In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful

Peace, blessings and mercy of Allah be upon you.

Is it permissible for men, in attending conferences and symposia, to clap their hands for applause after the speaker delivers his speech? it is known that if they do not applaud, they might be misunderstood.

Jazakum Allahu Khairan

In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful

Peace, blessings and mercy of Allah be upon you.

Praise be to Allah, prayers and peace be upon His kind Messenger, family members, companions and followers.

The Hadith was reported as a reminder to the Imam if he makes a mistake, and applauding is disavowed for men, according to the Hadith: "Mentioning the name of Allah is for men and applauding is for women". Also, it is mentioned in the Quran the dispraise of the polytheists` praying and that it was whistling and applauding, and Shari`ah scholars considered it as disavowal, as Allah says: "Their prayer at the house (of God) is nothing but whistling and clapping of hands", (Quran, 8:35). However, Muslims should avoid applauding or clapping their hands because it is disavowal to do so, even if they are attending conferences of non-Muslims. Allah knows best.