Question:
We live in a community where the habits of the people are very bad, for example, when a guest comes to the house, all the family members, men and women, shake hands with him. So when I do not shake hands with a male guest, he calls me “Shaazah” (one who adopts inappropriate and unfamiliar behavior). What is the ruling on this?
Answer:
It is obligatory upon a Muslim to obey Allah Almighty by following His commands and refraining from His prohibitions. One who obeys in this manner is not called “rare” or one who adopts an unusual behavior; rather, the “rare” one is the one who disobeys Allah’s commands. The habit mentioned in the question is a bad habit, therefore, a woman shaking hands with a non-mahram man, whether with a barrier or directly with bare hands, is forbidden, because touching the hand of a non-mahram man by a woman incites temptation, and there are many ahadith regarding its warning. Although their chains of narration are not strong and reliable, their meaning and implication support their authenticity. And Allah knows best.
I would say to the questioner that he should not pay attention to the objections and protests of his family members regarding abandoning this bad habit. Rather, it is obligatory upon him to advise his family members to leave this bad habit and perform actions that please Allah and His Messenger.
