Sh. Ibn ‘Uthaymeen & The Taxi Driver
Ihsaan Ibn Muhammad Al-’Utaybee narrates:
“After having prayed in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, the Shaykh left the Haram wanting to go somewhere by car. So he stopped a taxi and sat in it. During the journey, the taxi driver wanted to get to know his passeneger, so he asked, “
Who are you, O Shaykh?“
The Shaykh replied, “
Muhammad Ibn ‘Uthaymeen.“
Surprised, the taxi driver asked, “
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen?” He thought the shaykh was lying to him, since he could not believe someone like the Shaykh would ever be a passenger in his taxi.
So the Shaykh replied, “
Yes, the Shaykh.“
So the taxi driver turned his head towards the Shaykh out of sheer surprise.
The Shaykh then asked him, “
Who are you, O brother?“
So the taxi driver replied, “
Shaykh ‘Abdul-’Azeez Bin Baaz!“
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen laughed, enquiring, “
You’re Shaykh Bin Baaz?!“
The taxi driver replied, “
Yeah! Just like you’re Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen!“
So Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said, “
But Shaykh Bin Baaz is blind, and does not drive a car!“
Just then, it dawned upon the taxi driver that the passenger sitting next to him was indeed the Shaykh, Ibn ‘Uthaymeen! And what a fine mess he had got himself into now!”
[Taken from "Safahaat Mushriqah Min Hayaat Al-Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-'Uthaymeen", p. 79. Also quoted in "Jewels Of Guidance" Pp. 163-164]