Al-Sha’bī reports, “When the Companions of Muhammad – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – used to meet, they would shake hands; and when returning from travels, they would hug one another.”

Shaykh Al-Albānī states in Al-Sahīhah Vol. 1 p300, “[This is] recorded by Al-Bayhaqī Vol. 7 p100 with a sahīh chain of transmission from Al-Sha’bī.”

Abū Madīnah Al-Dārimī – Allāh be pleased with him – reports, “When two of the Companions of Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – would meet, they would not part until one would recite to the other “By time, verily man is in loss…” (Sūrah Al-‘Asr). Then, one of them would say salām to the other.”

Recorded by Al-Tabarānī in Al-Awsat, and others. Shaykh Al-Albānī graded its chain of transmission sahīh. See Al-Sahīhah, hadīth 2648.

Shaykh Al-Albānī states, “There are two points of benefit in this narration about the practice of our Salaf – Allāh be pleased with them all. The first is that they used to say salām when parting, which has been explicitly mentioned in some statements of the Prophet…The other, we learn from the regular practice of the Companions, is reciting Sūrah Al-‘Asr [when parting], for we believe that they were the farthest of people from introducing into the religion a worship by which they sought to bring themselves closer to Allāh, except with some sanction from Allāh’s Messenger – peace and blessings be upon him, either through a statement from him, or an action of his, or by his tacit approval…”