Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuHu,

To note, Imam Nawawi wrote on the issue of salams in two places. In Kitab al-Adhkar p. 352-376 and in Sharh al-Muhadhdhab v. 4, p. 318-429. In Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, page 425, Imam Nawawi stated,

“The salam of women upon women is like that of men upon men in all that was previously mentioned. Our As-hab stated, ‘If a man gives salams to a woman or a woman to a man, while between them is a relationship of being unmarriageable, or a marital relationship, or she is his slave-girl, then it [salams] is sunnah. Additionally, replying to it is obligatory. If not, then it is not obligatory; unless, that she is an old lady from whom one does not expect to find fitnah.’ Mutawalli mentioned, ‘If one gives salams to a young woman stranger, then it is not permissible for her to reply.’ If she gives salams, then it is disliked that one reply. If the woman are in a group and a man gives salams to them, or the men are in a large group and they give salams to a woman, then that is sunnah, when there is no fear for him, the group of women, or the woman, of a fitnah…”

And Allah knows best.

Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.