Prayer: Replying to a Mocking Salaam or the Salaam of a Non-Muslim
Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Ayatullah Sistani
Ruling 1130
It is not obligatory to reply to a salām that is said mockingly or jokingly, nor to the salām of a non-Muslim man or woman who is not a dhimmī.[1] If the person is a dhimmī, then based on obligatory precaution, the answer must be restricted to the word ‘ʿalayk’.
-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Prayer (Salah)
1
Dhimmīs are People of the Book (ahl al‑kitāb) – i.e. Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians – who have entered into a dhimmah treaty, i.e. an agreement that gives them rights as protected subjects in an Islamic state.