Is it permissible for men to kiss each other on the cheek when they shake hands?
- Is it permissible for men to kiss each other on the cheek when they shake hands?
Dear Brother / Sister,
Islamic scholars divide kissing into five parts: "kiss of love, kiss of mercy, kiss of compassion, kiss of respect and kiss of lust". They say all of them will be regarded as worship if they take place for the sake of Allah and evaluate kissing children as "mercy", separating it from kissing with lust.
It is a necessity of Islamic fraternity for believing men and women to greet each other, to ask about their health, to shake hands, to hug each other and to smile to each other. All of those deeds are regarded as sadaqah and worship.
The Prophet (pbuh) states the virtue of shaking hands as follows:
"If two Muslims meet and shake hands, Allah Almighty will forgive their sins before they leave." (1)
We learn how the Prophet (pbuh) acted regarding the issue from Abu Dharr. Some Muslims asked him,
"When you met the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), would he shake hands with you?"
Thereupon, Abu Dharr narrated the following luminous reminiscence:
"There was never a time that any of us met with the Prophet and did not shake hands. He would greet us and shake hands with us every time we met. One day the Prophet sent for me, but I was not at home. When I reached home, they informed me that the Prophet had called; so, I immediately went to him. The Prophet was sitting on a cushion, and when I entered, the Prophet stood up and embraced me. For me, this was one of the most emotional moments of my life." (2)
It is both a verbal and actual sunnah of the Prophet to shake hands and to hug when you meet a person. There is no rule that this sunnah is only for men. Believing women also act in accordance with this sunnah. However, there is something to be careful about the issue: it is not permissible for women to shake hands with the men that are non-mahram.
As for the issue of uttering salawat when two people meet, let us read a hadith regarding the issue:
"When two people that love each other meet and utter salawat for the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), they will be forgiven by Allah before they leave." (3)
The following order, which we practice, is deduced from the hadiths above: When two Muslims meet, they greet each other by saying, "Assalamu Alaykum" "Wa alaykumussalam" first and shake hands. Then, they utter salawat for the Prophet (pbuh) by saying, "Allahumme salli ala sayyidina Muhammad". They are all sunnah. They are not bid’ah or fabricated. Both men and women try to practice this sunnah.
However, it is more appropriate for women not to practice the sunnah of shaking hands and hugging in a street, etc. where non-mahram men can see them. Besides, the believing women who act in accordance with taqwa are always careful about Islamic rules and good manners.
IS IT PERMISSIBLE FOR MEN TO KISS THE FACE OF EACH OTHER?
According to Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad, it is makruh for men to kiss the face of each other when they meet but it is not makruh according to Imam Abu Yusuf.
Some scholars state the following regarding the issue: It is permissible to kiss the face of a religious scholar and a person who has taqwa because to protect the honor of the religion is in question in this act.
It is makruh for women to kiss the cheeks of each other when they meet and leave. (4)
Footnotes:
1) Abu Dawud, Adab: 143
2) Musnad, 5:168.
3) al-Adhkar Translation. p. 480
4) al- Fatawal- Hindiyya, 5:369
Questions on Islam
- What is the decree on shaking hands in sunnah and how is it done? Which hand is used and how are hands shaken?
- Will you explain the following hadith?: "Spirits are like congregations that came together. Those who knew each other beforehand will get on well and those who do not know each other will leave."
- Is the statement ‘He who utters salawat for me gets as many thawabs as the Mount Uhud” a hadith?
- Is the fast of a man invalidated if he kisses and hugs his wife?
- Does holding hands with a non-mahram woman necessitate ghusl?
- How should we understand the hadiths about the Prophet’s kissing his grandsons Hasan and Husayn? Will you interpret them?
- Is it religiously permissible for the spouses to kiss each other when their children are around?
- Is it sunnah or makruh to shake hands (do musafaha) in a mosque after performing the prayer??
- Is it necessary for relatives and family friends to sit separately (men and women in separate places/rooms)? How should a man act when one of his adult sisters-in-law stays in his house for the night?
- Is it permissible for a man to work as a hairdresser of women?
