The ruling on addressing someone with the words "My Master" and "Your servant so-and-so"
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Question:
One of our fathers taught us to begin our address with the word: "O my master," to one who has done a favor or taught us, and also to end by saying: "Your servant so-and-so, son of so-and-so." Is this an excess?
Answer:
It is better to leave this off; it is better to leave this off. When it was said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "You are our master," he said:Sunan Abi Dawud 4806Sahih (Al-Albani). Addressing a person as "O my master" may lead to excess; it may lead to arrogance in oneself. It is better to leave it off. Otherwise, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: regarding the slave. The slave says this to his master. So it is safer to leave this off. Do not say "my slave" or "my female slave," but say "my master" and "my lord." That is, for the slave, it is permissible to say this to his master. There is some leniency in it that indicates the matter is easier. But it should be left off; because when it was said to him, and he is the best of creation, "You are our master," he said: Sunan Abi Dawud 4806Sahih (Al-Albani) as will come at the end of the book, if Allah wills.
The point is that the believer is addressed as "O Abu 'Abdullah," "O Abu Muhammad," "O so-and-so," with expressions that suit him, "O Minister," the thing that suits him. Leaving off "my master" is safer and better.
Q: Ending the address by saying "Your servant so-and-so"?
A: There is nothing wrong with it. "Servant" is easy. The servant serves the prince and serves the judge in executing orders.
One of our fathers taught us to begin our address with the word: "O my master," to one who has done a favor or taught us, and also to end by saying: "Your servant so-and-so, son of so-and-so." Is this an excess?
Answer:
It is better to leave this off; it is better to leave this off. When it was said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "You are our master," he said:
The lord is Allah, the Blessed and Exalted
السيد الله تبارك وتعالىLet him say, "My master and my lord"
وليقل سيدي ومولايNarrated Abdullah ibn ash-Shikhkhir: I went with a deputation of Banu Amir to the apostle of Allah (ﷺ), and we said: You are our lord (sayyid). To this he replied: The lord is Allah, the Blessed and Exalted. Then we said: And the one of us most endowed with excellence and superiority. To this he replied: Say what you have to say, or part of what you have to say, and do not let the devil make you his agents.
السيد الله تبارك وتعالى، قولوا بقولكم، أو بعض قولكم، ولا يستهوينكم الشيطانThe point is that the believer is addressed as "O Abu 'Abdullah," "O Abu Muhammad," "O so-and-so," with expressions that suit him, "O Minister," the thing that suits him. Leaving off "my master" is safer and better.
Q: Ending the address by saying "Your servant so-and-so"?
A: There is nothing wrong with it. "Servant" is easy. The servant serves the prince and serves the judge in executing orders.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.