The Sunnah of Greeting and Handshaking
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In the morning, there is a routine of greeting and handshaking. What is your opinion on this, O Shaykh?
If you meet your brother, shake his hand; that is good.But the thing that people have innovated, and I do not know of any basis for it in the Sunnah: that when he enters the gathering, he stands up and shakes their hands one by one, passing by them. This is not from the Sunnah; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to enter gatherings and not shake people's hands, but rather he would sit wherever the gathering ended for him. And the best of guidance is the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Our previous shaykhs did not do this, and it was not done in their presence either. But this happened from some of the upright brothers, thinking that this handshake is like the handshake upon meeting, and it is not so. Meeting is when each one meets the other. As for this, it is a man entering upon people who are sitting. Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he entered, greet the people one by one? Let whoever has a Sunnah in this inform us of it. And whoever does not have a Sunnah, the best of guidance is the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Also, some people, when they enter, start with the right from the door, even if he is the youngest of the people, and this is wrong. If you enter, start with the eldest, as came in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then with the one on your right. You only start with the right if they are on both your sides, one on your right and one on your left; you start with the right even if he is younger. But upon entering and giving coffee or tea or incense, start with the eldest, then with the one on your right until you finish, then return to the one on the right of the eldest, and take them one by one.
If you meet your brother, shake his hand; that is good.But the thing that people have innovated, and I do not know of any basis for it in the Sunnah: that when he enters the gathering, he stands up and shakes their hands one by one, passing by them. This is not from the Sunnah; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to enter gatherings and not shake people's hands, but rather he would sit wherever the gathering ended for him. And the best of guidance is the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Our previous shaykhs did not do this, and it was not done in their presence either. But this happened from some of the upright brothers, thinking that this handshake is like the handshake upon meeting, and it is not so. Meeting is when each one meets the other. As for this, it is a man entering upon people who are sitting. Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he entered, greet the people one by one? Let whoever has a Sunnah in this inform us of it. And whoever does not have a Sunnah, the best of guidance is the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Also, some people, when they enter, start with the right from the door, even if he is the youngest of the people, and this is wrong. If you enter, start with the eldest, as came in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then with the one on your right. You only start with the right if they are on both your sides, one on your right and one on your left; you start with the right even if he is younger. But upon entering and giving coffee or tea or incense, start with the eldest, then with the one on your right until you finish, then return to the one on the right of the eldest, and take them one by one.