How the Salaf Respected their Scholars

Shaykh Abdur-Rahmaan bin Mu’alla wrote:

The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: “He is not one of us, he who does not show mercy to our young ones nor respect our elders nor enjoin good and forbid evil nor recognize the right of our scholars”[1]. Honouring and respecting the scholars is part of the Sunnah. Taawoos bin Kaysaan (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: ‘It is from the Sunnah to respect four persons: a scholar, an elderly person, the leader and the father.”[2]

In fact, respecting a scholar because of his knowledge and what he has memorized of the Qur’aan is reverence to Allaah. Aboo Moosaa al-Ash’aree (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: “It is out of reverence to Allaah in respecting an aged Muslim, the one who commits the Qur’aan to memory and does not exaggerate pronouncing its letters nor forgets it after memorizing and to respect the just rulers.”[3]

The salaf of this Ummah used to exceedingly respect their scholars and deal with them with good manners. Despite the lofty status of ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), he once offered to drive Zayd bin Thaabit al-Ansaaree and said: ‘This is what we have been ordered to do with our scholars and elderly ones.”[4]

Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allaah have mercy on him) once said to Khalaf al-Ahmar: ‘I will not sit anywhere except in front of you; we have been ordered to humble ourselves to the one we are learning from.”[5]

When Imaam Muslim bin al-Hajjaaj (may Allaah have mercy on him) came to Imaam al-Bukhaaree, he kissed him in between his eyes and said: “Leave me let me kiss your feet, O teacher of teachers, the leader of the scholars of hadeeth and the doctor of hadeeth with regard to its defects…” [6]

Indeed, from the completeness of the respect the salaf gave to their scholars was that they used to revere them. Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: ‘I wanted to ask Umar bin al-Khattaab a question about a hadeeth, but I tarried for two years. Nothing prevented me from him except reverence for him.”[7]

Source: Qawaa’id fee at-Ta’aamul ma’a al-‘Ulamaa’, p. 81-83, by Shaykh Abdur-Rahmaan bin Mu’alla

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[1] Recorded by Ahmad, at-Tirmidhee and Ibn Hibbaan

[2] Al-Baghawee mentioned it in Sharh As-Sunnah (13/43)

[3] Recorded by Aboo Daawood

[4] Recorded by al-Haakim who classified it saheeh and adh-Dhahabee agreed.

[5] Tadhkitatu as-Saami’ wal-Mutakallim (88)

[6] Recorded by Ibn Katheer in al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah (11/340)

[7] Recorded by Ibn Abdul-Barr in Jaami’ Bayaan al-Ilm wa Fadlih (1/112)