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Ruling on standing in reverence of someone

7 August 2024 • 3.2K views
The questioner asks: How can we reconcile the Hadith "Stand up for your chief" with the Hadith "Whoever is pleased that people stand up for him, let him take his place in Hell"? Sheikh Yahya ḥafidhahullāh: Al-Hafidh and others have mentioned that there is no contradiction between the two Hadiths. The meaning of "Stand up for your chief" is to assist him in dismounting, as he was ill. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, may Allah be pleased with him, had a wound in his leg and had prayed to Allah to keep him alive until his eyes could be satisfied by seeing the judgment on Banu Quraydha. When he judged between Banu Quraydha, his wound ruptured, and he died a martyr due to it. When he arrived, he had been chosen by the Jews of Banu Quraydha as their judge, and the Prophet ﷺ approved of him. Sa'd ruled that their warriors be killed and their women and children be taken captive. When he came, the Prophet ﷺ said, "Stand up for your chief," meaning to help him dismount from his donkey because he was exhausted, not as a form of honoring him through standing, but in order to help dismount as he was ill. As for the Hadith "Whoever is pleased that people stand up for him, let him take his place in Hell," it is specifically concerning someone who desires people to stand for him and becomes angry if they do not, similar to what is expressed in the lines of poetry: قُم لِلمُعَلِّمِ وَفِّهِ التَبجيلا كادَ المُعَلِّمُ أَن يَكونَ رَسولا Stand up for the teacher and give him full reverence, The teacher is almost like a messenger. Or what some officials insist upon, where not only must people stand, but they must also strike their feet on the ground as a form of greeting. Such actions are not permissible. However, if someone arrives from a journey or has been blessed with a new blessing, as was the case when some of the companions stood up for Ka'b ibn Malik [in congratulate him] when Allah accepted his repentance, there is no objection to standing in such circumstances.