3 Proofs Why Touching the Opposite Gender Is Halal in Islam
C.J Ahmed-13.04.2023
Touching the opposite gender is not haram in Islam because there is evidence from hadiths to prove that touching the opposite gender is okay.
If touching the opposite gender was haram, the prophet (sal) would n ot have touched the hand of the slave womanas mentioned in this hadith. There is no evidence to prove that the slave girl mentioned in the above hadith was the slave girl of the prophet (sal).
2) Narrated Rubai bint Mu`adh bin Afra:
“We used to go for Military expeditions along with Allah's Messenger (sal) and provide the people with water, serve them and bring the dead and the wounded back to Medina.” (Bukhari)
3) Narrated Ar-Rabi'bint Mu'auwidh:
“We used to take part in holy battles with the Prophet (sal) by providing the people with water and serving them and bringing the killed and the wounded back to Medina.”(Bukhari)
In both the aabove hadith, women used to bring the wounded men and treating men will involve touching them. If touching the opposite gender was haram, then the prophet (sal) would have forbidden them to do so.
Even if we agree for the sake of argument that touching the opposite gender is haram, still it is halal under necessity. Narrated Anas (rali):
The Prophet (sal) allowed `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf and Az-Zubair bin Al-`Awwam to wear silk because they were suffering from an itch" .
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
Large amounts of silk is generally forbidden for men and and certain reasons and necessity the two mentioned Sahabi in the hadith were allowed to wear silk. Allah (says in the Quran,
"He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-forgiving Most Merciful." (Al-Quran 2:178)
He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
(Al Quran-16:115)
Eating dead animals is generally haram but under necsity it was allowed and the following hadith proves this,
Narrated Jabir ibn Samurah:
A man alighted at Harrah with his wife and children. A man said (to him): My she-camel has strayed; if you find it, detain it.
He found it, but did not find its owner, and it fell ill. His wife said: Slaughter it. But he refused and it died.
She said: Skin it so that we may dry its fat and flesh and then eat them.
He said: Let me ask the Messenger of Allah (sal). So he came to him (the Prophet) and asked him. He said: Have you sufficient for your needs? He replied: No. He then said: Then eat it.
Then its owner came and he told him the story. He said: Why did you not slaughter it? He replied: I was ashamed (or afraid) of you (Abu-Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
Anas ibn Maalik (Rali) narrated,
The prophet (sal) used to enter upon Umm Haraam bint Milhaan and she would give him food. Umm Haraam was married to ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit. One day the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered upon her, and she provided him with food and started grooming his head. Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) slept, then he woke up smiling. Umm Haraam asked, "What makes you smile, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "Some people of my ummah were shown to me (in my dream) fighting for the sake of Allaah, sailing in the middle of the seas like kings on the thrones or like kings sitting on their thrones." (The narrator Ishaq is not sure as to which expression was correct). Umm Haraam added, "I said, 'O Messenger of Allaah! Pray to Allaah to make me one of them.' " So the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed to Allaah for her and then laid his head down (and slept). Then he woke up smiling (again). (Umm Haraam added): I said, "What makes you smile, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "Some people of my ummah were shown to me (in my dream) fighting for the sake of Allaah." He said the same as he had said before. I said, "O Messenger of Allaah! Pray to Allaah to make me one of them." He said, "You will be among the first ones." Then Umm Haraam sailed across the sea during the Caliphate of Mu’aawiya ibn Abi Sufyaan, and she fell down from her riding animal after coming ashore, and died. (Bukhari and Muslim)
There is much debate about the relationship of Umm Haraam towards the prophet (sal) and some scholars are of the view that she was the prophet’s aunt hence she combing his hair is allowed but the other authentic hadiths mentioned in this article prove clearly that touching the opposite gender is not haram in Islam.
Touching the opposite gender is not haram in Islam because there is evidence from hadiths to prove that touching the opposite gender is okay.
- Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
If touching the opposite gender was haram, the prophet (sal) would n ot have touched the hand of the slave womanas mentioned in this hadith. There is no evidence to prove that the slave girl mentioned in the above hadith was the slave girl of the prophet (sal).
2) Narrated Rubai bint Mu`adh bin Afra:
“We used to go for Military expeditions along with Allah's Messenger (sal) and provide the people with water, serve them and bring the dead and the wounded back to Medina.” (Bukhari)
3) Narrated Ar-Rabi'bint Mu'auwidh:
“We used to take part in holy battles with the Prophet (sal) by providing the people with water and serving them and bringing the killed and the wounded back to Medina.”(Bukhari)
In both the aabove hadith, women used to bring the wounded men and treating men will involve touching them. If touching the opposite gender was haram, then the prophet (sal) would have forbidden them to do so.
Even if we agree for the sake of argument that touching the opposite gender is haram, still it is halal under necessity. Narrated Anas (rali):
The Prophet (sal) allowed `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf and Az-Zubair bin Al-`Awwam to wear silk because they were suffering from an itch" .
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
Large amounts of silk is generally forbidden for men and and certain reasons and necessity the two mentioned Sahabi in the hadith were allowed to wear silk. Allah (says in the Quran,
"He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-forgiving Most Merciful." (Al-Quran 2:178)
He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
(Al Quran-16:115)
Eating dead animals is generally haram but under necsity it was allowed and the following hadith proves this,
Narrated Jabir ibn Samurah:
A man alighted at Harrah with his wife and children. A man said (to him): My she-camel has strayed; if you find it, detain it.
He found it, but did not find its owner, and it fell ill. His wife said: Slaughter it. But he refused and it died.
She said: Skin it so that we may dry its fat and flesh and then eat them.
He said: Let me ask the Messenger of Allah (sal). So he came to him (the Prophet) and asked him. He said: Have you sufficient for your needs? He replied: No. He then said: Then eat it.
Then its owner came and he told him the story. He said: Why did you not slaughter it? He replied: I was ashamed (or afraid) of you (Abu-Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
Anas ibn Maalik (Rali) narrated,
The prophet (sal) used to enter upon Umm Haraam bint Milhaan and she would give him food. Umm Haraam was married to ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit. One day the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered upon her, and she provided him with food and started grooming his head. Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) slept, then he woke up smiling. Umm Haraam asked, "What makes you smile, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "Some people of my ummah were shown to me (in my dream) fighting for the sake of Allaah, sailing in the middle of the seas like kings on the thrones or like kings sitting on their thrones." (The narrator Ishaq is not sure as to which expression was correct). Umm Haraam added, "I said, 'O Messenger of Allaah! Pray to Allaah to make me one of them.' " So the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed to Allaah for her and then laid his head down (and slept). Then he woke up smiling (again). (Umm Haraam added): I said, "What makes you smile, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "Some people of my ummah were shown to me (in my dream) fighting for the sake of Allaah." He said the same as he had said before. I said, "O Messenger of Allaah! Pray to Allaah to make me one of them." He said, "You will be among the first ones." Then Umm Haraam sailed across the sea during the Caliphate of Mu’aawiya ibn Abi Sufyaan, and she fell down from her riding animal after coming ashore, and died. (Bukhari and Muslim)
There is much debate about the relationship of Umm Haraam towards the prophet (sal) and some scholars are of the view that she was the prophet’s aunt hence she combing his hair is allowed but the other authentic hadiths mentioned in this article prove clearly that touching the opposite gender is not haram in Islam.