What is the ruling on shaking hands with women who are not mahram?
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Question:
He says: My people recently embraced Islam, and they have great ignorance regarding matters of religion. I traveled and learned some of the sacred knowledge, so I returned to convey it to them and teach them. I have female cousins, daughters of my uncles, or daughters of my aunts, or my uncles' wives, and they are of advanced age. Is it permissible for me to shake their hands, knowing that they strongly disapprove of it due to their ignorance, and they approach me if I refrain from shaking hands so that they can shake my hand?
Answer:
As for the fact that you learned some matters of religion and went to teach others from your family, your neighbors, and your town, this is a good thing. This is acting upon the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Tawbah 9:122] [At-Tawbah 9:122], and He, Glorious and Exalted is He, says: [Ash-Shu'ara 26:214]. So this is a good thing from you, and it is worship, and you have reward for it. As for shaking hands with a woman who is not one of your mahram, it is not permissible; it is forbidden for you. If they disapprove of not shaking hands, you teach them. You teach them, among the things you teach them from the matters of religion, that it is forbidden for a man to shake hands with a woman who is not one of his mahram. Yes, and they will be convinced, if Allah wills. Yes.
He says: My people recently embraced Islam, and they have great ignorance regarding matters of religion. I traveled and learned some of the sacred knowledge, so I returned to convey it to them and teach them. I have female cousins, daughters of my uncles, or daughters of my aunts, or my uncles' wives, and they are of advanced age. Is it permissible for me to shake their hands, knowing that they strongly disapprove of it due to their ignorance, and they approach me if I refrain from shaking hands so that they can shake my hand?
Answer:
As for the fact that you learned some matters of religion and went to teach others from your family, your neighbors, and your town, this is a good thing. This is acting upon the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And it is not for the believers to go forth [to battle] all at once. For there should separate from every division of them a group [remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn their people
وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُوا كَافَّةً فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْwhen they return to them that they might be cautious.
إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَAnd warn, [O Muhammad], your closest kindred.
وَأَنذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم مصافحة النساء من غير المحارم؟ #فتاوى الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.