What is the ruling on shaking hands with people daily?
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The questioner : In the morning, at work, handshakes happen daily. What is your opinion on this?
The Shaykh : If you meet your brother, shake his hand; that is good. But the thing people have innovated, for which I do not know a basis in the Sunnah, is that when one enters a gathering, he stands up and shakes hands with them one by one, going around to them. This is not from the Sunnah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to enter gatherings and not shake hands with the people; rather, he would sit wherever the gathering ended. And the best of guidance is the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Our previous scholars 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. But this is a man who enters upon people who are sitting. Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he entered, greet the people one by one?
Whoever has a Sunnah in this matter, let him 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).
Likewise, some people, when they enter, start with the right side from the door, even if that person is the youngest of the group, and this is wrong. When you enter, start with the eldest, as came in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then with the person on your right. When you start with the right, if there is one person on your right and one on your left, you start with the right, even if he is younger. But when entering, or when giving coffee, tea, or incense, start with the eldest, then with the person on your right until you finish, then return to the person on the right of the eldest and take them one by one.
The Shaykh : If you meet your brother, shake his hand; that is good. But the thing people have innovated, for which I do not know a basis in the Sunnah, is that when one enters a gathering, he stands up and shakes hands with them one by one, going around to them. This is not from the Sunnah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to enter gatherings and not shake hands with the people; rather, he would sit wherever the gathering ended. And the best of guidance is the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Our previous scholars 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. But this is a man who enters upon people who are sitting. Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he entered, greet the people one by one?
Whoever has a Sunnah in this matter, let him 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).
Likewise, some people, when they enter, start with the right side from the door, even if that person is the youngest of the group, and this is wrong. When you enter, start with the eldest, as came in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then with the person on your right. When you start with the right, if there is one person on your right and one on your left, you start with the right, even if he is younger. But when entering, or when giving coffee, tea, or incense, start with the eldest, then with the person on your right until you finish, then return to the person on the right of the eldest and take them one by one.