The Shaykh’s clarification of the existence of a legal basis in the Shari'ah for kissing the hand of a scholar and the like, and that kissing is not prohibited as some people understand it.

The Shaykh : The question states: Islam has prohibited the kissing of hands. Is it permissible to kiss the hands of one’s parents, given that they consider not kissing them a sin against them, and consequently a sin against Allah, since dutifulness to parents is obligatory? Before answering the question directly, it is necessary to draw attention to the fact that every Muslim, whether male or female, must understand his Islam correctly, not superficially. I say this because the question states: “Islam has prohibited the kissing of hands.” When it is said that the Lawgiver has prohibited something, this text means that there is an explicit text prohibiting that specific act. Here, for example, regarding the kissing of hands, such as kissing the hand of a scholar or a parent or the like, when we go to the position that kissing the hand is not legislated, that is due to a set of evidences that gathered and encompassed the issue, leading us to not make it a habit to kiss the hand, the hand of a scholar especially, and others. This is due to a set of reasons, and—this is the point—it is not because there is a specific prohibition against kissing the hand of a scholar or a parent. No. So when I say: “It is not prescribed to kiss the hand,” I do not mean that there is an explicit and authentic hadith that he (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited kissing the hand. How could that be, when I mentioned in this specific lecture for women, and repeatedly in the lecture for men: “That kissing the hand of a scholar has a basis in the Shari'ah,” and I wrote this and printed it in some of my books? I do not remember exactly now, but in any case, it is in one of the two series, either “Al-Sahihah” or “Al-Da'ifah.” I mentioned there that the basis for kissing the hand of a righteous scholar is established in the Shari'ah, meaning: it is permissible. But I explain the issue, and I say in my general and specific lectures, as I did there in the book mentioned earlier: that the establishment of this basis does not mean that it is permissible for us to make kissing the hand of a scholar a followed sunnah, continuous to the extent that it overrides a valid and established sunnah from his (peace and blessings be upon him) actions and words, which is shaking hands. This kissing, which has a fixed basis in the Sunnah, has today taken the place of shaking hands. Shaking hands is prescribed always and forever, as some of the Companions said about our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Who says this? A Companion. And who were the ones the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) shook hands with? They were the Companions as well. But none of these people says: “Every time we met him, we kissed his hand,” or “We shook his hand and kissed his hand at best.” Absolutely not. It is not mentioned in any text, not even in a fabricated hadith, that they used to kiss his hand every time they met the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). There is nothing of this kind. But there are rare, scattered incidents where so-and-so came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and kissed his hand. This is in the entire history of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), in the life of prophethood and messengership that he lived, once, twice, three times, disregarding some weak hadiths on the subject. So this rare occurrence proves the permissibility of kissing the hand of a scholar, especially since it is reported from some of the Companions after his (peace and blessings be upon him) death that one of them kissed the hand of another of the noble Companions. But I return to repeat: what does this indicate? It indicates permissibility. It does not indicate superiority, nor the legitimacy of a man continuing to kiss the hand of a scholar every time he meets him. It is not my intention, of course, to expand now on the topic of kissing hands and the deviations surrounding it, but it is sufficient for me now to mention that kissing the hand has a basis in the Sunnah, so we cannot say: “Islam prohibited kissing”—this is the crux of the matter—from this word. It is not correct to say: “Islam prohibited kissing the hand,” because kissing the hand is established in general, as I explained to you earlier.