What is the ruling on a Muslim woman shaking hands with a dhimmi woman?

The questioner : Is it permissible for a Muslim woman to shake hands with a dhimmi woman? And what is the ruling on shaking hands?

The Shaykh : It is permissible for her to shake hands with a dhimmi woman, just as it is permissible for a man to shake hands with a dhimmi man; because there is no prohibition against it in the first place, and because this falls under the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted: . However, one should not go to extremes in such matters, as I recently heard that one of the doctors with whom the Ummah has been afflicted in this age, and some of whom are employed in the Department of Ifta, was asked: Is it permissible for a Muslim to congratulate the Christians on their Christmas, which they call the birthday? He answered that there is no harm in it—Allahu Akbar!!—and that this is something Allah has commanded, he said, in His saying the Exalted: .
I said: So he is saying that a Muslim says to a disbeliever, whether a dhimmi Jew or Christian: "Peace be upon you." This is undoubtedly included in the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted: . But a scholar would not say this, because it contradicts the explicit text, which is the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): .
Likewise, the scholars of the Muslims agreed that it is not permissible to participate with the Christians and Jews in their festivals; because these are religious matters for them. This is not the case for matters that have no connection to religion. This is the distinguishing point that such a doctor and others who said that it is permissible for a Muslim to congratulate the Christians on their festivals do not know. This is an error.
As for the previous issue, there is no harm in shaking hands. This is a matter of custom, not what? It is not a form of worship for them, and it is a matter shared by all people.