Question:
“For one of you to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle is better than touching a woman who is not lawful for him.” Is this hadith authentic?
Answer:
“For one of you to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle is better than touching a woman who is not lawful for him.”
The above narration appears in Tabarani, hadith numbers 16880 and 16881. It serves as a deterrent against physical contact (such as shaking hands) between men and women who are not mahram (permissible relatives) to one another
It is narrated by Ma‘qil ibn Yasar. The wording states that being pierced in the head with an iron needle is better than touching a woman who is not lawful for a man. This hadith exists and is considered authentic.
Such statements are used to emphasize the severity of the act. The Prophetﷺ sometimes used strong comparisons to make people understand the seriousness of a matter.
Just as someone fears placing his hand in fire, such warnings are meant to make people strongly avoid sinful actions.