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Volume 1 Page 297 Hadeeth No. 160 The Prohibition of Kissing upon Meeting From Anas bin Maalik who said a man asked, ?O Messenger of Allaah, one of us meets his friend should he bow to him? The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) said, ?No!? So he said, ?Should he kiss him?? He (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) said, ?No!? He said, ?Should he shake his hand?? He (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) said, ?Yes! If he so wishes.? Reported by at-Tirmidhee (2/121) and Ibn Maajah (3702) and al-Baihaqee (7/100) and Ahmed (3/198) from different routes by way of Handhalah bin Abdullaah as-Sudoosee, who said Maalik bin Anas narrated to us ?.(the hadeeth). And the context of hadeeth is reported by Ahmed and similarly by at-Tirmidhee, however his narration does not contain, ?If he so wishes? and the wording of Ibn Maajah is similar but he has, ?No, rather shake hands.? The hadeeth is also reported  by Muhammad bin Yusuf al-Faryaabee in ?Maa Asnada ath-Thawree? (1/46) and Abu Bakr ash-Shaafiee in ?al-Fawaaid? (1/97) and in ?Rubaaiyaat? and al-Baaghandee in ?Hadeeth Shaibaan wa ghairuh?  and others (the Shakih mentions them). And at-Tirmidhee said the hadeeth is Hasan.

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?And the truth is that the hadeeth is a clear text for impermissibility of kissing upon meeting. However this does not include kissing children or wives as is apparent. And as for the narrations which contain reports that the Prophet (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) kissed some of the Companions in different situations, such as him (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) kissing and hugging Zaid bin Haarith when he arrived in Madeenah, and him (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) hugging Abul Haitham bin at-Tayhaan and other than them, then the reply to these is from different angles: The First: That these narrations have hidden defects within them and therefore cannot be used as a proof. And perhaps we will be free to engage some time in speaking about them and clarifying their hidden defects, if Allaah wills. The Second: If any of these narrations were shown to be authentic, then it is not permissible to use them to oppose this hadeeth. This is because they are actions of the Prophet (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) and carry the possibility of being something specific, or some other reasons which are not suitable to be used as a proof in opposition to this hadeeth. That is because this hadeeth contains speech and is addressed generally to the ummah, and it is a proof against them (the ummah) due to what is affirmed in the Science of Usool namely, that speech is given precedence over action when there is contradiction between narrations, and the prohibited is given precedence over the permissible. And this hadeeth contains both speech and prohibition so it is given preference over the other above-mentioned narrations, if they are proved to be authentic.   As for hugging, then as long as there is nothing affirmed prohibiting it, as occurs in the above hadeeth, then we must apply the base ruling in that case which is permissibility, especially when it is supported by some narrations and aathaar. Anas (radi allahu anhu) said, ?The Companions of the Prophet (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) would shake hands upon meeting each other and would hug each other upon arriving from a journey.? Reported by at-Tabaraanee in ?al-Awsat? and its narrators are the narrators of the ?Saheeh? as mentioned by al-Mundharee (3/270) and al-Haythamee  (8/36). And al-Baihaqee (7/100) reported with a saheeh chain from ash-Sha?beee, ?The Companions of Muhammad (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) used to shake hands upon meeting each other and when they arrived from a journey they would hug each other.? And al-Bukhaaree reported in ?al-Adab al-Mufrad? (970) and Ahmed (3/495) from Jaabir bin Abdullaah who said, ?A hadeeth reached me from a man who heard it from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahualaihi wasallam). So I bought a camel and set out on a journey. I travelled for one month until I reached Shaam and came across (the residence of) Abdullah bin Anees, so I said to the doorman, ?Say to  him that Jaabir is at the door.? The doorman further asked, ?Ibn Abdullah?? I replied ?Yes!?, So he came out trampling over his clothes, then he hugged me and I hugged him.?

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?Many narrations and aathaar have been reported regarding it, and they all indicate that it is something affirmed from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) and the Salaf. So we hold the permissibility of kissing the hand of a scholar as long as the following conditions are met: 1)     That it is not to be taken as a habit whereby the scholar extends his hands out to his students, and they reach out for it for blessings. For even if the Prophet (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) was kissed on his hand, then this was something rare and infrequent, so it is not to be done all the time as is known from the principles of fiqh. 2)     That this should not bring about in the scholar, a feeling that he is greater than others or seeing himself as better. As is the case with some of the scholars today. 3)     That it does not lead to the abandonment of a known Sunnah, such as the Sunnah of shaking hands, for it has been legislated through his (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) action and speech. And it is a reason for the wiping out of sins for those shaking hands, as has been reported in more than one hadeeth. So it is not permissible to leave it off for a matter, about which the best that can be said is that it is permissible.?

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And from that which proves that the woman, in this issue, is like the the man with a man (i.e. with regard to kissing)[Refer to al-Mughnee 9/505] is that which is reported from the Prophet (salallaahu aliahi waslaam) "Verily the women are the companions of men." [Reported by Abu Dawood no. 236, Kitaab ut-Tahaarah, Chapter: 59, 1/61, and reported by others. Ibn Qataan said it is weak through the route of Aishah but saheeh through Anas. Refer to Kashf ul Khafaa of Ajloonee page 214, and it was declared hasan by Shaikh Al-Albaanee as occurs in Saheeh Sunan Abee Dawood, vol. 1/46]   Ibn ul Atheer says, "Meaning like them and similar to them in characteristics and nature" [an-Nihaayah fee Ghareebil Hadeeth 2/492] Al-Khataabee says "And the fiqh contained therein, is the affirmation of analogy and joining between the ruling related to two similar entities. For when the address is reported with a masculine wording then it also applies to women, except for certain circumstances which have a proof for being specific (only to men)." [Awn al Mabood 1/275]