The Shariah Status of Hand-Kissing
Hand-kissing is permissible.
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:
[كانت إذا دخلت عليه؛ قام إليها، فأخذ بيدها، وقبلها، وأجلسها في مجلسه، وكان إذا دخل عليها؛ قامت إليه، فأخذت بيده، فقبلته، وأجلسته في مجلسها]
When Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) used to come to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he would stand up for her, take her hand, kiss it, and seat her in his place. Similarly, when the Noble Prophet ﷺ would visit her, Sayyida (may Allah be pleased with her) would stand for him, take his hand, kiss it, and seat him in her place.
Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) classified this hadith as “Hasan Sahih Gharib,” and Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him)
declared it “Sahih.”
Important Benefit:
Apart from Sayyida Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), there is no authentic evidence of kissing the blessed hand of the Noble Prophet ﷺ from any other companion; all narrations regarding this are weak.
However, it is established to kiss the hands of the pious predecessors and scholars of knowledge and virtue.
Asim bin Bahdala, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates:
[ما قدمت علىٰ أبي وائل قط من سفر؛ إلا قبل كفي]
Whenever I returned from a journey and reached Abu Wa’il (Shaqiq bin Salmah, Tabi’i, may Allah have mercy on him), he would kiss my hand.
Husayn bin Ali bin Walid Jufi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[ربما فعله لي سفيان، يعني ابن عيينة، يعني يقبل يده]
Sometimes Imam Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah, may Allah have mercy on him, used to kiss my hand.
Imam Abu Hatim Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, says about Muhaddith Abu Mushir, may Allah have mercy on him:
[إذا خرج إلى المسجد؛ اصطف الناس له يمنة ويسرة، يسلمون عليه، ويقبلون يده]
When he, may Allah have mercy on him, would go towards the mosque, people would stand in rows on both sides, greet him, and kiss his hand.
It is legally permissible and legitimate to honor and respect people of knowledge and virtue, parents, righteous elders, and respected teachers by kissing their hands, provided that it does not cause arrogance or pride in them; in such a case, avoidance becomes necessary.
Kissing the hand for seeking blessings:
If a person kisses the hands of saints and righteous people to seek blessings, this act is not only un-Islamic and impermissible but also an ugly innovation and a reprehensible act. There are two reasons for it being an innovation; first, seeking blessings is specific to the relics of the Prophet, and no one can be associated with the Prophet ﷺ in this respect. Second, it is not proven from any trustworthy Muslim in the best of generations that anyone kissed someone’s hand for blessings. One should adopt the religion by following the pious predecessors because they were well aware of the requirements of Shariah and fulfilled them.
Investigation of some narrations regarding hand-kissing:
An investigation of some narrations related to hand-kissing is presented:
[1] Hadith of Ibn Umar:
The chain of narration is very weak.
Yazid bin Abi Ziyad is weak, has poor memory, and is a fabricator.
[2] Hadith of Usama bin Shareek:
The chain of narration is weak.
Abu Saeed Harithi is weak. His following by Umar bin Yazid bin Rifaa Abu Hisham Rifai is also weak, so this following is not beneficial.
[3] Hadith of Zahir bin Hizam: [
The chain is weak.
Salim bin Abi al-Ja’d is a frequent transmitter. His hearing from Zahir has not been established.
[4] Hadith of Al-Hasan al-Basri:
It is a fabricated narration.
① It is a transmission from Hasan al-Basri. ② Amr bin Ubayd is abandoned. ③ It is a transmission from Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah.
There are other defects in the chain.
[5] Hadith of Ka’b bin Malik:
It is a fabricated narration.
Ishaq bin Abdullah bin Abi Farwah is abandoned.
[6] Hadith of Zaid al-Abdi:
The chain is weak.
Hud bin Abdullah bin Sa’d Asri is unknown in status; he is only mentioned by Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him,
.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Qattan al-Fasi, may Allah have mercy on him, declared him “unknown in status”.
◈ Hafiz Al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[لا يكاد يعرف]
It is not well-known.
[7] Hadith of Jabir bin Abdullah:
The narration is very weak.
① It is a transmission of A’mash. ② Ubaidullah bin Saeed bin Muslim al-Kufi is weak. ③ The status of Saleh bin Mubarak could not be found.
Practices of the Companions:
① It is narrated from Abdul Rahman bin Razin that I greeted the Companion of the Prophet, Sayyiduna Salamah bin Akwa’ (may Allah be pleased with him), and he extended both his hands and said:
[بايعت بهاتين نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فأخرج كفا له ضخمة، كأنها كف بعير، فقمنا إليها فقبلناها]
I pledged allegiance to the Noble Prophet ﷺ with these two hands. He showed his palm which was thick like a camel’s palm. We stood and kissed his palm.
The chain of narration is weak.
Abdul Rahman bin Razin is “unknown,” he is only mentioned by Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) in
.
◈ Imam Darqutni (may Allah have mercy on him) declared him “unknown.”
② It is narrated from Yunus bin Misrah that one day we went to Sayyiduna Yazid bin Aswad رضي الله عنه. Sayyiduna Wathilah bin Asqa رضي الله عنه came to him:
[فلما نظر إليه؛ مد يده، فأخذ يده، فمسح بها وجهه وصدره، لأنه بايع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم]
Sayyiduna Yazid bin Aswad رضي الله عنه, upon seeing him, extended his hand towards him and, after holding his hand, kissed it and then touched it to his face and chest, because he had pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
This is a false narration.
The narrators who reported it, Amr bin Waqid Qurashi Abu Hafs and Musa bin Isa bin Nadhir, are both rejected.
③ It is narrated from Thabit Banani رحمه الله:
[إنه قال لأنس: أمسست النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بيدك؟ قال: نعم، فقبلها]
He asked Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه: Did you ever touch the Prophet ﷺ with your own hand? He replied: Yes! Upon this, he kissed his hand.
The chain is weak.
① Ali bin Zaid bin Jud’an is “weak”. ② Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah is “mudallis” (a narrator who conceals a link), and no clarification of hearing has been found.
④ It is narrated from Yahya bin Harith Zamari, may Allah have mercy on him, that I met Wasila bin Asqa’, may Allah be pleased with him, and I asked him:
[أمسست النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بيدك؟]
Have you touched the Prophet ﷺ?
He said: Yes! So I kissed his hand.
The chain is weak. Abu Abdul Malik al-Qari is unknown.
◈ Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[لم أعرفه] I do not know him.
Kissing the stomach:
Umeir bin Ishaq, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates:
[كنت مع الحسن بن علي، فلقينا أبو هريرة، فقال: أرني؛ أقبل منك، حيث رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقبل، قال: فقال بقميصه، قال: فقبل سرته]
I was with Sayyiduna Hasan bin Ali رضي الله عنهما. We met Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه, who said to Sayyiduna Hasan رضي الله عنه: Show me the place on your body where I have seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ give a kiss, so that I may also kiss you there. Sayyiduna Hasan رضي الله عنه lifted his shirt, and Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه kissed him on the navel.
This hadith has been declared “Sahih” by Imam Ibn Hibban رحمه الله
and Imam Hakim رحمه الله
. Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله has approved their verdict.
Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه kissing Hasan رضي الله عنه was in following the Prophet ﷺ, that wherever you ﷺ kissed, I should also kiss there, so he kissed that place.
