Original Article by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri (ḥafiẓahullāh), structured and enhanced for clarity and ease of reading.
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 5217, Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 3872)
Imām al-Tirmidhī (رحمه الله) classified this narration as ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ gharīb, and Imām Ibn Ḥibbān (رحمه الله) declared it ṣaḥīḥ.
Important Point:
There is no authentic report of any Companion other than Fāṭimah (رضي الله عنها) kissing the hand of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. All other narrations in this regard are weak.
✔ ʿĀṣim ibn Bahdalah (رحمه الله) stated: “When I would return from a journey to Abū Wāʾil, he would kiss my hand.”
(al-Qubul wa al-Muʿānaqah wa al-Muṣāfaḥah by Ibn al-Aʿrābī: 5)
✔ Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Juʿfī (رحمه الله) said: “Sometimes Imām Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah (رحمه الله) would kiss my hand.”
(Ibid: 7)
✔ Imām Abū Ḥātim (رحمه الله) narrated that when the ḥadīth scholar Abū Mushir would enter the mosque, people would kiss his hand.
(Taqdīmat al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl by Ibn Abī Ḥātim: 291)
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 2647)
Weak due to the narrator Yazīd ibn Abī Ziyād being classified as weak and a mudallis.
❖ Narration of Usāmah ibn Sharīk
(al-Muʿjam al-Ṣaghīr of al-Ṭabarānī: 2041)
Weak due to Abū Saʿīd al-Ḥārithī being a weak narrator.
❖ Narration of Zāhir ibn Ḥizām
(al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr of al-Ṭabarānī: 274/5)
Discontinuous chain; Sālim ibn Abī al-Jaʿd did not hear from Zāhir.
❖ Narration of al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī
(al-Qubul wa al-Muṣāfaḥah by Ibn al-Aʿrābī: 24)
Fabricated due to narrator ʿAmr ibn ʿUbayd being discarded.
❖ Narration of Kaʿb ibn Mālik
(al-Rukhsah fī Taqbīl al-Yad by Ibn al-Muqri: 1)
Rejected due to Isḥāq ibn ʿAbdillāh ibn Abī Farwah being discarded.
❖ Narration of Zayd al-ʿAbdī
(al-Adab al-Mufrad by al-Bukhārī: 587)
Weak; narrator Hūd ibn ʿAbdillāh is unknown.
❖ Narration of Jābir ibn ʿAbdillāh
(Taqbīl al-Yad by Ibn al-Muqri: 11)
Very weak narration.
Narrated by ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Razīn (رحمه الله) that he greeted Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ who said, “I pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ with these hands.” The attendees stood and kissed his hands.
(al-Adab al-Mufrad by al-Bukhārī: 973)
Comment: Weak due to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Razīn being declared unknown (majhūl) by the scholars.
❖ Hand-Kissing of Wāthilah ibn al-Asqaʿ (رضي الله عنه)
Narrated that Yazīd ibn Aswad took Wāthilah’s hand and wiped it over his face and chest due to his having pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ.
(Ḥilyat al-Awliyāʾ by Abū Nuʿaym: 306/9)
Comment: Fabricated due to narrators ʿAmr ibn Wāqid and Mūsā ibn ʿĪsā being discarded.
❖ Hand-Kissing of Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه)
Thābit al-Bunānī asked Anas if he had touched the Prophet ﷺ with his hand. Anas replied, “Yes!” So Thābit kissed his hand.
(al-Adab al-Mufrad by al-Bukhārī: 974)
Comment: Weak due to Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah being a mudallis and lack of explicit hearing. Also, ʿAlī ibn Zayd ibn Judʿān is weak.
❖ Another Narration of Wāthilah ibn al-Asqaʿ (رضي الله عنه)
Yaḥyā ibn Ḥārith al-Dhimārī asked him if his hand had touched the Prophet ﷺ. He replied, “Yes!” Yaḥyā kissed his hand.
(al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr of al-Ṭabarānī: 94/22)
Comment: Weak due to Abū ʿAbd al-Malik al-Qārī being unknown.
(Musnad Aḥmad: 255/2, al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī: 232/2)
Comment: This narration is ḥasan. Imām Ibn Ḥibbān and Imām al-Ḥākim graded it ṣaḥīḥ, and Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī agreed.
Key Points:
❀ As a Sign of Love and Respect:
Hand-kissing is established between the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions as an expression of love and honor, not tabarruk.
❀ Not for Blessing:
Kissing hands for tabarruk is impermissible and an innovation, not found in the best generations.
❀ Scrutiny of Narrations:
Most narrations regarding hand-kissing among the Companions have weak or unknown chains and should be accepted with caution.
❀ Respecting Scholars and Parents:
Kissing the hands of scholars, parents, and righteous elders is permissible if it does not lead to pride or vanity.
Conclusion:
Hand-kissing is permissible when done out of love and respect, not for tabarruk or ritualistic veneration. It should remain a symbol of affection and reverence, not innovation or baseless belief.
✦ The Practice of the Prophet ﷺ and Sayyidah Fāṭimah (رضي الله عنها)
It is narrated from Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) and Sayyidah Fāṭimah (رضي الله عنها) that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would visit Fāṭimah, he would kiss her hand and show her respect. Similarly, when Fāṭimah would come to the Prophet ﷺ, he would take her hand, kiss it, and seat her in his place.(Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 5217, Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 3872)
Imām al-Tirmidhī (رحمه الله) classified this narration as ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ gharīb, and Imām Ibn Ḥibbān (رحمه الله) declared it ṣaḥīḥ.
Important Point:
There is no authentic report of any Companion other than Fāṭimah (رضي الله عنها) kissing the hand of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. All other narrations in this regard are weak.
✦ Hand-Kissing Among Scholars and the Righteous Predecessors
It is established that hand-kissing among scholars and the pious predecessors occurred, such as:✔ ʿĀṣim ibn Bahdalah (رحمه الله) stated: “When I would return from a journey to Abū Wāʾil, he would kiss my hand.”
(al-Qubul wa al-Muʿānaqah wa al-Muṣāfaḥah by Ibn al-Aʿrābī: 5)
✔ Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Juʿfī (رحمه الله) said: “Sometimes Imām Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah (رحمه الله) would kiss my hand.”
(Ibid: 7)
✔ Imām Abū Ḥātim (رحمه الله) narrated that when the ḥadīth scholar Abū Mushir would enter the mosque, people would kiss his hand.
(Taqdīmat al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl by Ibn Abī Ḥātim: 291)
✦ Respect for Scholars and Parents
Kissing the hands of scholars, parents, and elders is permissible if there is no fear of pride or self-admiration arising in them. If such a risk exists, then refraining becomes necessary.✦ Kissing Hands for Blessing (Tabarruk)
Kissing the hand of a saint or righteous person with the intention of gaining barakah (blessing) is impermissible and an innovation (bidʿah) in Sharīʿah. Blessing is associated exclusively with the relics of the Prophet ﷺ. This practice is not accepted by the pious predecessors and finds no precedent in the best generations.✦ Verification of Narrations Related to Hand-Kissing
❖ Narration of Ibn ʿUmar(Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 2647)
Weak due to the narrator Yazīd ibn Abī Ziyād being classified as weak and a mudallis.
❖ Narration of Usāmah ibn Sharīk
(al-Muʿjam al-Ṣaghīr of al-Ṭabarānī: 2041)
Weak due to Abū Saʿīd al-Ḥārithī being a weak narrator.
❖ Narration of Zāhir ibn Ḥizām
(al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr of al-Ṭabarānī: 274/5)
Discontinuous chain; Sālim ibn Abī al-Jaʿd did not hear from Zāhir.
❖ Narration of al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī
(al-Qubul wa al-Muṣāfaḥah by Ibn al-Aʿrābī: 24)
Fabricated due to narrator ʿAmr ibn ʿUbayd being discarded.
❖ Narration of Kaʿb ibn Mālik
(al-Rukhsah fī Taqbīl al-Yad by Ibn al-Muqri: 1)
Rejected due to Isḥāq ibn ʿAbdillāh ibn Abī Farwah being discarded.
❖ Narration of Zayd al-ʿAbdī
(al-Adab al-Mufrad by al-Bukhārī: 587)
Weak; narrator Hūd ibn ʿAbdillāh is unknown.
❖ Narration of Jābir ibn ʿAbdillāh
(Taqbīl al-Yad by Ibn al-Muqri: 11)
Very weak narration.
✦ Athār of the Companions Regarding Hand-Kissing
❖ Hand-Kissing of Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ (رضي الله عنه)Narrated by ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Razīn (رحمه الله) that he greeted Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ who said, “I pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ with these hands.” The attendees stood and kissed his hands.
(al-Adab al-Mufrad by al-Bukhārī: 973)
Comment: Weak due to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Razīn being declared unknown (majhūl) by the scholars.
❖ Hand-Kissing of Wāthilah ibn al-Asqaʿ (رضي الله عنه)
Narrated that Yazīd ibn Aswad took Wāthilah’s hand and wiped it over his face and chest due to his having pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ.
(Ḥilyat al-Awliyāʾ by Abū Nuʿaym: 306/9)
Comment: Fabricated due to narrators ʿAmr ibn Wāqid and Mūsā ibn ʿĪsā being discarded.
❖ Hand-Kissing of Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه)
Thābit al-Bunānī asked Anas if he had touched the Prophet ﷺ with his hand. Anas replied, “Yes!” So Thābit kissed his hand.
(al-Adab al-Mufrad by al-Bukhārī: 974)
Comment: Weak due to Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah being a mudallis and lack of explicit hearing. Also, ʿAlī ibn Zayd ibn Judʿān is weak.
❖ Another Narration of Wāthilah ibn al-Asqaʿ (رضي الله عنه)
Yaḥyā ibn Ḥārith al-Dhimārī asked him if his hand had touched the Prophet ﷺ. He replied, “Yes!” Yaḥyā kissed his hand.
(al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr of al-Ṭabarānī: 94/22)
Comment: Weak due to Abū ʿAbd al-Malik al-Qārī being unknown.
✦ Kissing the Navel of Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه)
ʿUmayr ibn Isḥāq (رحمه الله) narrated that Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) asked Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī to show the place on his body where the Prophet ﷺ kissed him. When he lifted his shirt, Abū Hurayrah kissed his navel.(Musnad Aḥmad: 255/2, al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī: 232/2)
Comment: This narration is ḥasan. Imām Ibn Ḥibbān and Imām al-Ḥākim graded it ṣaḥīḥ, and Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī agreed.
✦ Summary: The Legitimacy and Limits of Hand-Kissing
Hand-kissing is an action permissible within Islamic teachings when done under certain conditions. It was practiced between the Prophet ﷺ and Sayyidah Fāṭimah (رضي الله عنها), and among the scholars and pious predecessors as a gesture of love, respect, and honor, never as a form of tabarruk (seeking blessings).Key Points:
❀ As a Sign of Love and Respect:
Hand-kissing is established between the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions as an expression of love and honor, not tabarruk.
❀ Not for Blessing:
Kissing hands for tabarruk is impermissible and an innovation, not found in the best generations.
❀ Scrutiny of Narrations:
Most narrations regarding hand-kissing among the Companions have weak or unknown chains and should be accepted with caution.
❀ Respecting Scholars and Parents:
Kissing the hands of scholars, parents, and righteous elders is permissible if it does not lead to pride or vanity.
Conclusion:
Hand-kissing is permissible when done out of love and respect, not for tabarruk or ritualistic veneration. It should remain a symbol of affection and reverence, not innovation or baseless belief.
