What is best in the religion and ethics of Islam regarding a man's interaction with other men concerning the offering of greetings and handshakes, and who should initiate the handshake among a group of people (the elder, the person of high standing, the youth, the person of low standing, the one in front of me)? Do handshakes and kissing have a basis in Islam? Is refusing a kiss forbidden? And how does one apologize to someone who wished to kiss you and you refused, so that he does not think you disrespect him or find him repulsive? Is it permissible to shake hands with Christians, like Muslims do?
Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported Sep 2, 2026
The best approach to shaking hands is to start with the person on the right, which is a Sunnah when meeting. Kissing and embracing are for special occasions, not for every time, as adhering to them constantly is disliked (makrooh). This matter should be handled with gentleness and wisdom. If refusing to kiss leads to a greater harm, such as severing ties of kinship, then the lesser harm should be chosen to avert the greater harm, while later teaching the Prophetic guidance.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported
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