Shaking hands with non-mahrams, by Abdullah bin Bayah

The Question:
“Is it allowable for me and women [who are eligible to marry] to shake hands sometimes?”

The Answer:
“The origin [of this ruling] is that a man is not allowed to shake hands with a woman [who he is eligible to marry and vice versa]. However, if she is an elderly woman then the school of Abi Hanifa [may Allah have mercy upon him] considered shaking hands with her permissible. Perhaps, the questioner will state that, “By not shaking a woman’s hand it could lead to hardship or shared ill feelings and so forth?” If not shaking hands will lead to the actuality of those fears, then it is allowable to shake hands as long as there is no evil feelings or affection for the woman [and vice versa]. And if the opposite holds true, then it is not allowed to do so.
Dr. Abdullah bin Bayyah
* Note, there was some abridgment done to this answer to make it clearer to the English audience. However, the meaning and answer of Dr. Bin Bayyah was not changed.
www.altranslators.com

(http://www.suhaibwebb.com/blog/law-and-life/shaking-hands-with-a-non-mahram-sh-bin-bayyah/)

Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi on shaking hand with women

Firstly, shaking hands between males and females who are not mahrams is only permissible when there is no desire or fear of fitnah. But if there is fear of fitnah, desire, or enjoyment, then handshaking is no doubt haram (unlawful). In contrast, if either of these two conditions (that there is no desire or fear of fitnah) is lacking between a male and any of his female mahrams, such as his aunt or foster sister or the like, then handshaking will be haram (although it is originally permissible).
Secondly, handshaking between males and females who are not mahrams should be restricted to necessary situations such as between relatives or those whose relationships are established by marriage. It is preferable not to expand the field of permissibility in order to block the means to evil and to be far away from doubt and to take the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as a model when there is no proof that he shook hands with a non-mahram woman. Also, it is preferable for the pious Muslim, male or female, not to stretch out his/her hand to shake the hand of anyone of the opposite sex who is not mahram. But if he/she is put in a situation that someone stretches out his/her hand to shake hands with him/her, then he/she can do that.
I have tried to clarify the detailed ruling of the issue here in order to inform those who are in the dark about it how to behave while sticking to the tenets of their religion. Also, when the detailed Islamic ruling is explained and people are fully aware of it, there will be no room for personal justifications that are not supported by legal backing.

Read the full fatwa on: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503546332

Shaykh 'Abd al-Wakil Durubi on shaking hands with women

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Wakil Durubi, Imam of the Mosque of Darwish Pasha, Damascus, Syria, says: “Ordinary people sometimes mistakenly assume that the Hanafi position that touching a woman do not nullify ablution (wudu) means they [Hanafi scholars] permit men shaking hands with women who are not wives or unmarriageable relatives, something which is unlawful, and which neither the Hanafi school nor any other holds to be permissible.

(Ibn Naqib al-Misri, Ahmed, “Reliance of the Traveller”, trsl. Keller, Nuh Ha Mim, Amana publications, Beltsville, Maryland U.S.A, 1994, pp. 513)

Imam Nawawi on shaking hand with beautiful people, with the commentary of shaykh Ibn 'Allan

“I [Imam Nawawi] say: it is necessary to be wary of shaking hand with a handsome beardless person. Looking at this person is forbidden (we have already mentioned this in the chapter before this one), and our companions have said that everything that is forbidden to look at, touching it is [also] forbidden; more to the point, touching [it] is worse. Looking at a woman, if one wants to marry her, is however allowed. As for buying and selling and taking and giving, to touch a person is not allowed in any of those instances, and God knows best.”

Shaykh Ibn ‘Allan, commenting on the above:
“The Shaykh [Nawawi] branched off the forbiddance of touching what is forbidden to look at, as he states, and uses as a basis [for his judgement]. As for the opinion that [looking at a beautiful person’s face] is allowed, the Shaykh kept silent. In At-Tuhfah [“The Gift”] of Ibn Hajr, [he says that] some [scholars] have asserted that it is forbidden to touch a handsome person even so looking at her is allowed. Thus, an unmarriageable [male relative] of a woman cannot touch that woman whatsoever […]. However, if we profess the relied upon opinion [in the Shafi’i school] about the permissibility of touching the head, or something else outside the private parts, of an unmarriageable relative – as the author has transmitted the consensus upon in his commentary of Muslim [Hadith collection] – as long as there is no desire and no temptation, whether out of necessity or affection, it is necessary to mention those particularisations for handsome people.

(Ibn ‘Allan, Muhammad ‘Ali bin Muhammad, “Al-Futuhat Al-Rabbaniya ‘ala Al-Adhkar Al-Nawawiya”, Dar Al-Kutub AL-Ilmiyah, Beirut, 2004, Vol V, pp. 261-262)

Saints of Morroco

Anybody who would like to pay a visit to one of the saints buried in Northern Morroco should read the last entry of sidi Khalid's blog www.muridslog.blogspot.com