Is the hadith: “Do not imitate the Jews and the Christians; for the greeting of the Jews is pointing with the fingers” authentic?

The Shaykh : All right, what is your question? What is your question?

The questioner : My question is: Is the greeting by gesture authentic in this hadith?

The Shaykh : This is an authentic hadith, This hadith is authentic, and the ruling is naturally established and decisive. This falls under the chapter of the prohibition of imitating the People of the Book, and this chapter contains dozens of authentic hadiths. Therefore, what Muslims have become accustomed to, influenced by Turkish customs adopted from Western customs... when the disbelieving lands were opened up next to Turkey at that time; these are not Islamic customs. “Peace be upon you” is prohibited, and gesturing with the hand is not permissible to be combined with the prescribed greeting. It is even more impermissible to stand alone in greeting with a gesture of the palm or fingers without uttering the greeting. However, it is established in the Sunnah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by some women and gestured to them with his hand in greeting. The scholars said that it is permissible to gesture with one’s hand to the person being greeted if he is far from you and cannot hear your greeting, or if he is deaf and cannot hear. You give him a gesture that he understands from you that you have greeted him, and he returns the greeting to you.
The Shaykh : But with this, it should be that the Muslim’s gesture in greeting differs from the gesture of the disbelieving Jew or Christian; so one does not do this as the scouts do today, nor does one do this. Rather, it is a general gesture, something that is understood by you that you have greeted him, and that is all.
Yes.

The questioner : ... .
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