By Abu Usamah Adh-Dhahabi
Humility is when a person does not see himself as being better or above other people because of frivolous reasons like social standing, education, citizenship, or even colour.
As for believing one is better than another person due to religious reasons, then in some cases this is permissible, and in other cases, it’s an obligation. For instance, the Muslim should believe Allaah has given him ‘Izzah (honour) over the disbelievers. This has been established in the Quran in many places:
Allaah Jalla Jalaluhu says,
“…and to Allaah belongs all honour ('Izzah), and to His Messenger, and to the believers….”
[Surah Al Munaafiqoon 63:8]
And in another ayat Allaah Jalla wa'Ala says,
“Oh you who believe, whoever of you should revert (apostate) from his religion, Allaah will bring forth a people He will love, and who will love Him, (who are) humble towards the believers, and powerful ('Izzah) against the disbelievers…”
[Surah Al Maidah 5:54]
also says,
“Not equal are the blind and the seeing. Nor are the darknesses and the light. Nor are the shade and the heat”.
[Surah Faathir 35:19-21]
Being humble and having humility is opposite of being arrogant and having arrogance (kibr). Humility leads one to the pleasure of Allaah and it causes one to enter into the paradise, whereas arrogance leads to the displeasure of Allaah and it leads one to the Hellfire.
Allaah has ordered the Prophet (peace be upon him) to adorn himself with this noble characteristic in many verses of the Quran.
The Prophet (peace be upon him ) was ordered,
“And lower your wing (i.e., be humble and show kindness ) to those who follow you from the believers”.
[Surah Ash Shu’araa 26:215]
And He Allaah Azza wa Jalla said,
“And don’t turn you cheek (in contempt) towards people and don’t walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allaah doesn’t like every self-deluded and boastful person”.
[Surah Luqman 31:18]
Some examples of the Prophet’s humility:
- One of the clearest examples of his humility, is that the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) would sit in the Masjid with his companions and if a stranger or visitor came to the Masjid he wouldn’t know who the Prophet was until he asked, “Which one of you is Muhammad”?
This is because he would not sit, dress, or be treated in a way that distinguished him from the people. Unlike the way leaders and famous people are treated when they’re with the people. Whenever a stranger enters into their majlis, it becomes quite clear to the stranger this person is noteworthy amongst the people.
- Anas Ibn Maalik would pass by a group of young boys playing and he would extend to them a warm and gracious greeting (salaams). When he was asked, “Why do you do this”? He replied, ‘The Prophet ( peace be upon him) use to do it’. [Al Bukhari & Muslim]
- Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allaah be pleased with him)said: ‘The Prophet (peace be upon him) entered upon me so I gave him a pillow (to sit on) made out of skin and filled with date palm fibers. The Prophet ( peace be upon him) (refused to sit on it) and he choose to sit on the (bare) ground, and he left the cushion between him and myself’. [Al Bukhari & Muslim]
- Abu Saeed Al-Khudri ( may Allaah be pleased with him) said; ‘I entered upon the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him ) and I found him praying on a (normal) mat, and he was making Sajdah on it’. [Muslim]
- Aisha ( may Allaah be pleased with her ) was asked, ‘What did the Prophet (peace be upon him) use to do when he was in the privacy of his home’? She replied, ‘He use to be in the service of his family’. He used to repair his sandals and sew/patch his own thawb (robe) and he would milk the sheep.[Al Bukhari]
- Anas ibn Maalik ( may Allaah be pleased with him) said the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed the Hajj upon an old camel that had a saddle that cost about four dirhams or less, and then he said, “Oh Allaah, this is a Hajj (that I’m performing) wherein there is no showing off nor notoriety sought”. [Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah]
- Anas ibn Maalik ( may Allaah be pleased with him): ‘I never saw a man seeking the ear of the Prophet (peace be upon him ) except that the Messenger of Allaah would never turn his head from him, until the man turned his head first. Nor did I ever see a man take the hand of the Prophet, except that the Messenger of Allaah would never let his hand go, until the man was the first to let the Prophet’s hand go’. [Al Bukhari]
- Abu Masood ( may Allaah be pleased with him ) said: ‘A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him ) and he began to speak to him, and he was seized by fear (of the Prophet). Upon witnessing his demeanor the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him: “Take it easy and calm down, for verily I am not a king, but instead I am only the son of a Quraishy women who use to eat dried salted meat strips”. [Ibn Majah]
From the clearest and most manifest examples of his humility is when he entered Mecca as a conqueror. It is a well known historical fact the Prophet (peace be upon him ) escaped from Mecca fearful for his life, as the disbeliever’s of Quraish were hot on his trail in pursuit of him to do away with him once and for all.
Ten years later when he returned to Mecca as a conqueror and triumphant, he had every right to enter the sacred precincts of Mecca with his head held high as he had been given victory over his enemies, and they were totally defeated and subdued. Had he entered into Mecca in this way, he would not have been blamed! But instead, he entered into Mecca with his head held down, barely touching the neck of his camel and glorifying Allaah by saying Allaahu Akbar, for the victory that he was given.
Prophetic Hadith about humility:
Abu Hurayrah ( may Allaah be pleased with him ) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him ) said:
“…and no one will exercise humility for Allaah’s sake, except that Allaah will raise him up”.
[Muslim]
He also said,
“Verily Allaah loves the servant who has Taqwah, and he’s rich (content), and he’s hidden (i.e. not known by the people because of his humility)”.
[Muslim]
Abdullah Ibn Abbas ( may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard Umar Ibn Khattab ( may Allaah be pleased with him ) say on the minbar, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Don’t over exaggerate with me as the Christians over exaggerated with Ibn Maryam (may Allaah be pleased with him ). Verily I am His slave, therefore say, ‘Abdullah’ and the Messenger of Allaah”.
[Al Bukhari]
A lesson from Umar Ibn Khattab ( may Allaah be pleased with him):
‘Urwah ibn Zubair ( may Allaah be pleased with him ) said: ‘I saw Umar carrying a large leather water canteen on his shoulder. I said to him, ‘Oh Amir-ul-Mu’mineen, you shouldn’t be carrying that’. Umar replied by saying, ‘A delegation came to Medina and I saw their obedience to me, and some ‘nakwah’ entered into my heart and I wanted to destroy it’.
Everyone knows the strong personality of Umar ( may Allaah be pleased with him ) and how he instilled fear in the hearts of men. And yet, when a small and minute amount of pride (nakwah) entered into his heart, he hurried in an attempt to destroy it before it destroyed him.
This is the way of the righteous people. Those who know the virtues and importance of humility, and at the same time they know the danger of falling into ‘kibr’.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever possesses an atom’s weight of ‘kibr’ will not enter into the paradise “.
[Muslim]
He also said,
“It is a right on Allaah, that nothing is raised in the Dunyah (in stature or esteem), except that Allaah will bring it down”.
[Al Bukhari]
If we’re trying to seek the benefits of the Dunyah or the Hereafter, then part of our success lies within our ability to humble ourselves in our quest. For instance, if a person is searching for knowledge, he must humble himself in his struggle and efforts towards that goal.
Abdullah ibn Mu’tazz ( may Allaah be pleased with him ) said: ‘The humble student is the one who gets the most knowledge, just as the lowest places on earth collect the most water’
As for the Hereafter, Allaah says,
“That is the home of the Hereafter, We assign (it) to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the (best) outcome is for the righteous”.
[Surah Al Qassas 28:83]
May Allaah grant us the Tawfeeq to humble ourselves and may He protect us from the fitnah of ‘kibr’ and it’s evil results.
Humility is when a person does not see himself as being better or above other people because of frivolous reasons like social standing, education, citizenship, or even colour.
As for believing one is better than another person due to religious reasons, then in some cases this is permissible, and in other cases, it’s an obligation. For instance, the Muslim should believe Allaah has given him ‘Izzah (honour) over the disbelievers. This has been established in the Quran in many places:
Allaah Jalla Jalaluhu says,
“…and to Allaah belongs all honour ('Izzah), and to His Messenger, and to the believers….”
[Surah Al Munaafiqoon 63:8]
And in another ayat Allaah Jalla wa'Ala says,
“Oh you who believe, whoever of you should revert (apostate) from his religion, Allaah will bring forth a people He will love, and who will love Him, (who are) humble towards the believers, and powerful ('Izzah) against the disbelievers…”
[Surah Al Maidah 5:54]
also says,
“Not equal are the blind and the seeing. Nor are the darknesses and the light. Nor are the shade and the heat”.
[Surah Faathir 35:19-21]
Being humble and having humility is opposite of being arrogant and having arrogance (kibr). Humility leads one to the pleasure of Allaah and it causes one to enter into the paradise, whereas arrogance leads to the displeasure of Allaah and it leads one to the Hellfire.
Allaah has ordered the Prophet (peace be upon him) to adorn himself with this noble characteristic in many verses of the Quran.
The Prophet (peace be upon him ) was ordered,
“And lower your wing (i.e., be humble and show kindness ) to those who follow you from the believers”.
[Surah Ash Shu’araa 26:215]
And He Allaah Azza wa Jalla said,
“And don’t turn you cheek (in contempt) towards people and don’t walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allaah doesn’t like every self-deluded and boastful person”.
[Surah Luqman 31:18]
Some examples of the Prophet’s humility:
- One of the clearest examples of his humility, is that the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) would sit in the Masjid with his companions and if a stranger or visitor came to the Masjid he wouldn’t know who the Prophet was until he asked, “Which one of you is Muhammad”?
This is because he would not sit, dress, or be treated in a way that distinguished him from the people. Unlike the way leaders and famous people are treated when they’re with the people. Whenever a stranger enters into their majlis, it becomes quite clear to the stranger this person is noteworthy amongst the people.
- Anas Ibn Maalik would pass by a group of young boys playing and he would extend to them a warm and gracious greeting (salaams). When he was asked, “Why do you do this”? He replied, ‘The Prophet ( peace be upon him) use to do it’. [Al Bukhari & Muslim]
- Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allaah be pleased with him)said: ‘The Prophet (peace be upon him) entered upon me so I gave him a pillow (to sit on) made out of skin and filled with date palm fibers. The Prophet ( peace be upon him) (refused to sit on it) and he choose to sit on the (bare) ground, and he left the cushion between him and myself’. [Al Bukhari & Muslim]
- Abu Saeed Al-Khudri ( may Allaah be pleased with him) said; ‘I entered upon the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him ) and I found him praying on a (normal) mat, and he was making Sajdah on it’. [Muslim]
- Aisha ( may Allaah be pleased with her ) was asked, ‘What did the Prophet (peace be upon him) use to do when he was in the privacy of his home’? She replied, ‘He use to be in the service of his family’. He used to repair his sandals and sew/patch his own thawb (robe) and he would milk the sheep.[Al Bukhari]
- Anas ibn Maalik ( may Allaah be pleased with him) said the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed the Hajj upon an old camel that had a saddle that cost about four dirhams or less, and then he said, “Oh Allaah, this is a Hajj (that I’m performing) wherein there is no showing off nor notoriety sought”. [Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah]
- Anas ibn Maalik ( may Allaah be pleased with him): ‘I never saw a man seeking the ear of the Prophet (peace be upon him ) except that the Messenger of Allaah would never turn his head from him, until the man turned his head first. Nor did I ever see a man take the hand of the Prophet, except that the Messenger of Allaah would never let his hand go, until the man was the first to let the Prophet’s hand go’. [Al Bukhari]
- Abu Masood ( may Allaah be pleased with him ) said: ‘A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him ) and he began to speak to him, and he was seized by fear (of the Prophet). Upon witnessing his demeanor the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him: “Take it easy and calm down, for verily I am not a king, but instead I am only the son of a Quraishy women who use to eat dried salted meat strips”. [Ibn Majah]
From the clearest and most manifest examples of his humility is when he entered Mecca as a conqueror. It is a well known historical fact the Prophet (peace be upon him ) escaped from Mecca fearful for his life, as the disbeliever’s of Quraish were hot on his trail in pursuit of him to do away with him once and for all.
Ten years later when he returned to Mecca as a conqueror and triumphant, he had every right to enter the sacred precincts of Mecca with his head held high as he had been given victory over his enemies, and they were totally defeated and subdued. Had he entered into Mecca in this way, he would not have been blamed! But instead, he entered into Mecca with his head held down, barely touching the neck of his camel and glorifying Allaah by saying Allaahu Akbar, for the victory that he was given.
Prophetic Hadith about humility:
Abu Hurayrah ( may Allaah be pleased with him ) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him ) said:
“…and no one will exercise humility for Allaah’s sake, except that Allaah will raise him up”.
[Muslim]
He also said,
“Verily Allaah loves the servant who has Taqwah, and he’s rich (content), and he’s hidden (i.e. not known by the people because of his humility)”.
[Muslim]
Abdullah Ibn Abbas ( may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard Umar Ibn Khattab ( may Allaah be pleased with him ) say on the minbar, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Don’t over exaggerate with me as the Christians over exaggerated with Ibn Maryam (may Allaah be pleased with him ). Verily I am His slave, therefore say, ‘Abdullah’ and the Messenger of Allaah”.
[Al Bukhari]
A lesson from Umar Ibn Khattab ( may Allaah be pleased with him):
‘Urwah ibn Zubair ( may Allaah be pleased with him ) said: ‘I saw Umar carrying a large leather water canteen on his shoulder. I said to him, ‘Oh Amir-ul-Mu’mineen, you shouldn’t be carrying that’. Umar replied by saying, ‘A delegation came to Medina and I saw their obedience to me, and some ‘nakwah’ entered into my heart and I wanted to destroy it’.
Everyone knows the strong personality of Umar ( may Allaah be pleased with him ) and how he instilled fear in the hearts of men. And yet, when a small and minute amount of pride (nakwah) entered into his heart, he hurried in an attempt to destroy it before it destroyed him.
This is the way of the righteous people. Those who know the virtues and importance of humility, and at the same time they know the danger of falling into ‘kibr’.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever possesses an atom’s weight of ‘kibr’ will not enter into the paradise “.
[Muslim]
He also said,
“It is a right on Allaah, that nothing is raised in the Dunyah (in stature or esteem), except that Allaah will bring it down”.
[Al Bukhari]
If we’re trying to seek the benefits of the Dunyah or the Hereafter, then part of our success lies within our ability to humble ourselves in our quest. For instance, if a person is searching for knowledge, he must humble himself in his struggle and efforts towards that goal.
Abdullah ibn Mu’tazz ( may Allaah be pleased with him ) said: ‘The humble student is the one who gets the most knowledge, just as the lowest places on earth collect the most water’
As for the Hereafter, Allaah says,
“That is the home of the Hereafter, We assign (it) to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the (best) outcome is for the righteous”.
[Surah Al Qassas 28:83]
May Allaah grant us the Tawfeeq to humble ourselves and may He protect us from the fitnah of ‘kibr’ and it’s evil results.
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