Shaking Hands With Opposite Gender
Salam,
Your hands are dirty, your hands smell, your fingernails are black filthy, some of the reasons we don’t shake peoples hand, how about being modest and looking at what Islam has to say about this? I know some people are already thinking I’m extreme by talking about this, and already have the question going through their mind like how can it be impermissible to shake hands with an opposite gender? When i mean opposite gender i mean a person your not married to ( like a random woman in the workplace or in college or if your a female reading this then obviously a man for you ).
Although some people say its ok and in America its part of the corporate culture, their are others who completely reject it, me trying to be on the safe side, i pass the hand shake, It feels weird shaking a random woman’s hand, i mean check it, we have to lower our gaze, that’s part one, now hand shaking, you are a step in feeling the girl, that’s not real modest, as far as i see it, and what bugs me is that some brothers say its ok as long as you have the right intention and you do it quick, and if it happens then it happens. I don’t know, Islam prohibits any physical contact, and if your going to use culture as a reason to do it, then i have started seeing people kiss and hug to and to them its just “greeting”, so what you going to do you going to take shaking hands to the next level because its normative in our culture? Chill Yo!
My brother in law said instead of shaking a random woman’s hand at the workplace he would take out a pen and they can shake hands holding each side of the pen, pretty funny, but I think I’ll try that, honestly most woman respect when a Muslim guy refuses to shake their hand, i mean of course they will find it strange, but at the end of the day, it will get them thinking about why he doesn’t shake my hand and mash’Allah how modest and respectful he is, they will be astonished but that’s what Islam is about, its about doing certain acts that have wisdom, and you gotta let people know why? because Islam has an answer to everything . I mean its not necessary, you can greet a woman wherever without shaking her hand.
Whats even more surprising is Orthodox Jews are under the same restriction. Orthodox Jews are also not permitted to shake hands with members of the opposite sex. The same is true for Orthodox Hindus. There may indeed be other cultures out there that face similar restrictions.
Mutfti Abdul Rehman Ibn Yusuf says in respond to this issue:
No, it is not permissible to shake hands with women at all. There are many reports from the Prophet Sallallahi alayhi wasallam that he never shook the hands of any women, despite his status as a Prophet. All the allegiance [bay’a] he took was either without holding the hand or with a cloth tied around it. He explicitly informed the women when they extended their hands to him that he did not shake hands with women. [See Muhammad Ibn Sa’d, The Women in Madina, Chapter One: The manner in which the Messenger of Allah received women’s allegiance]
So chill out, just be yourself, be modest, respect everyone, and be on the safe side, Islam always comes first, don’t just do stuff, tell people why you do it, it will make your life easier as well as spread the deen, so remember save your hands for your wife and insh’Allah you will real the realness in following the Sunnah! hope we all become productive members of society..Ameen!
Let me know what you think about this issue?