Shaking hands with elderly Ghair Mahram women

Question:-

What is the ruling with regard to shaking hands with old women such as, one’s mother’s or father’s cousins, their aunties, or elderly people who  hug us and offer to shake hands with us as we probably grew up in front of them, or we were born long after their own children were married and had their own children? In other words, we are minors before them.

What about as a doctor, consoling patients after the death of their family members, or giving support to those who are terminally ill. I saw an Aalim hold on to his grandfather’s sister’s hand a day before she passed away, to tell her that she will Insha’Allah get better. What is the ruling in these cases.

Answer:-

There is concession for an extremely elderly women (who has passed the age of getting married) to expose her face before others with the proviso that she doesn’t expose her beauty. However, it is better for her to conceal and veil her face (from Ghair Mahaarim) in our times as we are living in an era of Fitnah.

وَالْقَوَاعِدُ مِنَ النِّسَاء اللَّاتِي لَا يَرْجُونَ نِكَاحًا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِنَّ جُنَاحٌ أَن يَضَعْنَ ثِيَابَهُنَّ غَيْرَ مُتَبَرِّجَاتٍ بِزِينَةٍ وَأَن يَسْتَعْفِفْنَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُنَّ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

(سورة النور اية 60 سورة 24)

 Re:- Aap Ke Masaa’il Aur Unka Hal Pg. 72 Vol. 8

As for touching Ghair Mahram women, it is not permissible for one to touch Ghair Mahram women by shaking hands with them, or in any other manner, even though they may be senior in age. One is considered as Mahram to his grandfather’s sister.

            (فتحرم بنات الاخوة والاخوات وبنات اولاد الاخوة والاخوات   (رد المحتار ص28 ج3

Re:- Aap Ke Masaa’il Aur Unka Hal Pg.186 Vol.6

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date: 02 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1444 / 29 September 2022