Modesty

            Modesty is knowing one's value and avoiding pride that -- as the prophet (peace be upon him) defined it -- is “ disdaining the truth (out of self conceit) and contempt for the people” (Muslim 91, AlTirmithi 1999, Abu Dawood 4092).

            In essence, modesty is for the great one, who is inclined to see himself above others. We say to him: Be modest then you will be as a star reflected on the water surface, close to the people while in reality it is very high. We do not ask an ordinary person to be modest. Rather, we say to him: know the value of yourself and put it where it should be. AlKhattabi narrated in his book, AlUzlah (Solitude), that the great scholar Imam AbdAllah Ibn AlMubarak came to Khurassan and went to visit a man known of piety and asceticism. When the Imam entered the pious man house, He did not receive the Imam or pay attention to him, so the Imam left. People around this man asked him wondering: Do you know the man who just left? He replied, no. They said: He is "Ameer AlMoumineen in AlHadeeth", meaning that he is the most knowledgeable of the prophet sayings, He is AbdAllah Ibn AlMubarak. The man was greatly embarrassed and he ran after the Imam asking him to accept his apology and to be advised. Imam Ibn AlMubarak said: Yes, whenever you leave your house, think of any one you lay your eyes upon as a better person than you are. The Imam gave him this advise because he felt that this pious man is afflicted with self admiration. When The Imam asked about him, he found that he was a tailor (AlUzlah 220).

            Imam AbdAllah Ibn AlMubarak felt that this man had some kind of feeling of pride, arrogance, and superiority over others, which is an illness that often afflict those who offer more worship than the rest. So, the Imam educated him giving him an appropriate advise.

            We often find some good people, perhaps some Da'iahs, and even young students who have ill manners with their sheikhs, scholars, and teachers, which is painful and bothering.

            There is no objection if you have a different opinion with a scholar or a Da'iah provided you are qualified, but when this difference of opinions becomes a mean to degrade this scholar or Da'iah or to distort his image then it becomes very objectionable.

            If such a behavior can be expected from commoners, the misled, and the people of Bida’ah then it is not fit at all to happen from the people of Sunnah or students of Shari’a.

            The scholars of Ahl AlSunnah and AlJamaah are particularly required to enjoin righteousness and to forbid reprehensible deeds even for those who are in the high ranks, anticipating reward from Allah for whatever harm they may encounter, but this is not expected from them when they are abandoned by their closest supporters, for every one of them will be as the brave knight backed only by women.

            Had Ahl AlSunnah protected their scholars, supported them, and acknowledged their eminence, it would have been possible for them to perform their duties of enjoining righteousness and forbidding reprehensible deeds at the best way possible, but when they were forsaken by the people behind them, scholars could not utter a word to enjoin or forbid.

            It is regrettable to see Ahl AlBida’ah on the contrary of this. Moreover, they give their scholars a value that raises them to the level of holiness and will follow them in a very objectionable way that is a kind of slavery and melting in the leader scholar.

            This has been the way of AlBatiniah sect through the ages, where the individuals are educated to accept that their leaders and scholars are infallible.

            Even AlMutazilah, whose reference in religion is the mind, become very emotional when the matter comes to their leaders. One of their poets would praise the Mutazilah leader Wasil Ibn Ataa claiming that he has in every town in every corner of the world brave men who are the bearers of the religion in the face of all oppressors and wicked in every time of cold winter or hot summer.

            It is worthier of Ahl AlSunnah to respect their scholars. There is no good in a nation where the young do not respect the old and the old do not have mercy for the young.

Modesty with the Superiors

            Modesty, or rather knowing one's value, means that a starting young man will not position himself as a counterpart to the older experienced scholar, saying that we are all equally men.

            Manhood can take different meanings. In Quran, sometimes manhood is referred to with praise as in “ In it are men who love to be purified” (Meaning of Quran 9:108) and in “ In houses, which Allah hath permitted to be raised to honor; for the celebration, in them, of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings,(again and again) by men whom neither trade nor sale can divert from the remembrance of Allah, nor from regular prayer, nor from paying Zakat. Their (only) fear is for the day when hearts and eyes will be turned about” (Meaning of Quran 24:36,37). Manhood at other places was referred to in Quran to indicate only masculinity as in “ True, there were men among humans who take shelter with men among the jinns but they increased them into further error” (Meaning of Quran 72:6).

            Men are not equal. You may see a humble student of Shari’a who hardly knows few pages from Quran by heart and may not be able to tell a single hadeeth from the collections of AlBukhari or Muslim let alone knowing the chain of narrators or its meaning, you may see him confronting the great scholars saying: "I have said", "I think", and "according to my knowledge", forgetting how little his background is.

Modesty with Peers

            Modesty means being humble with peers. It is common to see the spirit of envy and competition among peers. Some may feel superior and get delighted by degrading their counterparts, by pointing their flaws, or by magnifying their weaknesses. They do that sometimes in the form of expressing opinions or giving advises while in reality it is a mere jealousy. It is sad to see a Da'iah feeling jealous because a crowd of two or three thousand attended a fellow Da'iah lecture but not getting upset about a crowd of twenty or thirty thousands attending a musical concert or a football match. If you didn't like a few things about your brother Da'iah, it should suffice to be pleasing to know that he calls people to the straight path and he is on the right way. It is also possible that he is right for what he was criticized for.

Modesty with the Lessers

            Modesty means being humble with those who are less than you are. So, if you meet a younger person or someone lower in position, do not look down at him because he may have a purer heart or less sin or be closer to Allah than you are. Even if you meet a sinful person while you are a righteous man do not look down at him and thank Allah who saved you from the sins he is afflicted with. And remember that your good works may be foiled if they result in self admiration and desire of good reputation while his sins may be forgiven if they caused his regret, sadness, and fear of Allah. Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the prophet (peace be upon him) told that “ A person said: Allah would not forgive such and such (person). Thereupon Allah the exalted and glorious said: Who is he who adjures about Me that I would not grant pardon to so and so; I have granted pardon to so and so and blotted out his deeds (who took an oath that I would not grant pardon to him)” (Muslim 2621).

            So, do not think that you are superior even over sinful people. If the advising Da'iah felt that the sinful person might have some pious deeds and merits the Da'iah lacks, he would have treated him amicably and presented his advise favorably which would lead to better reception and acceptance.

Modesty and Work admiration

            Modesty means that you do not admire your work if you have done good or pious deeds because work may then not be accepted, “ Allah only accepts from the heedful” (Meaning of Quran 5:27). Because of this, one of the early Muslims said if I know that Allah had accepted from me a tasbiha ( uttering Subhana Allah one time), I would be glad to die now.

Modesty and Accepting Advise

            Modesty means accepting advise. It is common when one gets an advise, he feels bothered because Satan will tempt him to reject it and feel suspicious about the one who advises him. This is because advise usually has undercover a finger pointed at weaknesses and flaws. But the one who is protected by Allah will be victorious over himself and will pray for and thank any one advising him and pointing to him his weaknesses. This is why the prophet (peace be upon him) defined pride as “ disdaining the truth (out of self conceit) and contempt for the people” (Muslim 91).

            The proud one thinks he has a very great and superior status. He could never praise anyone except with pointing out real or invented flaws. When he gets an advise he rejects it because of the inferiority complex he has. It is therefore closer to perfection to accept criticism without sensitivity, shyness, weakness, or bothersome. Ameer AlMoumineen Omar Ibn AlKhattab (may Allah be pleased with him) set a good example when he said: May Allah shower mercy over who presents us our weaknesses.

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