Shaking Hands in Islam

Children’s Hadith

Shaking Hands

Mawlana Muhammad Javed Attari Madani

Our Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, تَصَافَحُوا “Shake hands.”[1]

Shaking hands at the time of greeting with salaam is called muṣāfaḥah. We learn from the life and teachings of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم to live alongside others with love. Shaking hands is one of the ways we can achieve this.

Allah Almighty’s mercy descends when we shake hands.[2] Doing so removes hatred.[3] Our sins are forgiven because of this.[4] Not only this, but the noble Companions عَلَیْہِمُ الرِّضْوَان would also shake hands when meeting one another.[5] The Companions عَلَیْہِمُ الرِّضْوَان who came from Yemen were the first to shake hands with the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم praised them.[6]

Dear children, you should also act upon this sunnah. When greeting, shake hands alongside saying            السلام علیکم ورحمۃ اللہ وبرکاتہ. Some children shake hands only using one hand, or just their fingers. The sunnah is to shake hands using both hands, so that the palms of both people come into contact without anything in between (such as a cloth, pen, paper, key).[7]

May Allah Almighty grant us all the ability to act upon this sunnah and others.

اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ خاتَمِ النَّبِیّٖن صلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہ ِوَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ