Fahd ibn Abdillah as-Saneed wrote:

“I was in al-Qaseem in the year 1418 H and the Shaikh (Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen) was riding with me to reach the house. So I said to him ‘I attended your lessons  intermittently and I heard most of your lessons from tapes. So can I say that you are our Shaikh?’ So he said rahimahullah, ‘Yes, you can say, our Shaikh.’ When I reached his house, Shaikh Khalid al-Muslih was waiting. I told him what I asked the Shaikh and he said, ‘I asked Shaikh Abdul Aziz Ibn Baz. I said ‘I heard your explanation of the Book Kitab at-Tawheed through tapes. So can I say [you are] our Shaikh?’ The Shaikh said: Someone becoming someone’s Shaikh is attained by less than this’ ”

[Kanz uth-Thameen Fi Su’alaat Ibn Saneed pg. 3]

Shaikh Muqbil rahimahullah was asked:

Question:

Is it from my right to say that Shaikh Muqbil ibn Hadi is my Shaikh by simply listening to [his] tapes and reading [his] books?

Answer:

Allah said:

“Believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islamic religion)”

[49:10]

So what is more deserving is that you say, my brother. Allah says:

“So make reconciliation between your brothers”

[49:10]

The Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam said:

“The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim, he does not oppress him nor forsake him”

And he sallahu alayhi wa salam said: “Be servants of Allah, brothers”. So, I am your brother in the sake of Allah and this is more deserving. Is this allowed or not allowed? We mention this because it is not said from Shaikh Ali ibn Abi Talib and from Shaikh Abu Bakr and Shaikh So and So. Verily the Believers are brothers. However, as for the issue of permissibility, we are only directing to that (which) is more deserving. What is apparent is that it is permitted in terms of (وجادة). (If) you find a book that is sold in the market and you did not detest it, and on it is the name Muqbil ibn Hadi, then there is no harm that you say this: ‘That he is considered my Shaikh, (and) considered my teacher because I benefited from his books’ ”

[Ijaabatus-Saail pg. 564]

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan