Is shaking hands with a foreign woman forbidden for all Muslims, or is it specific to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him? And is the narration true which states that the Messenger did not object to one of the Companions shaking hands with women during the Pledge of Ridwan?

Shaking hands with women falls into two categories: The first is shaking hands with mahram (unmarriageable kin) women, which is permissible and recommended. The second is shaking hands with non-mahram women. Shaking hands with an old woman who is past childbearing age is permissible if there is no fear of fitna (temptation or discord). However, as for a young woman, it is forbidden by the consensus of the four Imams, whether through a barrier or directly. This is based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "For one of you to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle is better for him than to touch a woman who is not lawful for him," and 'Aisha's (may Allah be pleased with her) statement: "By Allah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) never took an oath from women except with what Allah Almighty commanded him, and the hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) never touched the hand of any woman at all." The claim that the prohibition of shaking hands was exclusive to the Prophet (peace be upon him) is a false assertion, due to the generality of the aforementioned hadith and the consensus of the Imams.