Question: Our imaam at the khutba said shaking hands was bidah. We do it wrong. We should not do it for eid. Is it sin to now shake hands? Is it not sunnah to make a fellow muslim happy?

Answer: Why should two sane adults not shake hands every time they meet at work, but only do so in the musjid or area of Eid Salaah? Upon entering the car with a friend? Do people go around shaking hands in musjid parking lot or upon entering the musjid or before and after the ablution? Why must the handshake be only limited to it being after a given prayer?

Violating a sunnah or adding on innovative ideas and actions to make a person smile is not a religious foundation for violating Islamic injunctions. We see no tradition of the prophet, sahaba and even the tabeien that claim that after eid salah, shaking hands is required. Yes, we know that sahaba used to greet one another — even upon the separation of a tree which may lasts for a few seconds — a vocal salam instituted to a fellow believer as one passes by is always recommended. To hug or enact special handshake gestures after a given prayer is not established from any credible source. Just to make people smile does not warrant doing a baseless deed under the garb of religion.

Please note, it is not a sin to shake hands. It can be a sin if done in a manner wherein one thinks that shaking hands functions as a religious action that must be adhered to after a given prayer or act of worship. Such would constitute what is termed as Bidah (innovative behavior.)

If this was the Imaams point, we too agree with it.

Send us your true sharia based refutation of the Imaam in question, and we shall Insha-Allah respond in kind.

Allah Certainly Knows Best.