Evidence from the Ulema of the Ahl as-Sunnah
Imam Nawawi (rahmat allahi 'alaih) says :
al-Shaykh Abu Muhammad told us - Abu Taher al-Khashaw'i told us - Abu Muhammad al-Akfani told us - Al-hafiz Abu Bakr al-Khatib al-Baghdadi told us by permission not hearing : - Al-Husayn ibn 'Ali al-Jawhari told us - 'Amr ibn al-'Abbas al-Khazzaz related to us - Abu Bakr al-Sawli told us - Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Qazzaz told us - Ishaq al-Shahidi related to us:
I would see Yahya al-Qattan - may Allah the Exalted have mercy on him - pray the mid-afternoon prayer, then sit with his back against the base of the minaret of his mosque. Then Ali ibn al-Madini, al-Shadhakuni, 'Amr ibn 'Ali, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Yahya ibn Ma'in, and others would stand before him and ask him questions about Hadith standing on their feet until it was time for the sunset prayer. He would not say to a single one of them. "Sit" nor would they sit, out of awe and reverence.
Imam Nawawi (rahmat allahi 'alaih) said, the Hafiz Abu Musa al-Ashbahani (rahmat allahi 'alaih) recited :
Qiyami wa al-'aziz ilyaka haqqun
I swear by the All-Powerful that my standing for you (O Prophet) is right and true
Wa tarku al-haqqi ma la yastaqimu
And to leave truth and right is to embrace error
Fa hal ahadun lahu 'aqlun wa lubbun wa ma'rifa yaraka fa la yaqumu ?
I ask: can anyone possessed of a mind and a heart and knowledge, upon seeing you, not stand up?
(see Sharh Sahih Muslim and al-Tarkhis by Imam Nawawi)
It must be noted that Hafiz Abu Musa (rahmat allahi 'alaih) made Wisaal in 581, more than five centuries after the time of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam), and yet stands for him in the present tense and mentions "seeing him": this seeing of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) by the pious Believers both in a sleeping and a wakeful state is an attested fact in the Shari’a which has been mentioned by the scholars, among them al-Haytami (rahmat allahi 'alaih) in his Fatawa Hadithiyya (see Chapter 6.5 for the fatwa)
Musa ibn Dawud al-Dubbi (d. 217) (radi allahu 'anhu) said: "I was with Sufyan ibn `Uyayna (d. 198) when Husayn ibn `Ali al-Ju`fi (d. 203) came, whereupon Sufyan STOOD UP and kissed his hand." Narrated with sound chains by Ibn Sa`d in his Tabaqat (6:397 "Husayn al-Ju`fi") and Ibn al-I`rabi in al-Qubal. Also al-Mizzi in al-Tahdhib (6:452) and al-Dhahabi in the Syar (9:398).
Allama Ibn Hajar Makki (rahmat allahi 'alaih) says, "To stand at the mention of the Prophet's (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) Birth (Mawlid) is something the Ahlas-Sunnah Wa 'l Jamaa'a have all agreed upon, as being a commendable action. And the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) says, 'My followers do not agree upon misguidance and the Hand of Allah is upon the (majority) group; and he who deviates, deviates towards the Fire (of Hell). (Tirmidhi)'" (Mawlidatil Kabeer, Page 85)
Allama Ibn Hajar (rahmat allahi 'alaih) states at another place, "It is proven from the Sunnah to stand for others besides the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam), thus in honor of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) it is permissible in the first instance. The proof hereof is the command to stand the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) gave in respect of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh."
With this Hadith with referance of Imam Nawawi, Imam Baghwi and Allama Khattabi (may Allah be pleased with all of them) state, "To stand for one's leader, or just ruler, or teacher, is a beloved action." The acceptance of the repentance of Ka'ab ibn Maalik (radi allahu 'anhu) is related by himself, "I departed to present myself at the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam), and when I entered the Prophet's Mosque I saw him sitting with the Companions around him, whereupon Talha ibn 'Ubaidullah, on seeing me, STOOD UP, and shook hands with me and congratulated me upon my repentance!" (Mawlidatil-Kabeer, Page 93)
Sheikh-ud-Dalaa'il Mawlana Sheikh Abd al-Haqq Muhaddith Allahabaadi (rahmat allahi 'alaih) has written a researched book called, Ad Durrul Munazzam Fi Bayaanil Hukmil Mawlidin Nabi-yil-A'zam (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam). This book has been authenticated by Hajee Imdadullah Muhaajir Makki (rahmat allahi 'alaih) the mentor of many of the Deobandis. The Scholars of Deoband like Muhammad Rahmatullah Muhaajir Makki, Sayyid Hamzah, Abdullah Ansari (son in law of Qasim Nanotwi) and Muhammad Jameel-ur-Rahmaan Khan have also authenticated this book as is evident from the laudatory notes included in the book.
In the fourth chapter of this book the author has recorded in detail incidents which manifested themselves at the time when theHoly Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) was born. These include, "a cluster of stars concentrated over the roof of his house at the time of the birth of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam); Angels hoisted flags on holy Baitul Laah and in the east and in the west; the whole atmosphere was filled with the voices of Angels and houries reciting Salutations to him in the STANDING POSITION and congratulating each other and rejoicing with abandon; animals also congratulated each other at the birth of the holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam), the Ka'batul Laah bowed in a manner of saluting, and the falsehood vanished and the light of truth spread light in all directions."(Pages 54, 72, 91; Mawaahib-e-Ladunniyah by Imam Qasatalani Page 57; Mauladul Uroos by Imam Ibn Jawzi Pages 3, 7, 26; Shawaahidun NubuwwahPage 55; As-Seeratul Halbiyah by Allamah Ali Bin Burhaan Page 94; Khasaa'is-e-Kubra by Imam Suyuti Volume 1, Page 45; Zurqaani Volume1 , Page 112,116)
Angels do exactly as they are commanded. This is testified to by the Holy Qur'aan: "Wa Yaf'aloona Ma Yu'maroon". Whatever the Angels did then was at Allah's command.
Haji Imdaadullah Muhaajir Makki (rahmat allahi 'alaih), a great scholar and spiritual guide of the scholars of Deoband, (namely, Moulvi Ashraf 'Ali Thanwi, Moulvi Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi and Moulvi Qaasim Nanotwi) stated the following as recorded by Moulvi Ashraf 'Ali Thanwi himself, "To reject such a practice is to be denied a great deal of good. If one stands for respect when the sacred name of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) is mentioned in a Mawlid Shareef, what harm is there ? When someone (an ordinary person) appears we stand up for him, so if we stand up for our Master to show respect, what wrong is there ?" (Imdaadul Mushtaaq, Page 88 [Imdaadul Mushtaaq was authored by Ashraf 'Ali Thanwi, the ideologue of the scholars of Deoband. It is a biography of his spiritual guide, Haji Imdaadullah Muhaajir Makki (rahmat allahi 'alaih)])
Haji Imdaadullah (rahmat allahi 'alaih) further states,"The way of this servant (himself) is this: I present myself in the gathering of Meelad regarding it as a means of blessing I even commemorate it and I gain great pleasure and peace by STANDING."(Faisla Haft Mas'ala, Page 5)
