As-Salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh,

Shaykh Muhammad 'Umar Baazmool was asked:

Some of the senior scholars are often referred to as "our father", like Shaykh Ibn Baaz or Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen for example (may Allaah have Mercy on them). Could this be considered something taken from the Christians, since they refer to their priests in this way, calling them "fathers"?

His answer is now available on Bakkah.net:

http://www.bakkah.net/interactive/q&a/aamb044.htm

Abul-'Abbaas
http://www.bakkah.net