Kissing the hands and feet of revered elders

Question

Question: Merely showing someone honour and respect while not regarding him as an object of worship — is such veneration permissible or not, and is it not shirk? Is it permissible or not to kiss the hands and to kiss the feet of one’s spiritual guide when meeting him?

Answer

To show someone who deserves honour and respect such honour and respect as is not exclusive to God is permissible; it is not shirk. Kissing the hand of a revered elder and of a spiritual guide is permissible. But one should not kiss the foot in such a way that it takes the form of a prostration (sajda).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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