Adapted from the book 500 Questions and Answers for Women, comprising the verdicts of the Scholars of the Two Holy Mosques; translated by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.
What is the ruling on handshaking with a non-mahram woman?
Handshaking with a non-mahram woman is categorically haram (forbidden) in Islam. Multiple authentic narrations from the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) explicitly prohibit such contact, highlighting its seriousness and the fitnah it entails.
❶ It is narrated from Sayyidah Aisha (رضي الله عنها):
"وما مست يد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يد امرأة قط"
“The hand of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) never touched the hand of any woman.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari: Hadith 4983; Sahih Muslim: Hadith 1866]
❷ Umaymah bint Ruqayyah (رضي الله عنها) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"إني لا أصافح النساء"
“Indeed, I do not shake hands with women.”
[Sahih Sunan al-Nasa’i: Hadith 4181]
❸ It is also reported in Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"كتب على ابن آدم حظه من الزنا..."
“The son of Adam is destined to have his share of zina, which he will inevitably commit. The eye commits zina, and its zina is looking; the ear commits zina, and its zina is listening; the hand commits zina, and its zina is touching; the foot commits zina, and its zina is walking (towards sin); and the private parts confirm it or deny it.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari: Hadith 5889; Sahih Muslim: Hadith 2657]
These narrations clearly show that even physical touch, like handshaking, falls under the categories of sinful interactions when done outside lawful bounds.
❹ Imam al-Tabarani (رحمه الله) narrated in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir from Ma‘qil ibn Yasar (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"لأن يطعن أحدكم بمخيط من حديد فى رأسه خير له من أن يمس امرأة لا تحل له"
“For one of you to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle is better for him than to touch a woman who is not permissible for him.”
[Sahih: al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by al-Tabarani: 20/211]
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) never shook hands with women, not even during formal pledges of allegiance. This was his established Sunnah, rooted in modesty and the safeguarding of moral boundaries.
Islam teaches that any form of unnecessary physical contact between non-mahrams is forbidden, and handshaking is no exception—regardless of cultural norms or good intentions. These rulings are grounded in the goal of preventing temptation and protecting purity.
Fatwa by:
Shaykh Muqbil bin Hadi al-Wadi'i (رحمه الله)
Handshaking between non-mahram men and women is strictly prohibited in Islam, supported by clear Hadith texts and the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Avoiding such contact is a means of preserving chastity, protecting oneself from sin, and following the noble example of the Prophet.
✿ Question:
What is the ruling on handshaking with a non-mahram woman?
✿ Answer:
Handshaking with a non-mahram woman is categorically haram (forbidden) in Islam. Multiple authentic narrations from the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) explicitly prohibit such contact, highlighting its seriousness and the fitnah it entails.
✿ Evidences from Hadith:
❶ It is narrated from Sayyidah Aisha (رضي الله عنها):
"وما مست يد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يد امرأة قط"
“The hand of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) never touched the hand of any woman.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari: Hadith 4983; Sahih Muslim: Hadith 1866]
❷ Umaymah bint Ruqayyah (رضي الله عنها) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"إني لا أصافح النساء"
“Indeed, I do not shake hands with women.”
[Sahih Sunan al-Nasa’i: Hadith 4181]
❸ It is also reported in Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"كتب على ابن آدم حظه من الزنا..."
“The son of Adam is destined to have his share of zina, which he will inevitably commit. The eye commits zina, and its zina is looking; the ear commits zina, and its zina is listening; the hand commits zina, and its zina is touching; the foot commits zina, and its zina is walking (towards sin); and the private parts confirm it or deny it.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari: Hadith 5889; Sahih Muslim: Hadith 2657]
These narrations clearly show that even physical touch, like handshaking, falls under the categories of sinful interactions when done outside lawful bounds.
❹ Imam al-Tabarani (رحمه الله) narrated in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir from Ma‘qil ibn Yasar (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"لأن يطعن أحدكم بمخيط من حديد فى رأسه خير له من أن يمس امرأة لا تحل له"
“For one of you to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle is better for him than to touch a woman who is not permissible for him.”
[Sahih: al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by al-Tabarani: 20/211]
✿ Summary:
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) never shook hands with women, not even during formal pledges of allegiance. This was his established Sunnah, rooted in modesty and the safeguarding of moral boundaries.
Islam teaches that any form of unnecessary physical contact between non-mahrams is forbidden, and handshaking is no exception—regardless of cultural norms or good intentions. These rulings are grounded in the goal of preventing temptation and protecting purity.
Fatwa by:
Shaykh Muqbil bin Hadi al-Wadi'i (رحمه الله)
✿ Conclusion:
Handshaking between non-mahram men and women is strictly prohibited in Islam, supported by clear Hadith texts and the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Avoiding such contact is a means of preserving chastity, protecting oneself from sin, and following the noble example of the Prophet.
