The Ruling on Bending When Greeting

Question : A questioner says: Honorable Shaykh Muhammad (may Allah preserve him), is it permissible to bend in respect for a person, especially one who holds a social status or is from a people for whom this is their greeting? We ask for a detailed explanation on this.

Answer : It is not permissible to bend when greeting. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about a man who meets his brother: does he bend to him? He said: No. Does he embrace him? He said: No. Does he shake his hand? He said: Yes.
So the Sunnah (recommended practice) upon meeting is the handshake. If you meet your brother in the market and the meeting requires that you stand with him and he stands with you, shake his hand. The meaning is not that every time you pass by someone in the market you extend your hand, because this is not the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
But if your brother meets you and the need requires that you both stand, shake his hand, and do not bend to him, do not kiss him, and do not embrace him, except if he has returned from a journey. Al-Sha'bi (may Allah have mercy on him), who is one of the great known Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions), said: They used to embrace and kiss one another when one of them returned from a journey. As for without a reason, the handshake is sufficient. So bending is prohibited.
Embracing and kissing, if there is a reason, there is no harm; otherwise, there is. So do not embrace and do not kiss. The handshake is a Sunnah (recommended practice) in all cases upon a meeting that involves standing. Kissing is for condolences, and embracing has no basis at all, except, for example, if a man returns from a journey and faces the family of the deceased, then there is no harm in kissing and embracing them. But for the sake of condolences, no. This is the imam of the mosque; we cannot say we will answer his question. And it has been conveyed to you that there is no answer to his question.