The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The closest of people to Allah are those who greet others with salam first."
قال رسول الله ﷺ: إن أولى الناس بالله من بدأهم بالسلام.
Abu Dawud (5197) narrated it from Muhammad bin Yahya bin Faris Dhuhli, who said, Asim narrated to us (he is Dahhak bin Makhlad), from Abu Khalid Wahb (he is Ibn Khalid Himyari), from Abu Sufyan Himsi (he is Muhammad bin Ziyad Alhani), from Abu Umama, and he related it. Its chain of transmission is sahih.Tirmidhi (2694) also narrated it, by way of Abu Farwa Yazid bin Sinan, from Salim bin Amir, from Abu Umama, in similar wording. Tirmidhi said, "This is a hasan hadith. Muhammad (meaning Bukhari) said, Abu Farwa Rahawi is close to reliable in his hadith, except that his son, Muhammad bin Yazid, transmits objectionable narrations from him."