Shar‘i Ruling on Shaking Hands with One Hand in Light of Hadith
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Volume 1, Page 860
❖ Question:
Is shaking hands with one hand supported by any authentic hadith? Please reply so that I may be rewarded by Allah.
✿ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Shaking hands with one hand is established from hadith.Consider the following narration:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قَاسِمُ بْنُ أَصْبَغ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بْنُ وَضَّاحٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ كَعَّبٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُبَشِّرُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ حَسَّانَ بْنِ نُوحٍ عَنْ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُسْرٍ قَالَ: تَرَوْنَ يَدِي هَذِهِ؟ صَافَحْتُ بِهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ.
Narrated by Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr in Al-Tamhīd; also found in ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd, Vol. 4, p. 521
Translation:
ʿUbaydullāh ibn Busur رضي الله عنه said:
“Do you see this hand of mine? I shook hands with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ using this very hand.”
This narration clearly indicates that shaking hands with one hand is a Sunnah and an established practice.
✿ Additional Clarification:
If someone shakes hands with both hands, that is also permissible.
Imām al-Bukhārī رحمه الله, in his book Al-Adab al-Mufrad (under the chapter: “Taking with Both Hands”, Vol. 2, p. 926), cited the ḥadīth of ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه as proof of the permissibility of shaking hands with both hands.
This is what I understand. And Allah knows best what is correct.
هٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
