He also said, “Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand.” Thus, if you see two men—one eating and drinking with his right hand, and the other eating and drinking with his left—the first is upon the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ, whereas the second is upon the guidance of Satan. Would anyone willingly follow the guidance of Satan and turn away from the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ? No one would ever consent to that. Yet Satan decorates for people the practice of eating and drinking with the left hand, and some even imagine it to be a mark of progress and civilization because the unbelieving West gives precedence to the left over the right. For this reason a person must eat and drink with the right hand unless compelled by necessity, and we must also train our young children to do the same.

The same rule applies to shaking hands: one should greet with the right hand, not the left. If someone extends his left hand to you, do not shake it; avoid the gesture, for he has contravened the Sunnah—unless his right hand is paralyzed and he cannot move it, in which case he is excused.

Likewise, the Black Stone should be touched with the right hand. If one cannot reach it, he may point toward it, but only with the right hand. Touching the Yemeni Corner should also be done with the right hand. Nowadays we see some pilgrims wipe the Black Stone with the left hand, point to it with the left, or point to it with both hands together. As for the Yemeni Corner, if you can touch it—that is, wipe it with your hand—then do so; otherwise do not point to it, for nothing has been reported from the Prophet ﷺ indicating that he ever pointed to it.