The Questioner: What is the ruling on shaking hands with a non-mahram woman? Does it nullify wuḍūʾ or not? And is one’s wife considered a non-maḥram, with evidence?
Shaykh Muqbil: As for shaking hands with a non-maḥram woman, then it is not permissible. This is due to what has been narrated by at-Tirmidhī in his Jāmiʿ from Umaymah bint Ruqayqah, may Allāh be pleased with her, who said, the Messenger ﷺ said:
.جئتُ النَّبيَّ صلَّى اللَّهُ علَيهِ وسلَّمَ في نِسوةٍ نُبايعُهُ ، فقالَ لَنا : فيما استَطعتُنَّ وأطَقتُنَّ ، إنِّي لا أُصافِحُ النِّساءَ
“Indeed, I do not shake hands with women.”
And what was narrated by al-Bukhārī in his Ṣaḥīḥ from ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
.وَاللَّهِ ما مَسَّتْ كَفُّ رَسولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وَسَلَّمَ كَفَّ امْرَأَةٍ قَطّ
“By Allāh, the hand of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ never touched the hand of any woman—ever.”
And from what has come in the Ṣaḥīḥayn from Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet ﷺ said:
…كُتِبَ علَى ابْنِ آدَمَ نَصِيبُهُ مِنَ الزِّنَا، مُدْرِكٌ ذلكَ لا مَحَالَةَ، فَالْعَيْنَانِ زِنَاهُما النَّظَرُ، وَالأُذُنَانِ زِنَاهُما الاسْتِمَاعُ، وَاللِّسَانُ زِنَاهُ الكَلَامُ، وَالْيَدُ زِنَاهَا البَطْش
“It has been decreed upon the son of Ādam his share of Zina (fornication) he will indulge in. The eyes commit their fornication by looking, and the ears by listening, and the hand by touching…”
Thus, it is not permissible for a man to shake hands with a non-maḥram woman.
And Allah is the One whose help is sought.
As for the nullification of wuḍūʾ; it does not invalidate it.
The Questioner: Is the wife a non-maḥram?
Shaykh Muqbil: The wife is not considered a non-maḥram so long as she is under his protection and under the marriage contract (ʿaqd an-nikāḥ).
As for the touching of a woman, then [once again] it is not a nullifier. This is due to what is authentically reported in the Ṣaḥīḥ that ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, was lying in front of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ while he was prayed Witr, and [thus] if he wanted to prostrate (as-sujud), he would have touched her leg.
And as for His, the Exalted’s, statement:
أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ
“Or you touched the women”
— what is intended by it is: sexual intercourse, as Ibn ʿAbbās, may Allah be pleased with him, mentioned [in his explanation].¹