The Ruling on Embracing at Every Meeting
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The Shaykh : I say, after praising Allah: In the past, I was hesitant about embracing; a brother embracing his brother at every meeting, whenever one of them encounters the other. However, I used to make an exception for embracing after a journey; because it is established from the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that "they used to embrace each other when they met after a journey."
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Then Allah (Mighty and Majestic) was gracious to me and brought to my attention the hadith of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) visit to Abu al-Tayyihan in his date grove. But when he (peace be upon him) asked permission to enter, his wife met him. He asked about her husband, and she said: "He went to draw water and will return soon." When he returned, he met the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and embraced him. So, because of this hadith, we expanded our tolerance for embracing, even if it was not after a journey. But even so, I still hold that the original practice is only shaking hands when meeting; because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he embraced whenever he met his Companions from one side, and the presence, excuse me.
The student : Shaking hands.
The Shaykh : It is established that he (peace be upon him) shook hands whenever he met any of his Companions, as he said—I am unsure now if it was Abu Dharr or Ammar: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) never met us without shaking our hands." He never met us without shaking our hands. Based on this comprehensive expression, "He never met us without shaking our hands," we can say that shaking hands is a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah muakkadah) because he persisted in it; he never met us without shaking our hands; this was his action. And there is his saying (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him), which is well-known, if Allah wills, to you:.
So, the original practice when Muslims meet is that they shake hands with one another, not that they embrace one another. But on the basis of rarity, there is no harm in embracing, deriving it from the hadith of Abu al-Tayyihan.
This is what I have arrived at in my practice, and we ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to increase us and you in knowledge.
The questioner : What is the meaning of embracing? Holding on, I mean, or how is the embrace?
The Shaykh : It is this.
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Then Allah (Mighty and Majestic) was gracious to me and brought to my attention the hadith of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) visit to Abu al-Tayyihan in his date grove. But when he (peace be upon him) asked permission to enter, his wife met him. He asked about her husband, and she said: "He went to draw water and will return soon." When he returned, he met the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and embraced him. So, because of this hadith, we expanded our tolerance for embracing, even if it was not after a journey. But even so, I still hold that the original practice is only shaking hands when meeting; because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he embraced whenever he met his Companions from one side, and the presence, excuse me.
The student : Shaking hands.
The Shaykh : It is established that he (peace be upon him) shook hands whenever he met any of his Companions, as he said—I am unsure now if it was Abu Dharr or Ammar: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) never met us without shaking our hands." He never met us without shaking our hands. Based on this comprehensive expression, "He never met us without shaking our hands," we can say that shaking hands is a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah muakkadah) because he persisted in it; he never met us without shaking our hands; this was his action. And there is his saying (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him), which is well-known, if Allah wills, to you:
No two Muslims meet and shake hands without their sins falling off them, just as leaves fall from trees in autumn.
ما من مسلمين يلتقيان فيتصافحان إلا تحاتَّت عنهما ذنوبهما كما يتحاتُّ الورق عن الشجر في الخريفSo, the original practice when Muslims meet is that they shake hands with one another, not that they embrace one another. But on the basis of rarity, there is no harm in embracing, deriving it from the hadith of Abu al-Tayyihan.
This is what I have arrived at in my practice, and we ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to increase us and you in knowledge.
The questioner : What is the meaning of embracing? Holding on, I mean, or how is the embrace?
The Shaykh : It is this.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.