Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind
Short Answer
No, it is not sinful to stand for a Shaykh or scholar out of respect. However, it is best avoided. This is because even the blessed Prophet ﷺ stopped the Sahabah from standing for him ﷺ. The example of the Prophet ﷺ is always best and superior.
عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ: لَمْ يَكُنْ شَخْصٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَكَانُوا إِذَا رَأَوْهُ لَمْ يَقُومُوا لِمَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِنْ كَرَاهِيَتِهِ لِذَلِكَ. هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الوَجْهِ
(Sayidina) Anas said: Nobody was more beloved to them than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Yet, when they saw him, they never stood up, knowing his dislike of that. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2754, Hasan-Sahih).
The Prophet ﷺ disliked it
The Hadith above establishes the fact that the blessed Prophet ﷺ disliked people standing for him. Therefore, the Sahabah did not used to stand for the Prophet ﷺ despite their intense love and reverence for him ﷺ. Scholars and Shaykhs must take a lesson from this. Following the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ must be above all other considerations.
(لَمْ يَقُومُوا، لِمَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِنْ كَرَاهِيَتِهِ لِذَلِكَ). أَيْ: لِقِيَامِهِمْ تَوَاضُعًا لِرَبِّهِ وَمُخَالَفَةً لِعَادَةِ الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ وَالْمُتَجَبِّرِينَ. (مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح)
They never stood up, knowing his dislike of that. Meaning, he ﷺ disliked them standing. He ﷺ done this out of humility before his Lord and in opposition to the arrogant and the tyrants. (Imam Ali al-Qari, Mirqaat al-Mafateeh).
The fact that the Prophet ﷺ did not allow people to stand for him ﷺ does not render standing for a scholar or someone else to be prohibited. Rather, it is a demonstration of the immense humility of the Prophet ﷺ and his preference.
It would be incorrect to consider standing for someone out of love or respect to be a sin. Rather, we have an example of the Prophet ﷺ himself practicing that.
It is not always sinful
عَنْ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ: مَا رَأَيْتُ أَحَدًا كَانَ أَشْبَهَ كَلَامًا، وَحَدِيثًا مِنْ فَاطِمَةَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَكَانَتْ إِذَا دَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ رَحَّبَ بِهَا، وَقَامَ إِلَيْهَا فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِهَا فَقَبَّلَهَا وَأَجْلَسَهَا فِي مَجْلِسِهِ. هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ عَلَى شَرْطِ الشَّيْخَيْنِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ. الذهبي: صحيح
The mother of the believers, Aishah (May Allah Most High be pleased with her) said: I never saw anyone who resembled the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in speech and discourse more than (Sayidah) Fatimah (May Allah Most High be pleased with her). When she entered upon him ﷺ, he ﷺ would welcome her and stand taking her by the hand. He ﷺ would kiss her and seat her in his gathering. (Mustadrak al-Hakim 4732, Sahih).
This narration is also in al-Adab al-Mufrad (947 and 971), al-Sunan al-Kubrah of Nasai (9192), and others. Due to this and other evidence, one cannot say that it is Haram or a sin to stand for someone out of love or respect. Rather, it is best avoided. However, if the person in question demands or expects people to stand for him then the ruling is far stricter.
Threat of severe punishment
خَرَجَ مُعَاوِيَةُ، فَقَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ وَابْنُ صَفْوَانَ حِينَ رَأَوْهُ. فَقَالَ: اجْلِسَا، سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَتَمَثَّلَ لَهُ الرِّجَالُ قِيَامًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ. وَفِي البَابِ عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ. هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ
Mu’awiyah exited, so Abdullah ibn Zubayr (May Allah Most High be pleased with them) and ibn Safwan stood when they saw him. He said: Sit down. Indeed, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, ‘Whoever is pleased by people standing for him, let him take his seat in the fire.’ (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2755, Hasan).
هَذَا الْوَعيد إِنَّمَا توجه للمتكبرين وَإِلَى من يغْضب أَو يسْخط أَن لَا يُقَام لَهُ. (عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري)
This threat is directed at the arrogant, and at the one who becomes angry or irritated if nobody stands up for him. (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni, Umdatu al-Qari).
هذا الوعيد إنما يوجه للمتكبرين وإلى من يغضب أو يسخط ألا يقام له. (التوضيح لشرح الجامع الصحيح)
This threat is directed at the arrogant, and at the one who becomes angry or irritated if nobody stands up for him. (Imam Ibn al-Mulaqin, al-Towdeeh).
The Hadith and Nusoos (texts) above clarify that there is a dire warning and threat against someone who is pleased with people standing for him. It may be argued that the risk of such feelings in one’s heart is almost inevitable. Thus, one must prevent people standing for him, especially in circumstances where it denotes reverence.
Nuanced ruling
Since we have Hadith narrations prohibiting and permitting standing for someone, the ruling will certainly be nuanced. It is not a simple prohibition or sin in all circumstances, nor is it permissible in all circumstances.
وَنقل بن كَثِيرٍ فِي تَفْسِيرِهِ عَنْ بَعْضِ الْمُحَقِّقِينَ التَّفْصِيلَ فِيهِ فَقَالَ الْمَحْذُورُ أَنْ يُتَّخَذَ دَيْدَنًا كَعَادَةِ الْأَعَاجِمِ كَمَا دَلَّ عَلَيْهِ حَدِيثُ أَنَسٍ وَأَمَّا إِنْ كَانَ لِقَادِمٍ مِنْ سَفَرٍ أَوْ لِحَاكِمٍ فِي مَحَلِّ وِلَايَتِهِ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ قُلْتُ ويلتحق بذلك مَا تقدم فِي أجوبة بن الْحَاجِّ كَالتَّهْنِئَةِ لِمَنْ حَدَثَتْ لَهُ نِعْمَةٌ أَوْ لِإِعَانَةِ الْعَاجِزِ أَوْ لِتَوْسِيعِ الْمَجْلِسِ أَوْ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَقَدْ قَالَ الْغَزَالِيُّ الْقِيَامُ عَلَى سَبِيلِ الْإِعْظَامِ مَكْرُوهٌ وَعَلَى سَبِيلِ الْإِكْرَامِ لَا يكره وَهَذَا تَفْصِيل حسن. (فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري)
(Imam) Ibn Katheer has mentioned, in his Tafsir, details regarding this issue, on the authority of some of the verifiers (Muhaqiqeen). He said the prohibition is regarding making it a habitual practice, as was the custom of the non-Arabs. This is substantiated in the Hadith of (Sayidina) Anas. However, if it is for the one returning from a journey, or the ruler in his jurisdiction, then there is no issue with this.
One may add to this that which was mentioned in the proceeding answers of Ibn al-Hajj. Such as congratulating the one who has a blessing, or aiding the incapable, or expanding the gathering or other than that, and Allah (Most High) knows best. (Imam) al-Ghazali said that standing, as a means of reverence is disliked, but as a means of honour is not disliked. This distinction is valuable. (Imam Ahmad bin Ali Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari).
الْوَعِيدَ إنّمَا تَوَجّهَ لِلْمُتَكَبّرِينَ وَإِلَى مَنْ يَغْضَبُ أَوْ يَسْخَطُ أَلّا يُقَامَ لَهُ وَقَدْ قَالَ بَعْضُ السّلَفِ يُقَامُ إلَى الْوَالِدِ بِرّا بِهِ وَإِلَى الْوَلَدِ سُرُورًا بِهِ وَصَدَقَ هَذَا الْقَائِلُ فَإِنّ فَاطِمَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا كَانَتْ تَقُومُ إلَى أَبِيهَا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِرّا بِهِ وَكَانَ هُوَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُومُ إلَيْهَا سُرُورًا بِهَا رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا. (الروض الأنف في شرح السيرة النبوية)
The threat is directed at the arrogant, and at the one who becomes angry if nobody stands up for him. Some of the Salaf have said: one may stand for one’s father in filial piety and for one’s child in expressing joy towards him. This person has spoken the truth. Indeed (Sayidah) Fatimah (May Allah be pleased with her) would stand up for her father ﷺ out of filial piety towards him. Likewise, he ﷺ would stand up for her, expressing joy towards her (may Allah be pleased with her). (Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Suhayli, al-Rowd al-Unuf).
In the Nusoos (texts) above, some of the nuance to this ruling has been clarified. Therefore, Muslims should not consider standing for another to be a sin in all circumstances, nor should they consider it permitted in all circumstances.
Conclusion
It is clearly Sunnah for a teacher (Shaykh) to prevent students from standing for him. Although it is not necessarily prohibited or a sin to allow students to stand for the Shaykh or scholar, it is certainly superior to prevent it. This is because the Sunnah is always superior.
Further, there is an alarming threat for those who are pleased by people standing for them. Hellfire itself is mentioned for such a person. As such, since feelings in the heart can be subtle, it is fitting for the Muslim to take caution and eradicate this possibility completely.
And Allah Most High Knows Best.
–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (13.06.23)
-With special thanks to Sidi Yusuf Asghar for assisting with Nusoos translation
