The Difference between Respect & Worship

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is extracted from the teachings of Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani (q.s.) from “Liberating the Soul”. 

Worshipping Allah (s.w.t.) is one thing and respecting people is something else.  But in our time, many ignorant people never make a distinction between worship and respect.  When those people see someone respecting another, they say, “You are worshipping him.” 

How is it that they do not understand the difference what is respect and what is worship?  Even regarding kissing hands of a shaykh, they say, “Shirk!” but they are the ones who are mushrikin, polytheists.  Whoever accuses a mu’min, a believer, of shirk, polytheism, he is a mushrik.  So many Shaythani people, claim they are Muslims, but are trying to destroy everything that Islam brings of respect to people.  They want us to be like Communists, with no respect among themselves.  Islam just brought respect and honour to people from Allah (s.w.t.): 

سُوۡرَةُ الحُجرَات

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ۬ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلۡنَـٰكُمۡ شُعُوبً۬ا وَقَبَآٮِٕلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓاْ‌ۚ إِنَّ أَڪۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتۡقَٮٰكُمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ۬ (١٣) 

O mankind!  We Created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and Made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other).  Verily the most Honoured of you in the Sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you.  And Allah has Full Knowledge and is Well Acquainted (with all things). (Surah al-Hujraat:13) 

We must respect the one who fears Allah (s.w.t.). 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

… وَلَا تَنسَوُاْ ٱلۡفَضۡلَ بَيۡنَكُمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ (٢٣٧) 

… And do not forget kindness between yourselves.  For Allah Sees well all that you do. (Surah al-Baqarah:237) 

As Shaykh Nazhim (q.s.) said, these people may understand Arabic, but they have no wisdom.