten by the shopping bug...