Is it permissible to kiss the hand of a scholar?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : As for kissing the hand of a scholar, or kissing the hand of the Messenger, this is attested, and you will find that.
The questioner : In *Al-Adab al-Mufrad*.
The Shaykh : It is explicitly stated in *Sahih al-Adab*, not just in *Al-Adab*, because *Al-Adab* is divided into two parts: authentic and weak. So that the student of knowledge is clear about the authentic narrations and the weak narrations, we established this fair division: *Sahih al-Adab* and *Da'if al-Adab*. You will find there explicit texts regarding kissing the hand of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and the hands of some of the noble Companions. For example: "Some of the Tabi'un came to Salama ibn al-Akwa, and the narrator said: 'It was like the hoof of a camel, so we stood up to it and kissed it.'" Although it is attested and authentic, and a fortiori, we do not see that Najdi custom of kissing the shaykhs on their heads, shoulders, or chests, because none of this is authentic from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
The questioner : But if we say.
The Shaykh : I am afraid of the word "but"!
The questioner : The question is raised.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Regarding what you mentioned and the word you quoted from me, which is: that we share in the *muharram* regarding the mother and the sister, we say: What is the motive for kissing the hand, the hand of the scholar? Is it not for honoring him, for the sake of honor?!
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner: Huh?
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : Why?
The Shaykh : The motive is following, because if you come with honor, you build upon it what is not from the Sunnah. And therefore, I know how the shoulder is eaten.
The questioner : If we say following, and we want to kiss, why was the hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kissed?!
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : If we say the evidence is following, why was the hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kissed?!
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : So how do we analogize the scholar to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)?
The Shaykh : Who do we analogize to whom?!
The questioner : To the scholars, you are now.
The Shaykh : We do not analogize, we do not analogize the scholars to the Messenger.
The questioner : The scholars... but you said: it is permissible to kiss the hand of the scholar.
The Shaykh : Yes, with the condition we mentioned.
The questioner : And you mentioned—no, let it be, let it be—and you mentioned, O Shaykh, that he (peace and blessings be upon him) kissed... this is your evidence, and Salama ibn al-Akwa, they kissed his hand when he shook the hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : You are straying far from the original topic. Summarize your topic now, what is it?
The questioner : My question: How do you combine kissing the hand of the scholar?
The Shaykh : Who told you: we analogized?! Did you hear the word *qiyas* (analogical reasoning) from me?
The questioner : No, I did not hear it from you.
The Shaykh : Then why are you saying about me what I do not say?!
The questioner : This is a deduction, O Shaykh!
The Shaykh : You are not one of the people of deduction, and I am not one of those from whom deduction is made. I am not one of those from whom deduction is made, and I am before you now, you ask me, and I give you the answer frankly without deduction.
The questioner: All right, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Huh?
The questioner : We agree.
The Shaykh : Say what he asked you? You started saying: why do we analogize, so I replied to you: I did not use the word *qiyas*, so where did you get this from?
The questioner : We said deduction.
The Shaykh : Withdraw it.
The questioner : We withdraw it!
The Shaykh : Withdraw it.
The questioner : Okay, we withdraw it before.
The Shaykh : Correct the question.
The questioner : The question, O Shaykh, has something else behind it.
The Shaykh : I do not care, keep it to yourself, may Allah guide you, without exposing your state, keep it to yourself, now correct your first question, then show us what is behind the veil?!
The questioner : My question is kissing the hand of the scholar!
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : On what evidence?
The Shaykh : The evidence that the hands of the scholars among the Companions were kissed.
The questioner : The question that follows: Is it for honor or for following?
The Shaykh : No, for following.
The questioner : I said: for following.
The Shaykh : Following the Companions of the Messenger, by whom they were commanded to follow him, and it is His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):[Al-Ahzab 33:21] Does this mean analogy here? Say: No!
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh : Here, praise be to Allah, we are relieved of the word.
The questioner : So why did they kiss this man's hand?
The Shaykh : What kind of man is he?
The questioner : Salama ibn al-Akwa.
The Shaykh : Because he is one of the Companions of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). You do not say why did they kiss?! This is a wrong question. Why did he accept the kissing?!
The questioner : No, that is not the question in my mind.
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you!
The questioner : I am not asking this.
The Shaykh : O Shaykh, may Allah guide you, those who kissed might be from the general people, so you are asking why the general people kissed?! You should ask why he accepted the kissing?
The questioner : Okay, because he saw the hand of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) being kissed.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The questioner : In *Al-Adab al-Mufrad*.
The Shaykh : It is explicitly stated in *Sahih al-Adab*, not just in *Al-Adab*, because *Al-Adab* is divided into two parts: authentic and weak. So that the student of knowledge is clear about the authentic narrations and the weak narrations, we established this fair division: *Sahih al-Adab* and *Da'if al-Adab*. You will find there explicit texts regarding kissing the hand of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and the hands of some of the noble Companions. For example: "Some of the Tabi'un came to Salama ibn al-Akwa, and the narrator said: 'It was like the hoof of a camel, so we stood up to it and kissed it.'" Although it is attested and authentic, and a fortiori, we do not see that Najdi custom of kissing the shaykhs on their heads, shoulders, or chests, because none of this is authentic from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
The questioner : But if we say.
The Shaykh : I am afraid of the word "but"!
The questioner : The question is raised.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Regarding what you mentioned and the word you quoted from me, which is: that we share in the *muharram* regarding the mother and the sister, we say: What is the motive for kissing the hand, the hand of the scholar? Is it not for honoring him, for the sake of honor?!
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner: Huh?
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : Why?
The Shaykh : The motive is following, because if you come with honor, you build upon it what is not from the Sunnah. And therefore, I know how the shoulder is eaten.
The questioner : If we say following, and we want to kiss, why was the hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kissed?!
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : If we say the evidence is following, why was the hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kissed?!
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : So how do we analogize the scholar to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)?
The Shaykh : Who do we analogize to whom?!
The questioner : To the scholars, you are now.
The Shaykh : We do not analogize, we do not analogize the scholars to the Messenger.
The questioner : The scholars... but you said: it is permissible to kiss the hand of the scholar.
The Shaykh : Yes, with the condition we mentioned.
The questioner : And you mentioned—no, let it be, let it be—and you mentioned, O Shaykh, that he (peace and blessings be upon him) kissed... this is your evidence, and Salama ibn al-Akwa, they kissed his hand when he shook the hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : You are straying far from the original topic. Summarize your topic now, what is it?
The questioner : My question: How do you combine kissing the hand of the scholar?
The Shaykh : Who told you: we analogized?! Did you hear the word *qiyas* (analogical reasoning) from me?
The questioner : No, I did not hear it from you.
The Shaykh : Then why are you saying about me what I do not say?!
The questioner : This is a deduction, O Shaykh!
The Shaykh : You are not one of the people of deduction, and I am not one of those from whom deduction is made. I am not one of those from whom deduction is made, and I am before you now, you ask me, and I give you the answer frankly without deduction.
The questioner: All right, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Huh?
The questioner : We agree.
The Shaykh : Say what he asked you? You started saying: why do we analogize, so I replied to you: I did not use the word *qiyas*, so where did you get this from?
The questioner : We said deduction.
The Shaykh : Withdraw it.
The questioner : We withdraw it!
The Shaykh : Withdraw it.
The questioner : Okay, we withdraw it before.
The Shaykh : Correct the question.
The questioner : The question, O Shaykh, has something else behind it.
The Shaykh : I do not care, keep it to yourself, may Allah guide you, without exposing your state, keep it to yourself, now correct your first question, then show us what is behind the veil?!
The questioner : My question is kissing the hand of the scholar!
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : On what evidence?
The Shaykh : The evidence that the hands of the scholars among the Companions were kissed.
The questioner : The question that follows: Is it for honor or for following?
The Shaykh : No, for following.
The questioner : I said: for following.
The Shaykh : Following the Companions of the Messenger, by whom they were commanded to follow him, and it is His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):
There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern
لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌThe questioner: No.
The Shaykh : Here, praise be to Allah, we are relieved of the word.
The questioner : So why did they kiss this man's hand?
The Shaykh : What kind of man is he?
The questioner : Salama ibn al-Akwa.
The Shaykh : Because he is one of the Companions of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). You do not say why did they kiss?! This is a wrong question. Why did he accept the kissing?!
The questioner : No, that is not the question in my mind.
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you!
The questioner : I am not asking this.
The Shaykh : O Shaykh, may Allah guide you, those who kissed might be from the general people, so you are asking why the general people kissed?! You should ask why he accepted the kissing?
The questioner : Okay, because he saw the hand of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) being kissed.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.