Imam Luqman Ahmad Mosque Without Borders

THE ISLAMIC RULING ON CLAPPING HANDS. IS CLAPPING HARAM? IS IT UNISLAMIC?

Recently, I was at a Muslim held event, and after the speaker finished speaking, some of the people clapped, while others refrained from clapping. I later learned that the non-clappers were under the assumption that clapping was not permitted in Islam, based on the hadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم , “Clapping is only for women,” which was narrated by Bukhari and Muslim in their Sahihs.

It’s not a big deal whether a person claps or not not at an event. However, it is a big deal when people claim things are haram without evidence. The statement of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم   statement is part of a longer hadith related to the etiquette of alerting the Imam of a mistake during the salat.

Meaning of the hadith:

What is meant by clapping in the hadith refers to the method of alerting the imam if a mistake is made during prayer. During prayer, if worshippers notice an error by the imam (such as forgetting a rak’ah or making a mistake in the recitation), men are permitted to alert the imam by saying sub’haanallah”), while women are permitted to clap (lightly clapping their hands together) to alert the imam.
The wisdom behind this distinction is because a woman’s voice may attract attention in an inappropriate manner, “then do not be deceptive (soft) in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet” (Quran 33:32). This is especially in Salat. Thus, during prayer, clapping is an alternative to saying “sub’haanallah” for her.

Context of the original hadith:

The hadith was mentioned in the context of the companions asking the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) about how to alert the imam if he makes a mistake during prayer. He said, “Whoever experiences something during his prayer, let him say ‘Subhan Allah’ (glorifies God), for when he says ‘Subhan Allah’, people will turn to him. Clapping is only for women.” (Agreed upon). The Prophet’s statement صلى الله عليه وسلم.   in the hadith was not mentioned in the context of prohibiting clapping outside of the prayer for men, or for woman.
The hadith simply shows the etiquette of alerting the Imam of the Salat of a mistake or omission during prayer. The utmost care should be taken to avoid causing distraction during the salat, and tasbih (saying sub’haanallah) is more subtle than saying “hey Imam, you missed something” and clapping is more appropriate for women. Either way, the alert is noted.

The hadith shows gender differentiation in taking corrective measures in worship.  This is not a matter of discrimination, but rather consideration for human nature, decency, and the rank location of men and women in the salat.

If a woman, who is behind the men and out of sight from them, utters something during the otherwise solemn ritual of prayer, the first instinct of men in the rows in front of them would be that there is some emergency, or potential of danger.

Is clapping forbidden for men outside of prayer?

The hadith is specific to prayer only; it cannot be generalized to all situations.  Clapping outside of prayer (such as cheering or admiring) is not forbidden. The hadith, which some Muslims erroneously take to mean clapping is prohibited, or disliked islamically outside of the Salat, unless it becomes a habit that resembles religious innovation. Otherwise , it’s okay to clap. And Allah knows best.

Imam Abu Laith Luqman Ahmad

imamabulaith@yahoo.com