A mention of an incident that occurred with the Shaykh and one of the visiting brothers.

The Shaykh : However, as I was entering this place, it occurred to me to say a word despite that; for an occasion also presented itself. A brother of ours in faith, whom we did not know before, visited us a few days ago, and then visited us again this evening. He noticed in our gathering a certain degree of freedom among our brothers with me, considering me their Shaykh, in the presence of this honorable visitor. So I told him that we are not, as you know, like the other Shaykhs with their followers and students. I wanted to draw his attention to the fact that we are about to enter the gathering, and he might see something else that he does not like. He asked, "What?" I said, "You will see me enter and no one will move at all." He answered, as is natural for a learned man who has lived with this for a period of time, "It is permissible for them not to stand, and it is permissible for them to stand." Considering that he is a visitor and I might not get this opportunity to discuss this issue with him in a private session, I feared that this opportunity would be lost to me, and that I would miss this valuable and precious catch. This is from one side. From the other side, I know that many good brothers attend our gathering, who have been cultured with a culture they think is part of Islam, but it is not of Islam in any way. It is merely traditions that have crept into us from the old days, from the traditions of the Persians and the Romans.