Shaking Hands with Women

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ مُصَافَحَةِ الرَّجُلِ الْمَرْأَةَ قَالَ لَا يَحِلُّ لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يُصَافِحَ الْمَرْأَةَ إِلَّا امْرَأَةً يَحْرُمُ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَهَا أُخْتٌ أَوْ بِنْتٌ أَوْ عَمَّةٌ أَوْ خَالَةٌ أَوِ ابْنَةُ أُخْتٍ أَوْ نَحْوُهَا فَأَمَّا الْمَرْأَةُ الَّتِي يَحِلُّ لَهُ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَهَا فَلَا يُصَافِحْهَا إِلَّا مِنْ وَرَاءِ الثَّوْبِ وَ لَا يَغْمِزْ كَفَّهَا.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.), about men’s shaking hands with women. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is lawful for men to shake hands with women with whom marriage is not lawful, like sister, daughter, paternal and maternal aunts, daughter of sister or so. However, a woman with whom marriage is la

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع هَلْ يُصَافِحُ الرَّجُلُ الْمَرْأَةَ لَيْسَتْ بِذِي مَحْرَمٍ فَقَالَ لَا إِلَّا مِنْ وَرَاءِ الثَّوْبِ.

if one can shake hands with women who are lawful for marriage. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not permissible except from behind the cloth.’”

نَعَمْ قُلْنَا تُصَافِحُهُ قَالَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الثَّوْبِ قَالَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا إِنَّ أُخْتِي هَذِهِ تَعُودُ إِخْوَتَهَا قَالَ إِذَا عُدْتِ إِخْوَتَكِ فَلَا تَلْبَسِي الْمُصَبَّغَةَ.

“Once, we visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and asked if a woman can visit her brother. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, she can do so.’ We then asked if she can shake hands with him. He (the Imam) said, ‘It must be from behind the cloth.’ One of them said, ‘My sister, this one, visits her brothers.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘When yo