Back to search

What is the ruling on a mother initiating greetings, shaking hands, and kissing non-Muslim women, and what is the ruling on a Muslim woman's interaction with non-Muslim women, such as uncovering her 'awrah and other things, as if they were Muslim women?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The question includes several previous sections that have been detailed in separate fatwas. Regarding initiating greetings with a non-Muslim, there is a difference of opinion, and the details are in Fatwa No. 32766. As for a Muslim woman kissing a non-Muslim woman, that is covered in Fatwa No. 47597. The ruling on a Muslim woman shaking hands with a non-Muslim woman is in Fatwa No. 50452. The 'awrah of a Muslim woman in front of a non-Muslim woman is in Fatwa No. 56860. Showing kindness to people is required, regardless of who they are, as Allah Almighty says: "And speak to people good words" (Al-Baqarah: 83), and this includes both believers and non-believers. Since initiating greetings, shaking hands, and kissing involve a suspicion, one should limit oneself to kindness that has no suspicion, such as a pleasant countenance and soft speech. As for a woman greeting non-mahram men, that is addressed in Fatwa No. 107618.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy