Question 1609: What is the ruling on shaking hands with People of the Book and Nasibis, and does shaking hands with them invalidate ablution (wudu)?

486 14 Feb 2023
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✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنْ شُعَیْبِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَیْنِ بْنِ زَیْدٍ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ عَنْ آبَائِهِ عَنِ النَّبِیِّ فِی حَدِیثِ الْمَنَاهِی قَالَ: وَ نَهَی عَنْ مُصَافَحَةِ الذِّمِّیِّ.

📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 4, p. 8

In a hadith about prohibitions, Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrated from his forefathers that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) forbade shaking hands with the People of the Covenant (Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians)!

2 عَنْ عَلِیِّ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِیهِ أَبِی الْحَسَنِ مُوسَی قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ مُؤَاکَلَةِ الْمَجُوسِیِّ فِی قَصْعَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَ أَرْقُدَ مَعَهُ عَلَی فِرَاشٍ وَاحِدٍ وَ أُصَافِحَهُ قَالَ لَا.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 264

Ali ibn Ja'far said: 'I asked Musa ibn Ja'far (peace be upon him) about eating with a Zoroastrian from the same bowl, and about sleeping with him on the same bed, and about shaking hands with him.' The Imam said: 'No!'

3 عَنْ عَلِیِّ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِیهِ مُوسَی بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ في حديث قَالَ : لَا یَأْکُلِ الْمُسْلِمُ مَعَ الْمَجُوسِیِّ فِی قَصْعَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَ لَا یُقْعِدْهُ عَلَی فِرَاشِهِ وَ لَا مَسْجِدِهِ وَ لَا یُصَافِحْهُ

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 1, p. 263

Imam Kadhim (peace be upon him) said in a hadith: 'A Muslim should not eat with a Zoroastrian from the same bowl, nor should they seat him on their bed or their place of prayer, nor should they shake hands with him!'

4 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِی جَعْفَرٍ فِی رَجُلٍ صَافَحَ رَجُلًا مَجُوسِیّاً قَالَ یَغْسِلُ یَدَهُ وَ لَا یَتَوَضَّأُ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 650

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said about a person who shakes hands with a Zoroastrian man: 'He washes his hand, but he does not perform ablution (his wudu is not invalidated)!'

5 عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْقَلَانِسِیِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِی عَبْداللَّه أَلْقَی الذِّمِّیَّ فَیُصَافِحُنِی قَالَ امْسَحْهَا بِالتُّرَابِ وَ بِالْحَائِطِ قُلْتُ فَالنَّاصِبَ قَالَ اغْسِلْهَا.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 650

Khalid said: 'I meet a Dhimmi (i.e., a Jew, a Christian, or a Zoroastrian) and he shakes hands with me!' The Imam said: 'Wipe your hand on the ground and on a wall!' I said: 'What about a Nasibi?' He said: 'Wash your hand!'

6 عَنْ أَبِی بَصِیرٍ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا فِی مُصَافَحَةِ الْمُسْلِمِ الْیَهُودِیَّ وَ النَّصْرَانِیَّ قَالَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الثَّوْبِ فَإِنْ صَافَحَکَ بِیَدِهِ فَاغْسِلْ یَدَکَ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 650

Imam Baqir or Imam Sadiq (peace be upon them both) said about a Muslim shaking hands with a Jew and a Christian: 'It should be from behind a cover (like a glove or cloth...), so if he shakes hands with you with his hand, wash your hand!'

✅ In the above narrations, it is observed that shaking hands with a Jew, a Christian, and a Zoroastrian is forbidden. According to narration 6, if this action is taken or performed for the sake of dissimulation (taqiyya) or diplomacy, it is appropriate for it to be done with a cover or barrier so that our hand does not touch the hand of the Dhimmi. If, for the sake of taqiyya, diplomacy, or otherwise, a handshake with the People of the Book is performed without a barrier, it is recommended to wipe the hand on the ground or a wall, or to wash the hand. In light of some general narrations that condition the transfer of ritual impurity (najasa) and the necessity of washing on the presence of moisture, we only wipe the hand on the ground and a wall when the hands of both parties are dry, and in the case of a handshake with moisture, the hand must be washed.

✅ In the case of shaking hands with a Nasibi, according to narration 5, the hand must be washed.

✅ According to narration 4 and others, although shaking hands with the People of the Covenant is forbidden, shaking hands with them does not invalidate ablution or necessitate its renewal, and washing the hand is sufficient.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر

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