What is your opinion on kissing the hands of scholars and standing up for them?

Eid Abbasi : What is your opinion on kissing the hands of scholars and standing up for them?

The Shaykh : As for standing up, it has no basis in Islam. Standing up for someone entering is prohibited; whether he is old or young, a shaykh or a youth, a scholar or a ruler. The etiquette of Islam in this matter is in the Noble Qur'an: . This is the etiquette. If a person of status, rank, righteousness, knowledge, or piety enters, make room for him. But standing up is a known Persian polytheism from ancient times.
If standing up were prescribed, or at least recommended, for a person in this world because of his knowledge, righteousness, and all good traits, it would have been for Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Yet the authentic text in the biography, from the hadith of Anas ibn Malik, who was his servant and whom you heard the Prophet prayed for with good, says: Anas said, "No one was more beloved to them than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and they did not stand up for him because they knew his dislike of it." They did not stand up for the Messenger, who is the most deserving of such standing and honor if it were prescribed. They did not stand up for him because they knew from him that he disliked it.
Is this a legal dislike or a natural, innate dislike?
The scholars and commentators have two opinions; some say one thing and some say another. We say, and the stronger opinion in our view is the first, naturally. But we argue with those who take from the opinions whatever suits the situation; those who say the dislike there is personal and not legal. Look, if one of them imitated him (peace be upon him) in this nature, would it not be better for him than the opposite? There is no doubt about that. So the issue does not need much argument, were it not for desire and love of showing off, and "love of showing off cuts off showing off," as they say.
As for kissing the hand = -- I seem to hear the adhan --

Another questioner : Yes, that is right. --
= The Shaykh : As for kissing the hand; I have mentioned more than once that it has a basis in the Shari'ah; meaning that it is permissible to kiss one type of human being, which is the righteous male scholar. But this permissibility is in very rare limits; meaning, incidents that did not occur in the era of the Companions by the dozens. Throughout the entire era of the Companions, it happened once or twice for the Messenger (peace be upon him), once or twice for some of the Companions, and so on.
As for this matter, which is permissible and rarely occurred in the time of the righteous Salaf, that we make it a Shari'ah and make it part of the etiquette of disciples with their shaykhs or of students of knowledge with their scholars; I do not doubt, but I am certain, that it is a misguided religious innovation; because anything that contradicts the general life that our righteous Salaf lived is without doubt from the newly invented matters. And you hear in every lesson .
The jurists, in fact, are precise in explaining the difference between issues in jurisprudence and in practice; especially the Hanafi scholars who say: It is not permissible to persist in a recommended practice, especially for people of knowledge and role models, for fear that it will come to the minds of the common people that this is an obligatory matter that must be done; as evidenced by such-and-such a shaykh always doing it, and such-and-such a shaykh and such-and-such a shaykh. And people, by nature, are more influenced by the actions of the best of men than by their words, or even their commands; until there are examples in the Sunnah that some people know.
In summary: These people say: The recommended practice should sometimes be left off so that it does not come to the minds of some people that it is among the obligatory matters. And if it comes to their minds that it is obligatory, that means there is a change in the Shari'ah caused by the persistence of these people in the recommended practice, which is a prescribed recommended practice. So what do we say about a permissible matter? The least that can be said: It is permissible, but with very narrow conditions. I have mentioned these conditions in some of my writings and some of my lectures. For example, and this is a condition missing today, unfortunately, that the one whose hand is kissed does not want the one who wants to kiss his hand to make a fuss with him to get the kiss; because this indicates that the man does not pay attention to these appearances. But if he encourages people, either by his state or by his words, where is it permissible for him to make this a regular practice between him and his students? The Hanafi scholars said, for example, as an example, reciting Surat al-Sajdah in the Fajr prayer on Friday; they said: The imam should sometimes leave it off so that it is not put in their minds, because of persisting in it, that this is an obligatory matter. And this actually happened among the common people, and I have a story about it that I have mentioned at some times.
In conclusion: Standing up has no basis at all, but we remind you of standing up for honor. As for standing up to receive him from the owner of the house, for example, that is a different discussion. As for standing up for honor, as you heard, "No one was more beloved to them than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and they did not stand up for him." As for standing up to him, that is something else. And people, due to their ignorance of the Arabic language and its etiquette, mix up "standing up for him" and "standing up to him"; and therefore you find some people of knowledge, besides others, arguing against us with his saying (peace be upon him): . Yes, the Messenger ordered standing up! My brother, he ordered standing up to him, not standing up for him. And the meaning of "stand up to him" means go to him, go to his place, see what he needs, help, and so on. So this standing up for him is our discussion here, "they did not stand up for him because they knew his dislike of it," and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), especially in what relates to preserving Islamic character and humility.
And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.