What is the ruling on shaking hands with women?
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Question:
What is the ruling on shaking hands with women?
Answer:
Shaking hands with women is subject to detail: if it is with a mahram (a relative one may not marry) — such as her mother, her aunt, or her wife — there is nothing wrong with it; but if it is with a non-mahram, it is not permissible. A woman extended her hand to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to shake his hand, and he said:Sunan Ibn Majah 2874Sahih (Darussalam). And Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "By Allah, the hand of the Messenger of Allah never touched the hand of a woman; he only pledged allegiance to them with words." (peace and blessings be upon him).
Therefore, men do not shake hands with them, and they do not shake hands with men; rather, the greeting is without handshaking: with her brother-in-law, with her husband's brothers, or his uncles, it is words without handshaking: "As-salamu alaykum" (Peace be upon you), "Wa alaykum al-salam" (And upon you peace), "How are you?" "How are your children?" and the like, without handshaking. And what was the custom of some tribes and some people must be abandoned; it was the custom of some tribes to shake hands with their women. This is a mistake; it is obligatory to abandon the custom that contradicts the Shari'ah.
What is the ruling on shaking hands with women?
Answer:
Shaking hands with women is subject to detail: if it is with a mahram (a relative one may not marry) — such as her mother, her aunt, or her wife — there is nothing wrong with it; but if it is with a non-mahram, it is not permissible. A woman extended her hand to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to shake his hand, and he said:
But I do not shake hands with women.
إني لا أُصافح النساءTherefore, men do not shake hands with them, and they do not shake hands with men; rather, the greeting is without handshaking: with her brother-in-law, with her husband's brothers, or his uncles, it is words without handshaking: "As-salamu alaykum" (Peace be upon you), "Wa alaykum al-salam" (And upon you peace), "How are you?" "How are your children?" and the like, without handshaking. And what was the custom of some tribes and some people must be abandoned; it was the custom of some tribes to shake hands with their women. This is a mistake; it is obligatory to abandon the custom that contradicts the Shari'ah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.