The Greatest and Noblest Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:
اِنَّ اللّٰهَ اَوْحٰى اِلَیَّ اَنْ تَوَاضَعُوا حَتّٰى لَا يَفْخَرَ اَحَدٌ عَلَى اَحَدٍ
Translation: Almighty Allah has revealed to me that you people should adopt humility to the extent that no one should have pride towards the other. (Muslim, pp. 1174, Hadees 7210)
Commenting on the above blessed Hadees, a great thinker of the Ummah Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Na’eemi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه stated: Adopt humility and humbleness so that no Muslim will show arrogance to the other Muslim in terms of wealth, lineage, family, honour or power. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 6, pp. 506, 507) It is stated in the book ‘Mirqat’: Showing pride and cruelty and unfairness to anyone results from arrogance. Moreover, an arrogant person considers himself to be superior to everyone and does not accept being under anyone. (Mirqat-ul-Mafatih, vol. 8, pp. 635, Taht-al-Hadees 4898)
Definition of humility
To show gentleness to people in view of their natures, ranks and status and to consider oneself to be worthless, inferior and unimportant is called humility and humbleness. (Faiz-ul-Qadeer, vol. 1, pp. 599, Taht-al-Hadees 925)
Five blessed sayings of Beloved Mustafa صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم about humility
1 Adopt humility and sit with Masakeen. You will become a bondman of a high rank in the court of Gracious Allah and will also get free from arrogance. (Kanz-ul-Ummal, vol. 2, pp. 49, Hadees 5722)
2 Learn knowledge, learn calmness and dignity for knowledge and show humility and humbleness to the one you learn knowledge from. (Mu’jam-e-Awsat, vol. 4, pp. 342, Hadees 6184)
3 It is compulsory for you to adopt humility; and the actual place of humility is the heart indeed. (Kanz-ul-Ummal, vol. 2, pp. 49, Hadees 5724)
4 One, who adopts humility for his Muslim brother, is blessed with loftiness by Gracious Allah; and one, who wants loftiness against his Muslim brother, is afflicted with downfall by Almighty Allah. (Mu’jam-e-Awsat, vol. 5, pp. 390, Hadees 7711)
5 To sit in a gathering at an insignificant space is also [a way of] adopting humility for Almighty Allah. (Mu’jam-e-Kabeer, vol. 1, pp. 114, Hadees 205)
Humility shown by the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
1 A special servant of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Sayyiduna Anas Bin Malik رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ stated: The Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would visit the patient, attend the funeral, ride the donkey and accept the invitation given even by slaves. (Shumail Tirmizi, pp. 190, Hadees 315)
2 When the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was invited for barley-bread and even old curry, he would accept. (Shumail Tirmizi, pp. 190, Hadees 316)
3 On the occasion of Hijja-tul-Wada, he صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم went to perform the last Hajj of his blessed life; accompanied by over one hundred thousand devotees. Over his she-camel was an old saddle. On his blessed body was a blessed shawl whose price was not equivalent to even four dirhams. (Zurqaani ‘Alal Mawahib, vol. 6, pp. 54)
Humility and humbleness in the sight of pious predecessors
1 Sayyidatuna Aaishah رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا stated: To adopt humility is the greatest act of worship. (Az-Zawajir, vol. 1, pp. 163)
2 Sayyiduna Hasan Basri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه stated: When you exit your home and meet any Muslim, you should consider him to be better than you. This is humility. (Ibid)
3 Sayyiduna Fuzail Bin Iyad رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه stated: Humility means that you should bow to the truth and follow it. And if you hear the truth even from the most ignorant person, you should accept it. (Ibid)
4 Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Mubarak رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه stated: Real humility is that you should show humbleness even to the person who is inferior to you in terms of worldly favours. You should do so until you feel certain that you have no superiority over him in terms of worldly favours. And, consider yourself to be superior to the person who has ascendency over you in terms of worldly favours. You should do so until you feel certain that he has no superiority over you in terms of worldly favours. (Ihya-ul-‘Uloom, vol. 3, pp. 419)
Reward for humility and consequence of arrogance
The Revered and Renowned Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated: One, who adopts humility fearing from Almighty Allah, will be blessed with loftiness by Gracious Allah. And one, who shows arrogance considering himself to be important, will be afflicted with downfall by Allah. (Kanz-ul-Ummal, vol. 2, pp. 50, Hadees 5734)
The Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has Divinely-bestowed knowledge of the unseen. He (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) said: In the head of every man is a rein held by an angel. When he adopts humility, Allah Almighty elevates him by means of that rein and the angel says, ‘Get elevated. May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ elevate you!’ And when he raises his head (swelling with arrogance), Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ causes him to be thrown towards the earth and the angel says, ‘Get afflicted with downfall. May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ make you suffer downfall!’ (Mu’jam-e-Kabeer, vol. 12, pp. 169, Hadees 12939)
Punishment for arrogance
A saint رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْه said: Near the mount of Safa, I saw a person who was riding on a mule. Two boys were asking people to get away from his way. Then I saw him in Baghdad; he was barefooted and wistful. His hairs were very long. I asked him, ‘What has Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ done to you?’ He replied, ‘I wanted loftiness at such a place where people show humility; Almighty Allah caused me to be disgraced at such a place where people get loftiness.’ (Az-Zawajir, vol. 1, pp. 164)
Dear Islamic brothers: In accordance with the teachings of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, we should make humility and humbleness a part of our character and refrain from the evil of arrogance.
Tu chhor day takabbur ho bhai mayray ‘Aajiz
Chhai hay us pay rahmat karta hay jo tawazu’
Comments