Shaking hands with females?
Question
Q. Some times I’m faced with the situation where non-Muslim women extend their hands to greet. Is this permissible?
Answer
It is not permissible for a male to shake hands with a non-Mahram female and vice versa.
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has prohibited this and condemned this with very strong words:
“It is better for a person to have a long steel needle driven into his head than to touch a non-Mahram woman” (Tabrani)
Sayyidatuna Aa’ishah (Radiyallahu Anha) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) had never shook hands with a non-Mahram female ever. (Bulooghul Maraam).
And Allah Knows Best
- Answered by
- Mufti Suhail Tarmahomed
- Checked by
- Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Fatawa SA is an independent, read-only index of fatawa already published by Jamiatul Ulama KZN. It is not a fatwa service. For your own situation, ask the issuing Darul Ifta directly.