The ruling on the military salute by hand gesture
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
What is your opinion on what is known as the military salute, and does it reach the level of shirk (associating partners with Allah)?
The Shaykh:
What is the military salute? I do not know it; did the questioner define it?
The questioner:
You are right, Shaykh. In fact, the highest authority.
The Shaykh:
A required greeting.
The questioner:
Amen.
The Shaykh:
It is a required signal.
The questioner:
Yes, the hand signal.
The Shaykh:
A mere gesture does not contain any prohibition. Oh my, a car. A mere hand gesture is permissible; what is forbidden is bowing and submission through bowing. That is what is forbidden. As for merely pointing with one's hand, a Muslim sometimes points with his hand if he does not hear the salam because of distance or noise, and it is recommended that he point with his hand, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sometimes pointed with his hand while giving the salam. However, he does not suffice with the gesture alone; rather, he says the words of the salam along with it. In any case, a mere gesture is a simple matter. A hand gesture, what is it?
The questioner:
He does not say "As-salamu alaykum" and then not say it, except for those who are prevented from saying it, they give the salam. Yes, they are forbidden from saying "As-salamu alaykum."
The Shaykh:
So he gestures like this and says "As-salamu alaykum." Is he forbidden from saying "As-salamu alaykum"? Is he forbidden from saying the salam? He says the salam in order to fulfill the Sunnah. He says the salam verbally, he utters it and gestures with his hand. There is no problem, there is no problem.
Another questioner:
Clarify. If this greeting were not to greet him, if he relied only on the salam and did not greet him with his hand, the method known and considered by 'Abd al-'Aziz, he said: You do not greet me, but you greet this knee.
The Shaykh:
I did not say that it is limited to the salam only. He gives the salam and raises his hand; that does not contradict.
Another questioner:
We mean by this greeting that it is for the Messenger, as he says.
The questioner:
And he emphasized it, Shaykh, meaning one might be punished for the movement.
Another questioner:
And it is the rank; if you do not respect me, respect the rank. That is what is intended by it, and this is the truth.
The Shaykh:
And this is a matter that requires study and detail. I see that the question should be written and submitted to the Ifta' authority to be studied, if Allah wills, and the situation in it should be observed. Yes, yes.
What is your opinion on what is known as the military salute, and does it reach the level of shirk (associating partners with Allah)?
The Shaykh:
What is the military salute? I do not know it; did the questioner define it?
The questioner:
You are right, Shaykh. In fact, the highest authority.
The Shaykh:
A required greeting.
The questioner:
Amen.
The Shaykh:
It is a required signal.
The questioner:
Yes, the hand signal.
The Shaykh:
A mere gesture does not contain any prohibition. Oh my, a car. A mere hand gesture is permissible; what is forbidden is bowing and submission through bowing. That is what is forbidden. As for merely pointing with one's hand, a Muslim sometimes points with his hand if he does not hear the salam because of distance or noise, and it is recommended that he point with his hand, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sometimes pointed with his hand while giving the salam. However, he does not suffice with the gesture alone; rather, he says the words of the salam along with it. In any case, a mere gesture is a simple matter. A hand gesture, what is it?
The questioner:
He does not say "As-salamu alaykum" and then not say it, except for those who are prevented from saying it, they give the salam. Yes, they are forbidden from saying "As-salamu alaykum."
The Shaykh:
So he gestures like this and says "As-salamu alaykum." Is he forbidden from saying "As-salamu alaykum"? Is he forbidden from saying the salam? He says the salam in order to fulfill the Sunnah. He says the salam verbally, he utters it and gestures with his hand. There is no problem, there is no problem.
Another questioner:
Clarify. If this greeting were not to greet him, if he relied only on the salam and did not greet him with his hand, the method known and considered by 'Abd al-'Aziz, he said: You do not greet me, but you greet this knee.
The Shaykh:
I did not say that it is limited to the salam only. He gives the salam and raises his hand; that does not contradict.
Another questioner:
We mean by this greeting that it is for the Messenger, as he says.
The questioner:
And he emphasized it, Shaykh, meaning one might be punished for the movement.
Another questioner:
And it is the rank; if you do not respect me, respect the rank. That is what is intended by it, and this is the truth.
The Shaykh:
And this is a matter that requires study and detail. I see that the question should be written and submitted to the Ifta' authority to be studied, if Allah wills, and the situation in it should be observed. Yes, yes.
Source
الفوزان -أشرطة- أسئلة وأجوبة من دروس التوحيد - أسئلة وأجوبة - الفوزان - ١ — archive.org (50:59)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.