ABSTRACT
Islamic tradition condemns the greeting formulae of the Jahiliyya and aims at putting the salam greeting in their place. It is therefore an anachronism when philologists transmit the salam greeting from pagan times. On the other hand Muslim poets use the pagan form of greeting in their poems, together with other ancient Arab elements which had lost their currency. Prophet rejected the address sayyid (master) as being appropriate only to Allah. It is well-known that actual linguistic use could not be regulated by such theological scruples. A wall of the Ka'ba, which was known as Hatim, was not to be called by that name in Islam. The well-known house sacrifice was to be called naslka or dhablha instead of the pagan 'aqlqa. The interdiction of some expressions is not only confined to formulas of greetings and good wishes. In other spheres, too, some expressions are forbidden and replaced by others more fitting.
