The Ruling on Kissing a Scholar’s Hand
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Al-Hawini: The occasion for the following discussion is that I have been accustomed to kiss the handThe Shaykh : After we left the mosque... after the Fajr prayer, and I got into the car with him, he brought up this report to me in a playful manner. This report is that kissing the hand is the lesser prostration. So he asked me if I knew this report. This was the following dialogue, if Allah wills (Glorified and Exalted is He).
The Shaykh : I mean the previous report, first regarding its transmission, and second regarding the form of its application.
Al-Hawini: The report is authentic, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : I do not know; I am asking you.
Al-Hawini: Yes, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : I mean thatThe questioner : Sometimes - and upon you be peace, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, welcome -
Al-Hawini: Yes, O Shaykh, well, this report.
The Shaykh : I mean, I want to tell you something, O Professor.
al-Huwaini: Yes.
The Shaykh : That if it isThe questioner : A questioner.
al-Huwaini: Yes.
The Shaykh : And frequent, is it not permissible for the one being asked to be frequent in asking him, while the questioner is few?
Al-Hawini: I read in some of your investigations that it is permissible to kiss a scholar’s hand.
The Shaykh : This is a deviation I do not want to record against you.
Al-Hawini: Because this is from the category of acknowledging merit.
The Shaykh : Do you see, O Abu 'Abdullah, this is a new pattern.
Al-Hawini: Well, what is your opinion on kissing a scholar’s hand? I am asking...
The Shaykh : The opinion is as you read.
Al-Hawini: Then I did the right thing, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh: Yes.
Al-Hawini: I did the right thing, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : But I do not say it is the lesser prostration.
Al-Hawini: If the report is authentic, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and Allah’s mercy, welcome, I praise Allah and thank Him, how are you, well?
The student : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, you are still praying with your head uncovered,[Al-A'raf 7:31], you do not read the Qur'an.
The student : I read, and praise be to Allah, and I read more than that.
The Shaykh : But reading without action is not enough, may Allah reward you, is that not so?
The student : Is that not so?
The Shaykh : That is correct.
The student: We ask Allah for pardon and well-being.
The Shaykh : O Allah, amen, O Allah, amen.
Al-Hawini: O our Shaykh. Another student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Al-Hawini: Regarding the menstruating woman, is it permissible for her to enter the mosque to hear a lesson of knowledge or...
The Shaykh : Do not be a follower of the recording you have on the paper; be an innovator as well.
Al-Hawini: I do not understand.
The Shaykh : It is your right, because this resembles a riddle.
Al-Huwayni: Yes.
The Shaykh : I mean, my discussion with you has not been concluded.
Al-Hawini: Ah, yes, in the first issue.
The Shaykh : Ah, that is so.
Al-Hawini: I mean, I came as one seeking a ruling, meaning that even if one has something, a person does not present it unless he benefits from it.
The Shaykh : Even if it is requested of him.
Al-Hawini: I mean, sometimes, O our Shaykh, there is a kind of aweThe Shaykh : And so on, that explicitly prevents one from expressing what is in his heart.
The Shaykh : Correct, let him extend itThe Shaykh : Ahmad, extend it, glory be to Allah, how people differ. Yesterday, the day before yesterday, I had an answer for the first time that came to my mind to mention it with his saying (peace be upon him), even though I have never done this with any of our brothers at all,Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1919Hasan (Darussalam). I said to myself, mentioning it with this hadith, hesitating here, look, there is excess and deficiency here, exaggeration there and neglect, so glory be to Allah, and the middle path... is a saying.
Al-Hawini: O our Shaykh, considering...
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, welcome.
The student : ...
The Shaykh : Samir.
Al-Hawini: And upon you be peace and Allah’s mercy.
The Shaykh : Yes, what did you want to say?
Al-Hawini: I wanted to say, meaning, the absence of many shaykhs in this era.
The Shaykh: Yes.
Al-Hawini: Makes a person have a lot of awe for the scholars he meets, meaning.
The Shaykh : And have you seen scholars?
Al-Hawini: Yes, I have seen them now.
The Shaykh : I have not seen anything but students of knowledge, O Shaykh, but the matter is as it was said: "The owls in our land become lions." Do you know this proverb?
al-Huwaini: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is our reality.
Al-Hawini: Glory be to Allah.
Another student: This is humility.
The Shaykh : No, this is the truth, if Allah wills... with our dear friend, there is a difference between kissing the hand absolutely, without any condition or description, which we permit following some hadiths and reports, and the kissing that is accompanied by something resembling prostration, or at least bowing. This is what we disapprove of, and this is what I wanted to draw attention to.
Al-Hawini: But O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : So not every kissing do we affirm, and in that case, it does not contradict what I mentioned earlier or what you asked about. Has it reached you the saying of one who said: "Kissing the hand is the lesser prostration"? This does not contradict what you read in some of my writings regarding the permissibility of kissing the hand with conditions, which I think I mentioned there, and Allah knows best.
Al-Hawini: But in most cases, O our Shaykh, the kissing is accompanied by bending, considering... meaning, the reluctance.
The Shaykh : It is enough for me from you now, initially, your saying "in most cases," because its implication is that in rare cases it is not accompanied.
al-Huwaini: Yes.
The Shaykh : So I want this.
Al-Hawini: But you are reluctant with us, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And this is my duty.
Al-Hawini: And it is my duty as well to exaggerate.
The Shaykh : There is no obstacle; everyone does his duty within the limits of his ability.
Al-Hawini: Move on to another question.
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : I mean the previous report, first regarding its transmission, and second regarding the form of its application.
Al-Hawini: The report is authentic, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : I do not know; I am asking you.
Al-Hawini: Yes, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : I mean thatThe questioner : Sometimes - and upon you be peace, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, welcome -
Al-Hawini: Yes, O Shaykh, well, this report.
The Shaykh : I mean, I want to tell you something, O Professor.
al-Huwaini: Yes.
The Shaykh : That if it isThe questioner : A questioner.
al-Huwaini: Yes.
The Shaykh : And frequent, is it not permissible for the one being asked to be frequent in asking him, while the questioner is few?
Al-Hawini: I read in some of your investigations that it is permissible to kiss a scholar’s hand.
The Shaykh : This is a deviation I do not want to record against you.
Al-Hawini: Because this is from the category of acknowledging merit.
The Shaykh : Do you see, O Abu 'Abdullah, this is a new pattern.
Al-Hawini: Well, what is your opinion on kissing a scholar’s hand? I am asking...
The Shaykh : The opinion is as you read.
Al-Hawini: Then I did the right thing, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh: Yes.
Al-Hawini: I did the right thing, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : But I do not say it is the lesser prostration.
Al-Hawini: If the report is authentic, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and Allah’s mercy, welcome, I praise Allah and thank Him, how are you, well?
The student : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, you are still praying with your head uncovered,
take your adornment at every masjid
خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍThe student : I read, and praise be to Allah, and I read more than that.
The Shaykh : But reading without action is not enough, may Allah reward you, is that not so?
The student : Is that not so?
The Shaykh : That is correct.
The student: We ask Allah for pardon and well-being.
The Shaykh : O Allah, amen, O Allah, amen.
Al-Hawini: O our Shaykh. Another student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Al-Hawini: Regarding the menstruating woman, is it permissible for her to enter the mosque to hear a lesson of knowledge or...
The Shaykh : Do not be a follower of the recording you have on the paper; be an innovator as well.
Al-Hawini: I do not understand.
The Shaykh : It is your right, because this resembles a riddle.
Al-Huwayni: Yes.
The Shaykh : I mean, my discussion with you has not been concluded.
Al-Hawini: Ah, yes, in the first issue.
The Shaykh : Ah, that is so.
Al-Hawini: I mean, I came as one seeking a ruling, meaning that even if one has something, a person does not present it unless he benefits from it.
The Shaykh : Even if it is requested of him.
Al-Hawini: I mean, sometimes, O our Shaykh, there is a kind of aweThe Shaykh : And so on, that explicitly prevents one from expressing what is in his heart.
The Shaykh : Correct, let him extend itThe Shaykh : Ahmad, extend it, glory be to Allah, how people differ. Yesterday, the day before yesterday, I had an answer for the first time that came to my mind to mention it with his saying (peace be upon him), even though I have never done this with any of our brothers at all,
He is not one of us who does not have mercy on our young and does not respect our elders.
ليس منَّا مَن لم يرحم صغيرنا ، ويوقِّر كبيرنا ، ويعرف لعالمنا حقَّهAl-Hawini: O our Shaykh, considering...
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, welcome.
The student : ...
The Shaykh : Samir.
Al-Hawini: And upon you be peace and Allah’s mercy.
The Shaykh : Yes, what did you want to say?
Al-Hawini: I wanted to say, meaning, the absence of many shaykhs in this era.
The Shaykh: Yes.
Al-Hawini: Makes a person have a lot of awe for the scholars he meets, meaning.
The Shaykh : And have you seen scholars?
Al-Hawini: Yes, I have seen them now.
The Shaykh : I have not seen anything but students of knowledge, O Shaykh, but the matter is as it was said: "The owls in our land become lions." Do you know this proverb?
al-Huwaini: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is our reality.
Al-Hawini: Glory be to Allah.
Another student: This is humility.
The Shaykh : No, this is the truth, if Allah wills... with our dear friend, there is a difference between kissing the hand absolutely, without any condition or description, which we permit following some hadiths and reports, and the kissing that is accompanied by something resembling prostration, or at least bowing. This is what we disapprove of, and this is what I wanted to draw attention to.
Al-Hawini: But O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : So not every kissing do we affirm, and in that case, it does not contradict what I mentioned earlier or what you asked about. Has it reached you the saying of one who said: "Kissing the hand is the lesser prostration"? This does not contradict what you read in some of my writings regarding the permissibility of kissing the hand with conditions, which I think I mentioned there, and Allah knows best.
Al-Hawini: But in most cases, O our Shaykh, the kissing is accompanied by bending, considering... meaning, the reluctance.
The Shaykh : It is enough for me from you now, initially, your saying "in most cases," because its implication is that in rare cases it is not accompanied.
al-Huwaini: Yes.
The Shaykh : So I want this.
Al-Hawini: But you are reluctant with us, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And this is my duty.
Al-Hawini: And it is my duty as well to exaggerate.
The Shaykh : There is no obstacle; everyone does his duty within the limits of his ability.
Al-Hawini: Move on to another question.
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.