A man from the Banu Anz tribe narrates: I came with Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him). When he returned, the people separated from him, and I said: O Abu Dharr! I want to ask you about some matters of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He said: But if it is a secret of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), I will not tell you. I said: It is not a secret matter. The thing is, when a man meets another man, he takes his hand and shakes hands with him. Is this correct? He said: You have indeed asked a well-informed person. Whenever the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) met me, he always took my hand and shook hands with me. However, there was one time when he did not shake hands; this happened in the last moments of his life. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a message to me while he was on his bed; this was at the time when he was suffering from his final illness. I found him lying down, and when I leaned over him, he raised his blessed hand and embraced me. This manner was so much better and more excellent than a handshake.