al-Qubl wa al-Muanaka wa al-Musafaha li-Ibn al-Arabi
- Author died
- 340 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat Ibn Taymiyyah
al-Qubl wa al-Muanaka wa al-Musafaha (The Book of Kissing, Embracing, and Handshaking) is a specialized hadith monograph compiled by the traditionist and ascetic Abu Sa'id Ibn al-Arabi (d. 340 AH / 951–952 CE or 341 AH / 952 CE) on the manners and legal rulings of physical greetings in Islam .
Subject Matter and Scope
The work is a thematic collection of prophetic traditions (ahadith) and early narrations (athar) that document the physical expressions of greeting practiced during the prophetic era and among early generations . Its contents focus on:
- Kissing (al-qubl): Narrations concerning kissing young relatives and children, kissing individuals between the eyes or on the forehead upon meeting, and the reports regarding the kissing of the Prophet's ﷺ hand during the pledge of allegiance or greetings, including traditions transmitted on the authority of companions such as Salama ibn al-Akwa', Ibn Abbas, and Wathila ibn al-Asqa' .
- Embracing (al-mu'anaqa): Traditions discussing the practice of embracing one's fellow believer upon arrival or encounter, alongside legal considerations regarding its permissible and recommended instances .
- Handshaking (al-musafaha): The etiquette and virtues associated with grasping hands when extending Islamic salutations .
Transmission and Manuscripts
The text has been transmitted through the transmission (riwayah) of the traditionist Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi from Abu Sa'id Ibn al-Arabi .
Manuscript copies of the treatise have survived in multiple library collections:
- A manuscript held in the 'Arif Hikmat library in Medina (no. 167, fols. 2–9) .
- A photographic reproduction held in the Süleymaniye Library in Istanbul (no. 2279) .
- Copies preserved in Rampur, India (nos. 220 and 556) .
Print Editions
The treatise has been published in modern printed editions, notably:
- An edition edited by 'Amr 'Abd al-Mun'im Salim, published jointly by Maktabat Ibn Taymiyyah in Cairo and Maktabat al-'Ilm in Jeddah (1st edition, 1416 AH / 1996 CE) .
- A print edition issued by Maktabat al-Sunnah .
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