The Ruling on Family Mixing and Shaking Hands with the Husband’s Relatives

Question:
Our brother asks and says: What is the ruling on family mixing, such as with a paternal cousin, a maternal cousin, the husband’s brother, and the like?
And is it permissible for a woman to shake hands with a man, such as a paternal cousin, a maternal cousin, the husband’s brother, and others? Who are those with whom it is permissible to shake hands? And what is the authenticity of the hadith that says, in meaning: “It is better for one of you to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle than to touch a woman who is not lawful for him”?

Answer:
Family mixing involves a detailed ruling: As for between a woman and her husband’s father, her husband’s grandfather, and her husband’s sons, there is no harm; because they are mahram (relatives one may not marry). However, her mixing with his brothers or his paternal cousins, where she sees them without veiling from them, or shakes hands with them, this is not permissible. She has no right to uncover herself for them, nor to shake hands with them. She only shakes hands with mahram, such as her brother, her paternal uncle, her maternal uncle, her husband’s father, and her husband’s son. As for shaking hands with her husband’s brother, or her husband’s paternal uncle, or her husband’s maternal uncle, no. Likewise, her paternal cousin, her maternal cousin, and her maternal aunt’s son, no, she does not shake hands with him, nor does she uncover herself for him. Rather, she veils herself, covering her face and her body. She does not shake hands with him, but she speaks to him, returns his greeting, greets him, and asks about his condition and the condition of his children; there is no harm in that. But she does not shake hands with him, nor does she uncover herself for him. Rather, she veils herself from him, covering her face and her entire body from this person who is her paternal cousin, or her maternal cousin, or her husband’s brother, or her sister’s husband, or the like. Many people are negligent in this matter. Many families are lenient in this, and this is a great error. One must be cautious and not be lenient.
And as for what is narrated from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that: , this is a well-known hadith, but I do not remember the state of its chain right now. It is well-known, and it indicates the severity of disapproval in this matter, and the severity of the sin in this, in that it is incumbent upon the believer to be cautious about shaking hands with a woman who is not lawful for him; because it is a means to leniency and to the occurrence of what Allah has forbidden. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said when he took the pledge of allegiance from the women: , and Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said, as it came in the two Sahihs: “The hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) never touched the hand of a woman. He only took their pledge of allegiance with words.” May Allah be pleased with them. So the result is that he (peace and blessings be upon him) took the pledge of allegiance from the women with words, not with handshakes.
So it is obligatory to be cautious of what he (peace and blessings be upon him) warned against, and to follow his example, and because handshaking may be a means to what Allah has forbidden (Glorified and Exalted is He). Yes.

The presenter: May Allah bless you, and may He reward you with good.