A woman kissing the head of a man

Q 5: It is a local custom for women to kiss the head of men as a token of greeting. This happens in the following way: Upon coming to women, the man shakes hands with them while they start (Part No. 17; Page No. 33) to kiss his head which is covered with a Ghutrah (a traditional cotton headdress worn by men in some Arab countries) or turban without kissing them on the cheek or being soft in speech with them. What is the ruling on this kind of greeting?

A: A woman is only permitted to do this with her Mahram (spouse or permanently unmarriageable relative), like her father or brother. She is also allowed to shake hands with them. However, she is prohibited to shake hands with or kiss the head of an unmarriageable man, whether or not he is wearing Ghurtah for the sake of steering clear of Fitnah (temptation). May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.