One of the attendees in the gathering presents to the Shaykh the issue of seeking permission to attend his gatherings.
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The questioner : He said to me something that made me feel upset, but perhaps I was wrong, so please correct me, but I want to take your opinion, if Allah wills. So he said to me, "You are throwing yourself at people, and they get annoyed with you." I said to him, "I just wanted to attend, so I asked my brother Abu Zayd if there was a possibility that I could attend with him, so that I could benefit from what you teach the people." He said to me, "There is no problem, please come." So this other brother said this to me in front of people. Am I wrong, I mean, when I ask someone who is going to attend one of your lessons to take me with him...
The Shaykh : How do you mean, in front of people?
The questioner : In the mosque, and we were still at Abu Malik's mosque, the Salah al-Din mosque. He said to me, "You are throwing yourself at people, and many of them complain about you, and so on." So I came and asked if it was possible for me to attend. Is this curiosity on my part, or... I do not feel that I am intruding on them, because I asked for permission.
The Shaykh : My brother, there is a difference between seeking permission and seeking permission.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : If you seek permission between you and him, yes, there is a difference. And if you seek permission between you and the public, there is a difference, because in the first case, you are one person.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So between you and him, the man has discretion in the matter, or there is no room for it.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : I am afflicted with this kind of seeking permission.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : When I am invited, I do not know if the invitee is just me, or if it is me with Sami, al-Khatib, and Abu 'Abdullah... I do not know. So when I am invited, either it is said, "You and whoever you like," or "You and the full capacity of your car," or nothing is said. So if I am given, as they say, a green light for a certain number, the full capacity of my car... immediately it becomes you, or Sami, or al-Khatib. Is there an objection? They say, "For me, there is no objection, but ask the one who invited me." Ah, so if your question is to Abu Zayd, Abu Zayd is not the inviter. Keep that in mind.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Abu Zayd, as you saw, brought us here and then withdrew...
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The inviter is this brother whom you know.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so if Abu Zayd had been the inviter, I would say your question must be between you and him. Why? Because if you say, "There is no objection to my attending," he knows that you want to benefit from the reward, so he will say, "So-and-so and so-and-so..." Even if he were the inviter... What can you say when he is not the inviter, but merely an intermediary? Therefore, it is obligatory for...
The Shaykh : How do you mean, in front of people?
The questioner : In the mosque, and we were still at Abu Malik's mosque, the Salah al-Din mosque. He said to me, "You are throwing yourself at people, and many of them complain about you, and so on." So I came and asked if it was possible for me to attend. Is this curiosity on my part, or... I do not feel that I am intruding on them, because I asked for permission.
The Shaykh : My brother, there is a difference between seeking permission and seeking permission.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : If you seek permission between you and him, yes, there is a difference. And if you seek permission between you and the public, there is a difference, because in the first case, you are one person.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So between you and him, the man has discretion in the matter, or there is no room for it.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : I am afflicted with this kind of seeking permission.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : When I am invited, I do not know if the invitee is just me, or if it is me with Sami, al-Khatib, and Abu 'Abdullah... I do not know. So when I am invited, either it is said, "You and whoever you like," or "You and the full capacity of your car," or nothing is said. So if I am given, as they say, a green light for a certain number, the full capacity of my car... immediately it becomes you, or Sami, or al-Khatib. Is there an objection? They say, "For me, there is no objection, but ask the one who invited me." Ah, so if your question is to Abu Zayd, Abu Zayd is not the inviter. Keep that in mind.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Abu Zayd, as you saw, brought us here and then withdrew...
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The inviter is this brother whom you know.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so if Abu Zayd had been the inviter, I would say your question must be between you and him. Why? Because if you say, "There is no objection to my attending," he knows that you want to benefit from the reward, so he will say, "So-and-so and so-and-so..." Even if he were the inviter... What can you say when he is not the inviter, but merely an intermediary? Therefore, it is obligatory for...
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