Hazrat Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Daamat Barakaatuhu) mentioned:
Respect is a fundamental aspect in a person’s deen, without which a person lies in great danger. A salient feature in all our pious predecessors is that they always maintained a very high level of respect for their elders, as well as all the pious and learned scholars before them. Our progress in deen depends on revering and honouring our pious predecessors. Although they may have had differences in certain issues among themselves, this does not authorise us to degrade them in any way. The teachings of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), as well as the lives of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) and the Aimmah Mujtahideen are replete with examples of respect.