Al-Ash'ari said, "Part of respect for Allah is to show respect
to an old Muslim and to someone who knows the Qur'an, as long as he does
not go to excess in it nor turn away from it, and to respect a just ruler."
'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As reported that it reached him that
the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who
does not show mercy to our children nor acknowledge the right of our old
people is not one of us."
