DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - shaking hands with women ( men for sisters)

**phernikas** · 07-26-2006, 08:00 AM

So if you are working after graduation or even in school and a non muslim lady
sticks her hand out. What do you do ?

Politely decline, briefly stating the reason.

Excerpted from sunnipath...
Shaking Hands With the Opposite Sex Is Haram, & The Importance of Holding On To One's Deen

Q. Many brothers ask by email about the issue of shaking hands with women in professional settings where, they say, not doing so would harm or impede their ability to function. They may not get hired, promoted, or accepted in professional areas (such as law) where Muslim presence is essential. I checked what some major contemporary traditional fuqaha, such as Shaykh Taqi Usmani and some of my teachers in Damascus, had to say, and they are very firm on this point. But the brothers who asked are saying that such answers belie a lack of understanding of "Western realities." They are saying that it is not possible to function in professional Western work environments without shaking hands with women. What would you answer and advise about this issue, Sayyidi?

A. 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] To read the full answer, click here.

07-26-2006, 08:00 AM	#20
phernikas Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 440 Senior Member	So if you are working after graduation or even in school and a non muslim lady sticks her hand out. What do you do ? Politely decline, briefly stating the reason. Excerpted from sunnipath... Shaking Hands With the Opposite Sex Is Haram, & The Importance of Holding On To One's Deen Q. Many brothers ask by email about the issue of shaking hands with women in professional settings where, they say, not doing so would harm or impede their ability to function. They may not get hired, promoted, or accepted in professional areas (such as law) where Muslim presence is essential. I checked what some major contemporary traditional fuqaha, such as Shaykh Taqi Usmani and some of my teachers in Damascus, had to say, and they are very firm on this point. But the brothers who asked are saying that such answers belie a lack of understanding of "Western realities." They are saying that it is not possible to function in professional Western work environments without shaking hands with women. What would you answer and advise about this issue, Sayyidi? A. 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] To read the full answer, click here.
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