A saying that has become widespread among people, which is: "There is no greeting over food." What is the validity of this?
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The questioner : His EminenceThe Shaykh : A saying that has become widespread among people, which is: "There is no greeting over food." What is the validity of this?
The Shaykh : "There is no greeting over food" means no handshake, or not even with the tongue? All right.
As for shaking hands over food, no one shakes hands over food. If a person enters and people are eating, does he shake hands with them? Does everyone shake hands with him? No one does that, and I do not think the questioner intends this. The apparent meaning is: if you enter upon a group of people who are eating, do you greet them or not? This is the apparent meaning. So we say: if you greet them, there is no blame on you; and if you leave it, there is no blame on you. If you greet them, you have entered upon a group of people, and whoever enters upon a group of people should greet them. And if you leave it, there is no blame on you, because these people are occupied with food, with eating. If you greet them, you might occupy them with returning the greeting, especially if you greet them and say, "How are you? How is your condition? How are your children? Did they succeed in the exam? Did they do well?" You distract them. So the result is that greeting those who are eating is not a problem. But perhaps you enter upon a group of people who know nothing about this ruling, and if you leave off the greeting, they might think that you are boycotting them. In that case, the side of greeting becomes more preferable.
The Shaykh : "There is no greeting over food" means no handshake, or not even with the tongue? All right.
As for shaking hands over food, no one shakes hands over food. If a person enters and people are eating, does he shake hands with them? Does everyone shake hands with him? No one does that, and I do not think the questioner intends this. The apparent meaning is: if you enter upon a group of people who are eating, do you greet them or not? This is the apparent meaning. So we say: if you greet them, there is no blame on you; and if you leave it, there is no blame on you. If you greet them, you have entered upon a group of people, and whoever enters upon a group of people should greet them. And if you leave it, there is no blame on you, because these people are occupied with food, with eating. If you greet them, you might occupy them with returning the greeting, especially if you greet them and say, "How are you? How is your condition? How are your children? Did they succeed in the exam? Did they do well?" You distract them. So the result is that greeting those who are eating is not a problem. But perhaps you enter upon a group of people who know nothing about this ruling, and if you leave off the greeting, they might think that you are boycotting them. In that case, the side of greeting becomes more preferable.