'Show respect' Silma Ihram, from the Australian Muslim Women's Association, says regardless of where Muslims stand they should shake hands out of respect and courtesy. “I follow the Shafi'i school (of Islamic law), so I prefer, where possible, not to shake hands, but I don't want to offend anybody," Ms Ihram said.
No two Muslims meet each other and shake hands but that Allah forgives them before they part. If the companions of the Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, met each other, they would shake hands. If they had returned from a journey, they would embrace each other.
Islam is a religion of mercy and calls for mankind to strengthen their bonds of brotherhood. Islam greatly encourages its ummah to spread salam and shake hands with one another.
When greeting and parting from Arab men, men should always shake hands. In the case of Arab women you should be guided by the woman. Many Arab women will not shake hands with non-Arab men, however, an educated woman might.
Handshakes
In Vietnam, you should only shake hands with someone who's your equal in age or rank. In Thailand, instead of shaking hands, you're more likely to bow with your hands together and up to your chest. And don't be surprised if someone from France and many other places pulls you in for a double cheek kiss!
They're not having chest pains or overcome with emotion. Instead, the soldiers have adopted a vital ritual of everyday life in Iraq: Arabs place their hand on their heart after a handshake to convey sincerity and respect, to show that the greeting comes from the heart.
In Indonesia, the left hand is traditionally perceived as the hand used to clean oneself after going to the toilet. When shaking hands, offering a gift, giving or receiving something, eating, pointing or touching someone, among other things, it is considered proper etiquette to only use the right hand.
Although many Muslims in other countries do not view touching dogs as forbidden, conservative Islamic groups here say the Shafie school of Islamic jurisprudence that they follow views dogs as unclean and requires the faithful to undergo a ritualistic wash if they come into contact with canines.
The left hand is used to clean bodily excrements and viewed as unclean. The right hand is the clean hand used for eating, shaking hands etc.
A number of Muslim intellectuals and Muslim scholars have challenged this view and claim that certain physical contact is permissible as long as there is no obscenity, inappropriate touching (other than a simple handshake), secret meetings or flirting, according to the general rules of interaction between the genders.
According to the above discussion, in our opinion, touching private parts with the right hand is makruh tanzih and not prohibited. It is included in matters of manners and the restriction in the hadith is a form of guidance and education.
Thus, according to the source, non-mahram men and women are not allowed to hug before marriage. Islamic schools of thought consider any pre-marital acts of intimacy between non-mahram haram, including kissing. Yes, flirting is a sin and is forbidden in Islam.
It never occurred to anyone of them that such talk is forbidden. Of course, if the conversation is frivolous or leads to suggestions that are not in line with the serious moral attitude of Islam, such conversation may be forbidden, but only because of its contents, and not for being between man and woman.
In the contemporary world, some Muslims insist that a woman's awrah in front of unrelated men is her entire body including her face and hands, which must be covered at all times in front of non-mahram men. Others disagree and claim it is permissible to show the face and hands.
Historically, men were not expected to shake hands with a woman, but today, everyone is expected to shake hands with everyone in business. And a man should give a woman the same firm handshake he gives a man. In social situations, however, a man should wait for a woman to extend her hand first.
It is considered to be an accepted means of greeting people and is the epitome of politeness in diverse cultures – especially in the Western world. As well as being a means of greeting people, it is also used to build rapport and trust with people. Ignoring a handshake is deemed to be impolite and rude.
The greatest of the sins described as al-Kaba'ir is the association of others with Allah or Shirk.
The Sunnah of the Prophet illustrated that it is desirable to use the right hand in everything that we wish to honor. Handwriting is a highly valued and prized skill. The position of the Qur'an is that the child can write with his/her left hand without any problem.
Muslims believe that tattooing is a sin, because it involves changing the natural creation of God, inflicting unnecessary pain in the process. Tattoos are classified as dirty things, which is prohibited in Islam.
There is a general consensus among Sunni and Shia fiqh experts that Surah Al-Baqarah 221 and Surat Al‑Mumtahanah 10 ban Muslim women from marrying non-Muslim men. This consensus is still standing strong. On the other hand, the Quran allows Muslim men to marry non-Muslim women (“People of the Book”).
In Islamic tradition, cats are admired for their cleanliness. They are considered to be ritually clean, and are thus allowed to enter homes and even mosques, including Masjid al-Haram.
According to the Irish Times, "a majority of Muslims" follow the view taken by modern scholars such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi that music is forbidden "only if it leads the believer into activities that are clearly defined as prohibited, such as drinking alcohol and illicit sex".
Australians are not very formal, so greetings are casual and relaxed – a handshake and a smile are appropriate.
Handshakes are the standard, casual greeting. The grip tends to be lighter than the Western handshake and is also sustained for longer. In formal situations, people bow slightly or nod politely to greet one another formally.
Insult. But the left hand is typically used to clean one's self after going to the bathroom. Thus, trying to do a lefty handshake or even waving at someone with your left hand could be considered insulting to some people.