إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِاللَّهِ مَنْ بَدَأَ بِالسَّلَامِ
Translation: The people most entitled to closeness to Allah are those who initiate the greeting of peace.
Source: الترمذي
السَّلَام is a greeting conveying peace and a prayer for safety. مَنْ بَدَأَ بِالسَّلَامِ means “the one who initiated the greeting.” The report praises taking the initiative; it does not imply that replying is unimportant or that ordinary boundaries of respectful interaction disappear.
أَوْلَى is an elative form, meaning “more entitled” or “closer.” النَّاسِ refers to people, مَنْ means “whoever,” and بَدَأَ is a past-tense verb, “initiated.” بِالسَّلَامِ uses the preposition bāʾ.
When neighbours meet, each may wait for the other to greet first. Initiating a respectful salām removes that unnecessary hesitation and encourages a warmer relationship.