I found an old article by Ed Husain on the City Circle site in which he says there is no real problem for men to shake hands with non-mahram women. He goes on to indicate that perhaps there might not even be a problem with exchanging a peck on the cheek, because, he argues, such gestures are social interactions, not sexual interactions.
For proof he cites a fatwa issued by Abdullah bin Bayyah. Unfortunately for Ed, someone produces the fatwa in the comments section in its original Arabic with a correct translation showing that bin Bayyah supports no such position.
Bin Bayyah basically says that the Hanafis allow shaking the hand of an old woman, but it might also be ok if refusing to shake hands will cause offence as long as shaking hands won’t be a fitna to the two people, nor if the woman you shake hands with is attractive.
Now if you follow this fatwa what would you do if you met two women at a work meeting, one of whom was attractive, and the other one not-so-attractive and they both knew of this fatwa…
2 Comments
February 17, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Dear brother,
Isn’t it backbiting to talk badly about Ed Husayn behind his back? Are we not supposed to give 71 excuses for each other?
Also, I wonder if you have ever approached him about these issues? May be he knows something you don’t. Or may be, he is simply ignorant – being the most ignorant of the trio – in which case he shouldn’t be attacked openly but advised privately?
Too much infighting between Muslims.
February 19, 2009 at 10:03 am