What is the ruling on standing up to greet someone?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah.
Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
May Allah reward you, O Shaykh, regarding standing up to greet someone.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : Standing up to greet someone, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Standing up?
The questioner : Yes, for greeting. A man from among the people entered, and the people in the assembly stood up for him.
The Shaykh : If they stood up for him?
The questioner : Yes, there is a detailed explanation of this issue.
The Shaykh : Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned good words on this topic and said: It is said: "He stood up for the man," "He stood up to the man," and "He stood up over the man."
As for standing up to the man, this is a recommended practice (sunnah), if the man you are standing up to is worthy of it, such as if a person enters who has distinction in his knowledge, religion, or wealth, and you stand up to receive him, this is a recommended practice (sunnah). For this reason, when Sa'd ibn Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) came to judge between the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Jews, or for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to appoint him as judge over the Jews, and he approached, he said:, and because this is honoring those of distinction, and honoring those of distinction is among the beauties of actions and proper conduct.
The second is: standing up over the man, and this is prohibited. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it and said:Sunan Abi Dawud 5230, even in prayer. If the imam prays sitting, then those behind him pray sitting, so that they do not resemble the non-Arabs in their standing up over their kings. For example, if the imam is unable to pray standing and prays sitting, and the people behind him are all able to stand, we say the recommended practice (sunnah) is to pray sitting even if you are able, because if you stood while he is sitting, you would resemble the non-Arabs in their standing up over their kings. If there is a benefit in that, and it causes annoyance to the disbelievers, there is no harm, and it may even be among the required matters, such as the standing up of al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) over the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was negotiating with the messenger of Quraysh regarding the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah was standing over the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with a sword, because in this there is what? Annoying the polytheists. For this reason, the Companions at that time did something they did not do otherwise; when the Messenger would spit, they would catch it in their hands and rub it on their faces and chests, all of this to annoy Quraysh. For this reason, it affected the messenger of Quraysh when he returned to his people; he said: "O my people, I entered upon the kings, Kisra, Caesar, and the Negus, and I did not see anyone whom his companions honor as the companions of Muhammad honor Muhammad." So the point is that standing up over the man is prohibited except if there is a religious benefit in it.
The third category is: standing up for the man, meaning: for example, he entered and we stood up for him to honor him. This is permissible, but it is better to leave it, because among the guidance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was that he disliked his Companions standing up for him. For this reason, the Messenger would enter and they would not stand up for him, and he was the most noble of people (peace and blessings be upon him), and yet they did not stand up for him. Where would he sit? He would sit wherever the assembly ended, even at the door. But if he sat in a place, that place was the head of the assembly, and it was known that all people would turn toward him. So the result is: standing up is in three categories:
The first: standing up for the man.
The second: standing up over the man.
And the third: standing up to the man.
And in them are the rulings you have heard.
Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
May Allah reward you, O Shaykh, regarding standing up to greet someone.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : Standing up to greet someone, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Standing up?
The questioner : Yes, for greeting. A man from among the people entered, and the people in the assembly stood up for him.
The Shaykh : If they stood up for him?
The questioner : Yes, there is a detailed explanation of this issue.
The Shaykh : Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned good words on this topic and said: It is said: "He stood up for the man," "He stood up to the man," and "He stood up over the man."
As for standing up to the man, this is a recommended practice (sunnah), if the man you are standing up to is worthy of it, such as if a person enters who has distinction in his knowledge, religion, or wealth, and you stand up to receive him, this is a recommended practice (sunnah). For this reason, when Sa'd ibn Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) came to judge between the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Jews, or for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to appoint him as judge over the Jews, and he approached, he said:
Rise to your master.
قوموا إلى سيدكمThe second is: standing up over the man, and this is prohibited. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it and said:
Do not stand up as foreigners do
لا تقوموا كما تقوم الأعاجم على ملوكهاThe third category is: standing up for the man, meaning: for example, he entered and we stood up for him to honor him. This is permissible, but it is better to leave it, because among the guidance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was that he disliked his Companions standing up for him. For this reason, the Messenger would enter and they would not stand up for him, and he was the most noble of people (peace and blessings be upon him), and yet they did not stand up for him. Where would he sit? He would sit wherever the assembly ended, even at the door. But if he sat in a place, that place was the head of the assembly, and it was known that all people would turn toward him. So the result is: standing up is in three categories:
The first: standing up for the man.
The second: standing up over the man.
And the third: standing up to the man.
And in them are the rulings you have heard.