Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed
Is it permissible to give salams to a woman or to respond to her salams if I don’t fear any fitna from it? What if I know that not saying salams would cause harm, for example when dealing with a converted lady who isn’t familiar with this type of conduct?
There is some detail involved in a man giving his salams to a non-mahram lady. If the lady is old, whereby she doesn’t have any desire, it is sunna to give her salams, and a lady must return her salams to her.
However, if it is a desirable woman and there are many women together, it is permissible to give salams to them all and he must respond as well.
If it is only one desirable woman, the position of the school is that if a man gives his salams to her first, it is disliked, and responding to her salams is also disliked. But for her, to give her salams to a non-mahram man first is haram, as well as responding to his salams, for fear of fitna, even if the person feels safe from fitna within himself, because this is a situation where fitna usually begins. So the ruling is based on to this, even if people differ.
This is the ruling of our school and I have not studied about this issue in other schools, so perhaps they have some leniency, so one should refer to them. As for a Muslimah, specifically, who does know about this ruling, one could teach her and explain the ruling to her without undergoing much hardship.
[Faraz: Living Hanafi scholars mention that it is permitted to give salams to an unrelated person of the opposite sex when there is need or benefit in the interaction, and the interaction takes place within the limits of the Shariah and without fear of going beyond the limits and proprieties of the Sacred Law.]
– Amjad Rasheed
(Translated by Shazia Ahmad)
[Faraz notes: Shaykh Amjad asked me to include this and similar comments.]