What is the ruling in the Shari'ah regarding standing up and bowing to scholars and the elderly, and kissing the hand of a scholar?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh: We mention that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when our master Sa'd ibn Mu'adh came to adjudicate the matter of the people of Madinah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: If our master Sa'd is coming on his mount: This is what we have read, if it is authentic. Then what is your opinion that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made his Companions stand up to our master Sa'd to help him dismount from his mount? Then what is your opinion regarding kissing the hands of scholars? This stands side by side with what you said about bowing to a scholar or an elder. Is the narration of our master Sa'd authentic, alongside kissing the hands of scholars, alongside bowing to one whom we see as being in a higher position than us, or in knowledge, or otherwise?
The Shaykh : As for Sa'd ibn Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him), when he approached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), he said: Because he was undoubtedly the master of his people; he was the master of his people. And the Messenger (peace be upon him) said to them: And there is no issue in saying: the master of the sons of so-and-so, or the master of the family of so-and-so.
The questioner : And standing up, O my brother?
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with it. And as for standing up to him, there is no harm in that either. If a man enters from the door here and you stand up from your place to greet him, there is no harm. Just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did when the delegation of Thaqif arrived and he was at al-Ja'ranah; he (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up when they approached. And there is no harm in that.
And as for bowing, it is an apparent act of submission. The first is the honor of greeting, and this is undoubtedly an honor. But bowing is submission. Therefore:, because bowing is not permissible except for Allah, Lord of the worlds.
And as for kissing the hand of the father or the mother or the elder brother or the scholar or the elderly Shaykh out of respect, there is no harm in that and no issue with it.
The questioner : There is bowing involved.
The Shaykh : There is absolutely no bowing involved. Even if we assume that the man whose hand you want to kiss is short and you lower your head to kiss his hand, this is not bowing as an act of honor. This is bowing to reach the kiss. Moreover, he could take his hand and raise it, and you could kiss it while standing perfectly upright.
Rise to your master.
قوموا إلى سيدكمThe Shaykh : As for Sa'd ibn Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him), when he approached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), he said:
Rise to your master.
قوموا إلى سيدكمRise to your master.
قوموا إلى سيدكمThe questioner : And standing up, O my brother?
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with it. And as for standing up to him, there is no harm in that either. If a man enters from the door here and you stand up from your place to greet him, there is no harm. Just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did when the delegation of Thaqif arrived and he was at al-Ja'ranah; he (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up when they approached. And there is no harm in that.
And as for bowing, it is an apparent act of submission. The first is the honor of greeting, and this is undoubtedly an honor. But bowing is submission. Therefore:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: About a man who meets his brother, should he bow to him? He said: No.
سُئل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: عن الرجل يلقى أخاه أينحني له، قال: لاAnd as for kissing the hand of the father or the mother or the elder brother or the scholar or the elderly Shaykh out of respect, there is no harm in that and no issue with it.
The questioner : There is bowing involved.
The Shaykh : There is absolutely no bowing involved. Even if we assume that the man whose hand you want to kiss is short and you lower your head to kiss his hand, this is not bowing as an act of honor. This is bowing to reach the kiss. Moreover, he could take his hand and raise it, and you could kiss it while standing perfectly upright.