A man enters a gathering with many people in it; is it permissible for him to greet and shake hands with everyone in the gathering, or what should he do?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : All right, Professor, I found one who entered upon us and said, "Peace be upon you." So he greets everyone... he offers the greeting, "Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings," and this is for me and my brother and for you and for everyone. I look at his wording after he says, "Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings," and he greets all those present.
Another questioner : But the handshake
The Shaykh : ... He is speaking in the Jordanian dialect, meaning when he comes to shake hands.
The questioner : Like us, every time we greet someone we say to him, "Peace be upon you," and where do we go...?
The Shaykh : If the one who enters says, "Peace be upon you," once, and then if he wants the more complete and better option, and it is easy for him to shake hands with the attendees one by one, he does that. And if there is a very large group in the gathering and that or this handshake is not easy, he sits where the gathering ends for him, and it is sufficient for him to offer the greeting. As for what some people do, "Peace be upon you, peace be upon you, peace be upon you," where each person sitting offers him a greeting with a handshake, this is an unnecessary burden that has no basis in the nature of the Sunnah.
The questioner : Meaning he greets, and I say, "Welcome," as well.
The Shaykh : No, there is no harm in speaking after the greeting, but there is no speaking before the greeting. But the issue now is that the one who enters greets everyone with one greeting, and then if it is easy for him to shake hands with them one by one, that is the best. And what is not easy will not be a sin, because the handshake here is not in the category of the obligatory, as is the case with the greeting. Yes. But the handshake, in reality, and especially if it comes from a sound heart, has a great virtue, where he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . So a person hopes to encounter such a handshake that is a cause for the dropping of sins among those present, if not all of them, then most of them, if not most of them, then some of them, if not some of them... at least. Therefore, it is recommended for the Muslim that after offering the greeting, he should strive for what? For the handshake, unless there is something of unnecessary burden or affectation. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) says: . I think I have answered your question, Abu Ahmad.
The questioner : No, not yet.
The Shaykh : Allah is the Greatest, all this talk and I still have not answered you.
The questioner : We were in the mosque, we were praying, each one... May Allah accept, may Allah accept, we stopped.
The Shaykh : No, it is new.
The questioner : Or no, I likeThe Shaykh : The one next to me said, "I will go greet him," he said, "Peace be upon you." A second person, I like to greet him... I will say to him, "Peace be upon you."
The Shaykh : What did we say? Please, go ahead.
Another questioner : But the handshake
The Shaykh : ... He is speaking in the Jordanian dialect, meaning when he comes to shake hands.
The questioner : Like us, every time we greet someone we say to him, "Peace be upon you," and where do we go...?
The Shaykh : If the one who enters says, "Peace be upon you," once, and then if he wants the more complete and better option, and it is easy for him to shake hands with the attendees one by one, he does that. And if there is a very large group in the gathering and that or this handshake is not easy, he sits where the gathering ends for him, and it is sufficient for him to offer the greeting. As for what some people do, "Peace be upon you, peace be upon you, peace be upon you," where each person sitting offers him a greeting with a handshake, this is an unnecessary burden that has no basis in the nature of the Sunnah.
The questioner : Meaning he greets, and I say, "Welcome," as well.
The Shaykh : No, there is no harm in speaking after the greeting, but there is no speaking before the greeting. But the issue now is that the one who enters greets everyone with one greeting, and then if it is easy for him to shake hands with them one by one, that is the best. And what is not easy will not be a sin, because the handshake here is not in the category of the obligatory, as is the case with the greeting. Yes. But the handshake, in reality, and especially if it comes from a sound heart, has a great virtue, where he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
No two Muslims meet and shake hands except that their sins fall off them as leaves fall from trees in autumn.
ما من مسلمين يلتقيان فيتصافحان إلا تحاتت عنهما ذنوبهما كما يتحات الورق عن الشجر في الخريفThe excessive ones have perished, the excessive ones have perished, the excessive ones have perished.
هلك المتنطعون هلك المتنطعون هلك المتنطعونThe questioner : No, not yet.
The Shaykh : Allah is the Greatest, all this talk and I still have not answered you.
The questioner : We were in the mosque, we were praying, each one... May Allah accept, may Allah accept, we stopped.
The Shaykh : No, it is new.
The questioner : Or no, I likeThe Shaykh : The one next to me said, "I will go greet him," he said, "Peace be upon you." A second person, I like to greet him... I will say to him, "Peace be upon you."
The Shaykh : What did we say? Please, go ahead.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.