Fatwa ID: 03708

Answered by: Maulana Muddasser Dhedhy

Question

What are the errors in shaking ladies hands in Islam with reference in Qur'an?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

Answer:

The Shariah ensures that vices, along with anything that may lead to them, are prohibited. Due to this, shaking hands with the opposite gender has been forbidden as it can be a means to further contact and relationships. Allah says in the Holy Quran:

 وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَا ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا (17:32)

And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is an evil way. (17:32)

In this verse, Allah has not said, ‘do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse’ rather, He has commanded not to even get close to this act by abstaining from any activity that could lead to Zina, let alone commit it.^[1] 

Likewise, the Prophet has mentioned in a hadith that Zina is of different limbs. He said,

The Zina of the eye is the (lustful) look, the Zina of the ears is the listening (to voluptuous songs or talk), the Zina of the tongue is (the licentious) speech, the Zina of the hand is the (lustful) grip, the Zina of the feet is the walking (to the place where he intends to commit Zina). [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]^[2]

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Muddasser Dhedhy

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham