Embrace Humbleness: A Key Trait in Islamic Ethics

Great Islamic Teachings

Humbleness

Syed Bahram Husayn Shah Attari Madani

One beautiful aspect of Islam’s radiant teachings is its encouragement of humbleness. It instructs its followers to be humble. This is a quality that urges one to be mindful of other people and living things, to treat them fairly, and to be there for them in times of hardship. Here is a summary of what the Quran and hadith say regarding this quality.

Allah states in the Quran:

وَ عِبَادُ  الرَّحْمٰنِ الَّذِیْنَ  یَمْشُوْنَ عَلَی الْاَرْضِ ھَوْنًا

 And the people of the Infinitely Gracious are those who walk upon the earth with humility,[1]

In another verse:

وَ  بَشِّرِ  الْمُخْبِتِیْنَ (ۙ۳۴) الَّذِیْنَ اِذَا ذُکِرَ  اللّٰہُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوْبُہُمْ وَ الصّٰبِرِیْنَ عَلٰی مَاۤ  اَصَابَہُمْ وَ الْمُقِیْمِی الصَّلٰوۃِ ۙ وَ  مِمَّا  رَزَقْنٰہُمْ  یُنْفِقُوْنَ (۳۵)

And give glad tidings to the humble. Those whose hearts tremble when Allah is remembered, and to those who are patient upon the calamity which befalls them, and establish the prayer, and spend from the sustenance We have provided them.[2]

In these sacred verses, Allah mentions that a special attribute of His servants with true faith is humbleness, stating that they walk upon the earth in a humble manner with calmness and dignity, and then were issued glad tidings by Him. We learn that humbleness and walking in a modest manner is the way of Allah’s righteous servants. Moving conceitedly by producing a sound with the shoes, forcefully striking the foot on the earth, and walking haughtily is the way of the arrogant. This is something Allah has prohibited.

وَ لَا تَمْشِ فِی الْاَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۚ اِنَّکَ  لَنْ تَخْرِقَ الْاَرْضَ وَ لَنْ تَبْلُغَ الْجِبَالَ طُوْلًا (۳۷)

And do not walk upon the earth arrogantly, indeed you will never split open the earth, and you will never reach the height of mountains.[3]

Considering oneself superior, displaying pride, and walking haughtily do not make a person great. An abundance of wealth, offspring, and followers does not increase one’s honour and status.

Honour, greatness, status, and elevation are things granted by Allah, and they are granted to those who are humble.

مَنْ تَوَاضَعَ لِلّٰہِ رَفَعَہُ اللّٰہُ

Allah raises those who humble themselves for His sake.[4]

Allah commanded us to be humble and prohibited us from being arrogant. The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, “Allah revealed to me, ‘You should adopt humbleness and none of you should display arrogance over one another.’”[5]

Allah likes those who are humble and dislikes those who are arrogant. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “O ꜤĀisha! Be humble! For Allah loves those who are humble and dislikes those who are arrogant.”[6]

Allah Almighty raises those who are humble and debases those who are arrogant. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم mentioned, “He who humbles himself for his Muslim brother is raised by Allah, and he who seeks superiority over his Muslim brother is lowered by Allah.”[7]

Allah revealed to the mountains that the Ark of Prophet Nūḥ عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم would stop on one of them. All of them displayed arrogance, but Mount Judi was humble. This is why Allah granted it the honour of Prophet Nūḥ’s Ark stopping upon it.[8]

Imam Mujāhid رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه mentions:

Allah linked the Ark of Prophet Nūḥ with Mount Judi, as this mountain displayed more humility than the rest. Mount Hira was given the honour of being the place where His Prophet performed acts of worship, as it too was humbler than other mountains. Allah distinguished the pure heart of His Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم from the rest of creation, as it surpassed them in humbleness.[9]

From among the many virtues and blessings of humbleness that are mentioned in hadith, one of them is it being referred to as a superior form of worship.

 The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated:

اَفْضَلُ الْعِبَادَۃِ التَّوَاضُع

Humbleness is a superior act of worship.[10]

The humbler a person is, the closer they become to Allah. Shaykh ꜤAlī al-Qārī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه writes: “The more humbleness a person displays towards Muslims, the higher the rank he attains among the special servants. The more arrogance and injustice he exhibits, the lower his rank.”[11]

It was this humbleness which led to Prophet Mūsā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم becoming Kalīmullāh.

Allah said to Prophet Mūsā, “Do you know why I chose you to speak with you?”

“O my Lord, I do not know,” he replied.

Allah stated, “This is because I have witnessed you being humble before Me.”[12]

Earth is full of humbleness, while fire contains arrogance. Gardens are planted in the earth and not in fire. The more fruit a tree bears, the more its branches bend towards the ground, and similarly, the more accomplished a person is and the more praiseworthy qualities they possess, the more humbleness they have. This is why despite our pious elders possessing such high ranks, they were embodiments of humbleness and considered themselves sinful and weak people.

Just as Shaykh Bahā al-Ḥaqq رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, who was the imam of the Naqshbandi spiritual way, was once requested, “All of the saints display saintly miracles, so allow us to see a miracle of yours too.”

He replied, “What greater miracle is there than having such a weighty load of sins on my head and not sinking into the ground?”[13]

May Allah also grant us the ability to be humble for His sake.

اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ خاتَمِ النَّبِیّٖن صلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہ ِوَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ