He was asked—may Allah have mercy on him:

“What about standing in honor of a copy of the Quran and kissing it? Is opening it to seek an omen also disliked?”

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. We know of nothing transmitted from the early generations concerning standing in honor of a copy of the Quran and kissing it. Imam Ahmad was asked about kissing a copy of the Quran and said:

“I have heard nothing concerning this.”

However, it is reported that Ikrimah ibn Abī Jahl would open a copy of the Quran, place his face upon it, and say:

“The words of my Lord! The words of my Lord!”

Yet although the early generations were not accustomed to standing in its honor, neither were they accustomed to standing for one another, except in such cases as someone returning after an absence. Thus Anas said:

“No one was dearer to them than the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Yet when they saw him, they would not stand, knowing that he disliked it.”

It is best for people to follow the way of the early generations in everything, so they should not