What is the ruling on saying, “May Allah honor your status,” when someone greets you while you are sitting?
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The questioner : Some people, when you greet them while they are sitting, apologize by saying, “May Allah honor your status,” or something similar?
The Shaykh : “May Allah honor your status”?
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : What does this mean?
The questioner : When you greet me and I am sitting, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Do you mean you passed by a person who was sitting and you greeted him?
The questioner : Did you shake hands with him while you were standing and he was sitting?
The Shaykh : A person should stand up when someone greets him and extends his hand to him, so as not to break his companion’s heart, unless standing up is difficult for him, such as if there are many Muslims and he is sitting, and it is difficult for him to stand up every time someone comes. In that case, there is no harm in extending his hand while sitting. As for the matter of saying, “May Allah honor you,” there is no need for it; there is no need for it, so he should not say it.
Then, there is a matter here: it has become widespread among many people today that when a person enters, he starts with the first person next to him at the door and shakes his hand, then moves through the people. This is wrong in two ways:
The first way: it is not the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his family when entering a gathering to shake hands with them. Rather, he would sit wherever the gathering ended without shaking hands. Handshaking occurs when meeting on the street.
Second: he starts with the one on the right while someone older than him is present. This is also wrong, because if you enter a place and there are young and old people, you start with the older ones. This is different from when they are sitting to your right and left, in which case you start with the one on the right, even if he is younger. For this reason, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw two men in a dream with a miswak, and he wanted to give it to them, he was told:.
This is the custom of people. No doubt they want to please us, but they have not found the correct way. It is said that the best thing for the one entering is to greet everyone in general, then sit wherever the gathering ends. If a place has been prepared for him, he should go to that place, because the guest may be a person of status, wealth, or knowledge, and they may have prepared a special place for him. In this case, he goes to the place only and does not pass by the people shaking hands.
Second: if you enter the gathering and you have a guest, meaning you want to give him to the people, with whom do you start?
With the oldest, then the one on your right. For example, if the brother is the oldest, we give it to him first, then he gives it to the next one, the one on his right. Because the guest has a right and a left, so when we give to the oldest, we ask who is on your right?
The one on his right is the one on the left of the oldest.
The Shaykh : “May Allah honor your status”?
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : What does this mean?
The questioner : When you greet me and I am sitting, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Do you mean you passed by a person who was sitting and you greeted him?
The questioner : Did you shake hands with him while you were standing and he was sitting?
The Shaykh : A person should stand up when someone greets him and extends his hand to him, so as not to break his companion’s heart, unless standing up is difficult for him, such as if there are many Muslims and he is sitting, and it is difficult for him to stand up every time someone comes. In that case, there is no harm in extending his hand while sitting. As for the matter of saying, “May Allah honor you,” there is no need for it; there is no need for it, so he should not say it.
Then, there is a matter here: it has become widespread among many people today that when a person enters, he starts with the first person next to him at the door and shakes his hand, then moves through the people. This is wrong in two ways:
The first way: it is not the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his family when entering a gathering to shake hands with them. Rather, he would sit wherever the gathering ended without shaking hands. Handshaking occurs when meeting on the street.
Second: he starts with the one on the right while someone older than him is present. This is also wrong, because if you enter a place and there are young and old people, you start with the older ones. This is different from when they are sitting to your right and left, in which case you start with the one on the right, even if he is younger. For this reason, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw two men in a dream with a miswak, and he wanted to give it to them, he was told:
Grow old, grow old
كبر كبرThis is the custom of people. No doubt they want to please us, but they have not found the correct way. It is said that the best thing for the one entering is to greet everyone in general, then sit wherever the gathering ends. If a place has been prepared for him, he should go to that place, because the guest may be a person of status, wealth, or knowledge, and they may have prepared a special place for him. In this case, he goes to the place only and does not pass by the people shaking hands.
Second: if you enter the gathering and you have a guest, meaning you want to give him to the people, with whom do you start?
With the oldest, then the one on your right. For example, if the brother is the oldest, we give it to him first, then he gives it to the next one, the one on his right. Because the guest has a right and a left, so when we give to the oldest, we ask who is on your right?
The one on his right is the one on the left of the oldest.