Shaking Hands and its etiquette in Islam

Md. Mokhter Ahmad

Assistant Professor
IIUC-Dhaka Campus
Email: mokhter_ahmad@yahoo.com

Shaking hand is a form of good gesture. In Islam it is to be observed through some

principles. One of the basic rules of Islam is that men and women who are not
intimately related are not allowed to have any form of physical contact. But in fact
current trends in the artistic community have men and women not only shaking hands
but hugging and kissing.
It is such an awkward predicament to be in, especially since the shaking of hands is
done at the very beginning of an acquaintance, before the other has a chance to know
your cultural idiosyncrasies and can leave a bad first impression or so.
1) Shaking hands when meeting and saying salam is part of the etiquette of Islam. It is
an expression of love between the two who shake hands, as it dispels hatred, rancor
and grudges among the Muslims. This is authenticated by a hadith which speaks of
its virtue, in which the Prophet (saas) said: “There are no two Muslims who meet
and shake hands with one another, but they will be forgiven before they part.”
‫ وتهادوا تحابوا وتذهب الشحناء" وهذا الحديث قد رواه‬،‫ "تصافحوا يذهب الغل‬
‫المام مالك رحمه الله في الموطأ‬
‫ ما من مسلمين يلتقيان فيتصافحان إل‬: ‫ قال رسول الله‬:‫ عن البراء قال‬
.‫ رواه أبو داود‬. ‫غفر لهما قبل أن يفترقا‬
Hudhayfah narrates from the Prophet (saas): “When the believer meets a fellow believer
and he greets him with salaam and takes him by the hand and shakes hands with him,
their sins will fall like the leaves of a tree.”
‫ الرجل منا يلقى أخاه أو صديقه‬،‫ يا رسول الله‬:‫ قال رجل‬:‫ وعن أنس قال‬
‫ فيأخذ بيده ويصافحه؟‬:‫ قال‬.‫ ل‬:‫ أفيلتزمه ويقبله؟ قال‬:‫ قال‬.‫ ل‬:‫أينحني له؟ قال‬
.‫ رواه الترمذي‬. ‫ نعم‬:‫قال‬

Imam At-Termithi reported a good hadith that a man said: "Oh messenger of Allah if one
of us meets his brother or friend, should he bend down to him? The prophet said, "No."
He asked should he hug him and kiss him. The prophet answered, "No." He asked should
he take his hand and shake it. The prophet answered, "Yes."
2) Shaking hands was a custom that was well known among the Sahaabah. It was
narrated that Qataadah said: I said to Anas ibn Maalik: Did the companions of the
Messenger of Allah (saas) shake hands with one another? He said: Yes. Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (6263).
This is why Islam has put some etiquette to be maintained by us while shaking our
hands with someone else. The followings are those:
• One may use both hands and one hand for hand-shaking. Some Hanafi and Maaliki
fuqaha’ said: it is mustahabb to shake hands using both hands, putting the palm of the left
hand over the back of one’s brother’s hand. This is proven by Sunnah from the Prophet
(saas). I came in Sahih al-Bukhari (6265) and Sahih Muslim (402) that Ibn Mas’ud (saas)
said: The Messenger of Allah (saas) taught me the tashahhud, holding my hand between
both of his.
‫ )علمني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم التشهد وكفي‬:‫ حديث ابن مسعود قوله‬
(‫بين كفيه‬
‫ وصافح حماد بن زيد ابن المبارك بيديه‬،‫ باب الخذ باليد‬: ‫ جاء في البخاري‬
But that is not the usual habit, based on the evidence of the previous report which says
that the basic principle is shaking hands with one hand, which is stated clearly in some
reports. This hadith indicates that too, because if the custom among the Sahabah had
been to shake hands using both hands, Ibn Mas’ud would not have mentioned that. The
fact that he mentions it indicates that it was not the usual habit of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) with his companions.
Nevertheless, shaking hands using both hands should not be described as a bid’ah
(innovation), rather it is something that is permissible, but the Sunnah, which it is
better to adhere to, is to shake hands using just one hand.

• On should not pull his hands away until his brother initiates it.
‫ عن أنس رضي الله عنه قال "كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا استقبله الرجل‬
‫ ول يصرف وجهه من‬،‫فصافحه ل ينزع يده من يده حتى يكون الرجل ينزع يده‬
- "‫ما ركبتيه بين يدي جليس له‬
ً ‫ ولم ير مقد‬،‫وجهه حتى يكون الرجل هو يصرفه‬
.‫رواه أبو داود والترمذي بلفظه‬
• One should not shake hands with the members of the opposite sex,

It is haram to shake hands with the members of the opposite sex, though they may ne
of little ages. 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.