I wanted to relate a story just now, or rather stories, so that you would see the importance of this custom and the extent of its contradiction with the Shari'ah.

The Shaykh : I wanted to relate a story just now, or rather stories, so that you would see the importance of this custom and the extent of its contradiction with the Shari'ah. Among the early Hanbali scholars, there is a man known as Abu 'Abdullah ibn Abi Battah, a jurist—and peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings—a jurist and a hadith scholar. One day he went out to the market, and with him was a companion who was a poet, but he knew the fiqh of Ibn Battah.The Shaykh : Ibn Battah passed by a scholar in his shop. You do not see this today; you do not see a scholar working in his shop. Today, scholars are employees, whereas merchants and workers in free professions—there is no mention of this in recent times, unlike the previous era, when the great scholars were merchants.
The point is: when this noble scholar, Ibn Battah, passed by that scholar in his shop, the scholar stood up for Ibn Battah out of respect. This scholar knew Ibn Battah's position on the strong dislike of standing up, and so he excused himself to him with two lines of poetry; he said to him:
"Do not blame me for standing up, for my right *** When you appear is that I do not tire of standing."
This speech surprises you here, you! But prepare to receive the answer:
"Do not blame me for standing up, for my right *** When you appear is that I do not tire of standing.
You are the most honorable of the earth's inhabitants to me, *** And it is the truth that I honor the honorable."
Ibn Battah said to his poet companion, "Answer him for me," because scholars do not actually do well in poetry, because what they are occupied with distracts them from it. So he said to his poet companion, "Answer him for me." He said:
"If you, in not needing me, tend to *** My right and show great respect,
Then you have the merit in precedence and knowledge, *** And we do not want from you any restraint.
So pardon me now from this standing of yours, *** First, and I will reward you with standing.
And I hate that greatly, *** For in it is flattery and sin.
Do not burden your brother to receive you *** With what by which he makes the forbidden permissible.
And if our hearts are sound, *** We are content not to tire our bodies.
We are all confident in the affection of our brother, *** So why our agitation and for what?"
Do you see these two lines? How beautiful they are!
"Do not burden your brother to receive you *** With what by which he makes the forbidden permissible.
And if our hearts are sound, *** We are content not to tire our bodies.
We are all confident in the affection of our brother, *** So why our agitation and for what?"
Therefore, the important thing in Islamic society is purifying the hearts and intentions, not flattery and pleasing. You see that a righteous man, known for his righteousness, may be mentioned, but no one pays attention to him. A man with status, wealth, or riches may enter, and they stand up for him. Is this the respect that the Messenger (peace be upon him) commanded? No.
Therefore, I say a final word on the subject: people who love and are affectionate toward one another should at least get used to leaving off standing up, and not burdening one another with standing up, and they should expand the circle of leaving off this standing up as much as possible, so that they do not create problems with people. But at the same time, we do not forget this Sunnah... not standing up. Not standing up is the Sunnah, and this standing up is an incidental matter to the Sunnah. We should always revive the Sunnah, and as for the incidental matter, we should be cautious with it and act as much as we can. And Allah does not burden a soul except with what it can bear. And when people walk in this path, then the custom will be completely reversed.
Now, we have in Oman and in Damascus—I do not say all of Oman, nor do I say all of Damascus—but the brothers who agree on this, the biggest one enters, the smallest one enters, no one stands up. If the gathering of those present is small, he enters, greets, shakes hands, and sits where his place ends. And if it is a large and numerous gathering, he is content with just offering the greeting, and sits where his place ends, or where the master of the house intends to seat him. This is what is fitting in the humility of Muslims toward one another. As for this standing up, it is from the traits of the arrogant. And so he said (peace and blessings be upon him): .