The basic rule in greeting when meeting is to shake hands. If the meeting is after a long absence or after travel, then there is no problem in embracing and hugging.
In all cases it is not allowed for one of the two parties to bow to the other, neither at every meeting nor after returning from travel, neither to a Muslim nor to a disbeliever, neither to a king nor to an elder nor to a relative, because bowing is a form of humiliation that should only be for Allah alone.
It also resembles the actions of non Arabs, and there is a narration from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ
This hadith was classed as Hasan by al Tirmidhi, while most of the scholars considered it weak.
The fatwas of the scholars have followed in forbidding bowing when meeting.
The prohibition becomes more severe if the bowing increases until it becomes close to rukuu or lower. The act is forbidden if it is intended as a greeting. However, if it is rukuu or sujud done with the intention of glorifying a created being in the same way Allah is glorified, then the one who does that becomes a disbeliever and an apostate.
Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “As for bowing when giving greetings, it is forbidden, as reported in al-Tirmidhi from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that they asked him about a man who meets his brother and bows to him. He said, “No.” This is because bowing and prostration are only allowed for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Even though this was permitted as a form of greeting in laws before ours, as in the story of Yusuf, “And they fell down before him in prostration, and he said, O my father, this is the explanation of my vision from before” (Yusuf: 100).
In our Sharia, however, prostration is not fitting for anyone other than Allah. Indeed, he has already prohibited standing for one another in the manner that non-Arabs do for each other, so how much more so bowing and prostration. The same applies to partial bowing that resembles a lesser form of bowing, for that too is included in the prohibition.”
Majmu al Fatawa By Ibn Taymiyyah (1/377)
Ibn Al Qayyim said in Ighāthat al-Lahfān fī Maṣāyid al-Shayṭān (2/308):
قال السدى: أصل السجود: الانحناء لمن تعظمه، فكل منحن لشيء تعظيما له فهو ساجد، قاله ابن جرير وغيره
قلت: وعلى هذا فانحناء المتلاقيين عند السلام، أحدهما لصاحبه من السجود المحرم، وفيه نهى صريح عن النبى صلى الله تعالى عليه وسلم.
Translation: Shaking hands is a sunnah when meeting, based on authentic hadiths and the consensus of the imams. Qatadah said, “I asked Anas, was shaking hands common among the companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him?” He said, “Yes.” This was narrated by al Bukhari. And in the story of Kaʿb ibn Malik, it is mentioned that Talhah ibn Ubayd Allah stood and shook his hand in the presence of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
This was narrated by al Bukhari and Muslim. And in Sunan Abi Dawud and al Tirmidhi, from al Bara, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “No two Muslims meet and shake hands except that their sins are forgiven before they part.” And from Anas, he said: A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, when one of us meets his brother or his friend, should he bow to him?” He said, “No.” He said, “Should he embrace him and kiss him?” He said, “No.” He said, “Should he take his hand and shake it?” He said, “Yes.” Narrated by al Tirmidhi, who said, it is a good hadith.
Shaking hands is recommended at every meeting. As for what people have become used to, like shaking hands after Fajr and Asr prayers, there is no basis for it in the Sharia in this specific form. However, there is no harm in it, because the foundation of shaking hands is a sunnah. The fact that people have restricted it to some occasions while neglecting it in most others does not remove its legitimacy in those occasions.
This principle has already been explained regarding shaking hands with a cheerful face, due to the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, at the end of the description of prayer, “Do not belittle any act of goodness, even if it is meeting your brother with a cheerful face.” Narrated by Muslim from the narration of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him.
There are many hadiths about this. One should be cautious about shaking hands with a beardless youth who has a handsome appearance, because looking at him without need is prohibited, according to the stronger and explicit view.
The author affirmed this at the beginning of the book of marriage. Our companions said: Whoever is prohibited from being looked at is also prohibited from being touched. It may be allowed to look while touching remains prohibited, like looking at a non mahram woman in cases of buying, selling, taking, and giving and so on. But touching her in any of these situations is not permitted.
Second: It is disliked to bow the back in any case for anyone, based on the hadith of Anas mentioned earlier in the first issue, and the statement: “Should he bow to him? He said: No.” There is nothing opposing this hadith.
Do not be deceived by the large number of those who practise it among those who are attributed to knowledge, righteousness, and similar traits.
Third: The preferred opinion is that it is recommended to stand for someone entering if he possesses clear virtue in knowledge, righteousness, nobility, leadership, while maintaining dignity, or if he has some honour due to his authority or something similar. This standing should be for the sake of honouring, not for showing off or exalting.
This was the continued practice of the early and later generations of this ummah. I have compiled a separate booklet on this topic, collecting in it the hadiths, reports, statements of the Salaf, and their actions that support what I mentioned. I also mentioned the views that differ from it and clarified the response to them.
Fourth: It is recommended to kiss the hand of a righteous man, a pious ascetic, a scholar, or those like them among the people of the Hereafter. As for kissing someone’s hand due to his wealth, worldly status, power, or prestige among people for worldly reasons and the like, then this is disliked, strongly disliked.
Al-Majmūʿ Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab al-Majmūʿ By An-Nawawī (4/475-477)
The scholars of the Permanent Committee were asked:
What is the ruling on bowing the head to a Muslim when greeting him?
لا تكون إلا لله وحده. وبالله التوفيق. وصلى الله على نبينا محمد، وآله وصحبه وسلم
عبد الله بن قعود … عبد الله بن غديان … عبد الرزاق عفيفي … عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al Uthaymeen may Allah have mercy on him, was asked:
Some people, when they meet someone higher than them in status or rank, they humble themselves and lower their head as a form of honour. What is your view? (The question is quite faint in the clip but when he answers the audio is louder)
He answered: “Our view on this is that it is not allowed, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade that. It is not permissible for anyone to bow his back except to Allah the Lord of the worlds. As for a created being, you must not bow your back to him. Even worse than that is to make sujud to him.
Making sujud to a created being as an act of glorification and humiliation is shirk that takes one out of Islam, may Allah protect us. As for bowing, it is forbidden but does not reach the level of shirk.” (Liqaa al Bab al Maftuh 104, Question 4).
Shayk Bin Baz was asked about bowing as a greeting and he said:
Ibn Hajar al Haytami (d. 974 AH) was asked about what non Arabs do, and those who imitate them, of standing, bowing, lowering the head and similar actions when drinking together, is it an innovation? He answered: Yes, it is an evil innovation, because we were forbidden to imitate non Arabs.
Al Fatawa al Fiqhiyyah al Kubra (4/117).
