Islamic Center of Irvine

56: Tawaadu' - Humility - The Antidote to Self-Importance (Part 2)

"Whosoever is humble will be elevated by Allah."
[Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]

If 'ujb is understood to be the exaggerated opinion of one's own importance, and an amplification of one's virtues and good deeds while undervaluing the good in others, leading to a sense of superiority ... then its antidote indeed is tawaadu /humility.

Humility is the state of ...

being free from arrogance,
having a modest estimate of one's worth and
an unpretentious sense of the merit of one's personality
coupled with an awareness of one's potential and limitations.

No Person is 'that great'

Prophet Muhammad warned us that it is sufficient proof of a person's unculturedness that he exalts in the perception of his own importance. Remember that Allah certainly loves not the vainglorious, the arrogant [Qur'an 4:36], and the Prophet (pbuh) warned, that a person will not enter Paradise in whose heart is even a grain-weight of arrogance.
Reflect on the following ...

"What is the first business of one acquiring and exercising wisdom? To get rid of self-conceit." [Graeco-Roman slave philosopher, Epictetus 55 AD - 135 AD]
"The first test of a truly great man is his humility." [19th century writer and artist, John Ruskin]
"There are a billion people in China. It's not easy to be an individual in a crowd of more than a billion people. Think of it. More than a BILLION people. That means even if you're a one-in-a-million type of guy, there are still a thousand guys exactly like you." [writer, A. Whitney Brown, The Big Picture]
"The smaller the mind the greater the conceit." [Aesop]
"When someone sings his own praises, he always gets the tune too high." [Mary H. Waldrip]
"None are so empty as those who are full of themselves." [11th century English theologian and philosopher, Benjamin Whichcote]
"The man who thinks he can live without others is mistaken; the one who thinks others can't live without him is even more deluded." [Hasidic Saying]
"Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment." [Romans 12:3]
Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali advised us to carefully evaluate the smallness of the vacancy we leave upon our death. That should make us realize how insignificant a place we occupy in this world.
The Graeco-Roman slave philosopher, Epictetus pondered: "What, will the world be quite overturned when you die?"

So, swallow your pride occasionally, it's non-fattening!
"Walk not conceitedly on the earth; neither can you rent the earth asunder with your steps, nor can you reach the height of mountains in growth." [Qur'an 17:37]

Importance of Humility

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is reported to have said:
"Allah has revealed to me that you should humble yourself to the extent that no one boasts over another, nor anyone oppresses another."
Confucius said that humility is the foundation of all virtues; while the 4th century moralist, St. Augustine remarked that in that soul in which the virtue of humility does not exist there can be no other virtue except in mere appearance.
Allah considers one of the primary qualities of the true Believer to be khushu' / genuine humility coupled with spirituality [Qur'an 23:2][Qur'an 34:18]. Wise indeed is the reflection of the Prophet (pbuh) that Allah elevates those who humble themselves.

Genuine Humility is ...

The sign of the truly great is the absence of arrogance in their personality and the prevalence of humility in their character.

One day a man stood in awe before the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and started trembling. The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Be at ease, I am a human being like you, the son of a poor woman from Quraysh who ate dried meat."
Jesus / 'Isa (pbuh) exemplified the difference between self-centered self-righteousness and righteousness when he was once praised by his disciples as "good master" and he responded: "Why do you call me good? There is none truly good but God."
As people of faith we should know that: Alhamdu lillahi rabbil 'aalameen - "ultimately all forms of praise is due to our Creator".
Remember, "only those who feel humble in the eyes of God, can hope to be mighty in the eyes of people." [18th century poet, Ernest Moritz Arndt]
Fatima, the beloved daughter of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), often recited the prayer: "O Allah! Humble in me the opinion of myself and magnify in me (the consciousness of) Your Grandeur." It is a noted fact that the person who sincerely looks up to God rarely looks down upon people.

Humility is not ...

Note that a sign of humility is not to assume one's self as humble, for the one who considers himself humble has lost his humility.
Be cognizant of the fact that humility lies in the modesty of the heart and not merely in physical appearance. The second Caliph 'Umar reprimanded a person who bent forward in prayer due to what he claimed to be humility. Caliph 'Umar pointed to his heart and said, "humility is in here."
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq therefore advised; "Be careful of hypocritical humility, where the body appears humble but the heart is not humble."
There is great wisdom in the analysis that genuine humility attracts while lack of humility subtracts and artificial humility detracts. Also remember that it is no great thing to be humble when you are brought low; but to be humble when you are praised is a great and rare attainment. [11th century French monk, St. Bernard]

Detection & Cure

The detection of 'ujb (self-importance), kibr (arrogance), riyaa' (showing off) is a prerequisite to its cure; but note that arrogance, showing off and self-importance cannot be detected unless one is vigilant, carefully critical of one's self and prepared to minutely analyzes one's intentions and actions. "Block the way of 'ujb with the ma'rifah (gnosis) of the self." [Imam Baqir]

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) reports that Allah said to Prophet Dawud / David (pbuh), "O Dawud, give good news unto the sinners and warn the righteous." Prophet Dawud (pbuh) responded, "How should I give good news unto the sinners and warn the righteous?" Said the Almighty, "O Dawud, give good news to the sinners that I am prepared to accept their repentance, and warn the righteous that they should not harbor `ujb (self admiration) for their good acts ..." {i.e. Stop wrongdoing and your repentance will be accepted, continue doing good, but don't have an attitude about it}

Muhaasabah / Critical Self-Evaluation

We must sincerely implore Allah to bless us with the insight of our own faults and weaknesses. Unless we practice muhaasabah / critical self evaluation, we will not be able to improve ourselves and rectify our faults. Remember, "nobody stands taller than those willing to stand corrected." [author, William Safire] It would be wise to heed an old Sufi advice, "Seek your identity through faith, your honor through humility, your dignity through propriety, and your forgiveness from Allah through forgiving others."

Allah reminds us in the Qur'an that the true servants of the Most Beneficent ('Ibaad ur Rahmaan) are those who walk on the earth in humility; and when they are engaged by the foolish, address them with "peace". [Qur'an 25:63]