Chapter on What Humility (Tawadu') Requires Toward the Obedient

And that is when he presents to it — before it encounters them — what repels them from it.

If he does not possess khawf (fear), strength of yaqin (certainty), and reverence for God, Exalted and Glorious, that nearly suffice him: the remembrance of God's awareness or the remembrance of His punishment, due to the predominance of desire and the weakness of resolve and certainty, until he contends with his nafs (soul), reproaches it, and brings before it the opposites of what it has obeyed — from the enormity of [God's] power — and overcomes it regarding what it has seen of showing off before creatures, by the remembrance of the evil consequence of riya' (ostentation) in his final return, [reminding it] that he is most in need of God accepting his good deeds.

So when the negation of ostentation and pride are gathered together in the heart by what I have described to you — of the remembrance of the insignificance of one's worth, and what is incumbent upon him in his lifetime, and what the conclusion of his affair shall be — then pride is thereby negated; and ostentation is negated through aversion and refusal of it, due to his fear that his deeds will be rendered void, at a time when nothing will save him except what is sincere of deeds. Thus, at that point pride is negated, and ostentation is repelled and driven away from them, by the permission of God, Exalted and Glorious.

Chapter on the Obligation of Humility toward the Obedient, by Which Vanity and Pride Are Negated

I said: I have been commanded with anger and hatred toward the disobedient, to shun them and to despise them, and to recognize the blessings by which I was protected from much of what they were given over to. So it is possible for me to humble myself and abase myself before the obedient, [recognizing] that which God, Exalted and Glorious, has elevated them by, and that I am beneath them. But how is it possible for me to humble myself and abase myself before one whom I have been commanded to despise, to hate, to shun, and to recognize the blessing that was bestowed upon me over him?

He said: Nothing prevents you from humility before God, Exalted and Glorious, and abasement within yourself while maintaining all of that.

I said: How well I find it to distinguish between these two: that I humble myself before one whom I hate, and toward whom I am angry, and whom I shun, and I praise God for the protection from the like of his deeds.

But how can I not see that I am better than him when God, Exalted and Glorious, has favored me over him? This matter has become confused for me.

As for the meaning of what you have described regarding the negation of 'ujb (self-admiration), if you refrain from it knowing that God, Exalted and Glorious, has the power to raise His decree above it, and «I know what you do not know» [2:30], and you have been made aware of what you were not previously aware of.

As for what you have described regarding the negation of kibr (pride), if you were knowing that God, Exalted and Glorious, has not refrained from it — rather, I am to look upon him with the eye of contempt and loathing, as I have been commanded, since God, Exalted and Glorious, has favored me over him with many things and much.

He said:

Indeed, that may deceive one who is more knowledgeable than you, stronger, and more rigorous in self-scrutiny . From this, many of the devout have been led astray, such that they became filled with self-admiration and became arrogant, and they supposed that they had thereby obeyed God, Exalted and Glorious. For indeed, pride toward the obedient person is an established evil in itself that only deceives the heedless. And pride toward the disobedient is mixed and blended with anger for God's sake, and gratuitous self-exaltation over them, and acknowledgment of the blessings by which one was favored over them. This impurity became confused and obscure, until many of the worshippers were deceived by it, and they supposed that in doing so they were correct and obedient to God, Exalted and Glorious.

I shall clarify this for you so that you may distinguish between them: you become angry for His sake , and are cautious for His sake , and shun for God's sake, and you recognize that by which you were favored among the blessings, and you remove self-admiration and pride through the blessings, and whatever may be therein. If you distinguish between them, you are saved from pride and self-admiration through anger for God's sake, Exalted and Glorious, and recognition of His blessings. But if you do not distinguish between them, your nafs (self) and your enemy deceive you through obedience, leaving you in disobedience that resembles obedience.

Explanation of the Preceding Question

Know that people, in your view, are two groups: a concealed group from whom you know no evil or offense — that group is better than you in your estimation, since you discern nothing objectionable from them.

And the second group differ regarding that. Among them are those who, in your view, are at your level in sins or more than that, except that it is less than what has become apparent to you from yourself of sins over the length of your life. So these are better than you in your estimation, since you know from yourself most of what you know — and a group from whom what has become apparent to you of sins is more, and what has become apparent to you from them is greater. As for the more, you are unable to reckon the limbs of anyone other than yourself as you reckon your own self, because you never part from yourself so as to part from yourself [TN: i.e., you are always with yourself and thus aware of your own faults]. You do not have access to another's secrets and inner conscience as you have access to the secrets of your own nafs (self) — for your awareness of your own secrets is greater in your estimation than your awareness of the sins of anyone other than yourself.

As for the greater, there may become apparent to you from others great sins such as killing, theft, fornication (zina), and other things from people other than yourself. Yet some of those from whom that became apparent to you may not possess the knowledge and awareness that you possess. So the proof against you is greater than the proof against them, and the reckoning in the questioning on the Day of Resurrection regarding knowledge is more severe. So you ought to fear punishment upon yourself in proportion to what you have squandered along with the knowledge and ma'rifa (gnosis).

And some of those from whom that became apparent to you may possess more knowledge than you or equal to yours, and there has become apparent to you from them the greatest of sins — so what they committed is greater in disobedience than what you committed.

So this that you asked about — if you understand and wish to distinguish between anger for the sake of God, Exalted and Glorified, and deliverance from vanity ('ujb) and pride (kibr):

What is incumbent upon you in this regard is that you recognize the blessing of God, Exalted and Glorified, upon you when He protected you from

until you become angry for the sake of God, Exalted and Glorious, and you avoid it and shun it and His anger is upon you, and you follow the like of his deed»

and you see that you have succeeded while it is He who has destroyed those beneath you, and you do not want the khawf (fear) upon yourself over your sin, and you have only been entrusted with fear upon yourself from your sin, and you have not been entrusted with fear upon him from his sin, except by way of compassionate concern for him. As for what you have been drawn to, it is incumbent upon you that you fear God, Exalted and Glorious, and stand in awe of Him, and repent to Him, and fear that He will not accept from you the righteousness of your deed, and that you fear regarding your sins — not that you fear something has entered into your deed from the afflictions that corrupt it from what has preceded of the general course within you, and that you fear the evil consequences of the final end. For you have only been commanded and it has been made incumbent upon you to fear for yourself, because you are the one taken to account for your sin, not for the sin of another. Have you not heard God, Exalted and Glorious, say: «No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another» [6:164]? «Whoever does a righteous deed, it is for his own soul» . «And whoever does evil, it is against it» , and «every soul earns only against itself» .

For you do not know — perhaps God, Exalted and Glorious, has become angry with you, and you are preoccupied with fear over others rather than yourself, and you do not know whether it will be completed for you. You may have seen comfort for others among those who were extravagant against themselves , who returned to acts of disobedience, yet the one shown mercy repented from them, while the other returned and died upon the worst of his states — and the other died upon obedience and striving. This is because God has concealed the consequences of affairs and the deeds of the servants from them, and none of them knows [of God's decree] except the Messengers. The servant does not know upon what he will die, nor in what state things will be completed for him.

So fear for yourself takes greater priority over you than fear over others.

So if you do not abandon khawf (fear) over yourself regarding what has preceded of your sins, nor what shall be sealed for you, while you are cognizant of the blessing of your Lord who protected you from the evil deed of another, and you became angry for the sake of God, Exalted and Glorified, and you were cautious [for God], while you are not one who neglects caution, nor one who abandons fear over yourself —

indeed, you only become arrogant toward him when you look at him with the eye of contempt and disdain, and it has overcome your qalb (heart) that you are the one who is saved, and that you are better than him in every condition, so you do not remember what has preceded from you, nor what shall be sealed for you. At that point you combine disobedience to God, Exalted and Glorified, and arrogance when you look at him with disdain, thinking you are better than him, without fearing for yourself, or you disdain to accept a right from him, or to render to him a right that God, Exalted and Glorified, has made obligatory upon you toward him, while your heart has cut him off with destruction, and it has overcome you that salvation is for you.

At that point you have become arrogant toward him and become pleased with yourself, just as the worshipper of the Children of Israel did — the dissolute one among them.

So do not abandon the remembrance of the blessing by which you were favored, nor the disgrace of the sinners, and do not forget your past sins. And let the proof against you in your knowledge and your deeds for God, Exalted and Glorified, and your cognizance admonish you, gathering for you the fear that your seal may be with the worst of deeds, and that you may be wretched in the knowledge of God, Exalted and Glorified. How great then is your peril! And in that there is enough to occupy you from arrogance over others. Do not disdain to accept the truth from him, nor to render the right to him, whether he be a kinsman or otherwise.

I said:

I too do not know what shall be sealed for me.

He said: Indeed! You have only been entrusted with fear over yourself and apprehension over the evil ending of your deeds. Even if you were sealed with the deeds of the people of the Fire — all of them entering the Fire — whatever fear you had over it would bring you neither comfort nor joy. So grief for yourself and caution over it are more befitting for you in this world and the Hereafter. For if you had a wound that strikes you, while another's wound was consuming him, you would not be less concerned about your wound than about another's.

So whoever is in your estimation concealed or heedless of what is lesser than what you possess, then it is established that he is better than you. And whoever is in your estimation heedless of what is greater than what you possess, then in what you have there is a preoccupation from having leisure for despising him and holding him in contempt, and fear over him, and fear of the evil of the khatima (seal of one's end) upon yourself is more fitting than that it should overwhelm your qalb (heart), for tribulation reaches you if God, Exalted and Glorified, is not pleased with you. And perhaps you are more heedless than him, so the proof against you is greater. And in whatever state you are in, what he possesses in the religion — of pride, vanity, ostentation, and envy in the religion — is not in his possession [TN: i.e., is not truly part of religion].

And it has been narrated from Wahb ibn Munabbih what clarifies this: he said: A person's intellect is not complete until ten qualities are found in him. He then enumerated nine qualities until he reached the tenth, and he said: "And the tenth" — and what is that? He said: "He sees" and "he does not cut off." Then he explained that, and said: People are only of two groups or two types: a group that is superior and more virtuous than him, and a group that is more evil and lower than him. So he humbles himself to both groups altogether in his heart. If he sees someone who is better than him, he is grateful for it and wishes to join him. And if he sees someone who is more evil than him, he says: Perhaps this one will be saved and my family will perish. Do you not see him fearful — between himself and his Lord, Exalted and Glorious, grateful to Him, so that He turns him back to Him in repentance and rewards him with the best of deeds?

He said: And if my outward works are apparent, then that is evil for me, for he cannot be safe that his obedience may outwardly appear while some of the blemishes that nullify it may have entered into it.

Then he said: And at that point the intellect is complete, and truly he is the master of the people of his time, and his humbling himself to all of them altogether.

acknowledging, confessing in his qalb (heart) what he knows of himself as the gravest thing, and he is fearful upon himself that the worst of his deeds may appear from him, and even if the worst of his deeds is completed for him, perhaps no good deed has been accepted for him. And that he, before God — Mighty and Glorious — is worse than what has preceded of his sins. And perhaps the worst of deeds will be sealed for him.

So he is humble toward both groups altogether, not acting arrogantly over any single one of those forbidden, not abandoning anger for the sake of God — Mighty and Glorious — and avoidance of the one he was commanded to shun and be angry with, since he is fearful that the punishment is reaching him, and perhaps he is worse than the one he sees, and that he will be saved and the worst of deeds will be sealed for him.

Do you not see the narration: that a worshipper used to worship in a mountain, and he was visited in his sleep and it was said to him: "Go to so-and-so the cobbler and ask him to supplicate for you." So he went to him and asked him about his deeds, and he informed him that he fasts during the day, and works to earn, giving part in charity and feeding his dependents with the rest. So he returned saying: "This is indeed good, but as for devoting oneself entirely to the obedience of God — Mighty and Glorious —" then he was visited in his sleep and it was said to him: "Go to the cobbler and ask him, and say to him: 'What is this yellowness in your face?'" So he went to him and asked him. The cobbler said to him: "No person has ever been raised before me from among people except that I supposed that he would be saved and I would perish." The worshipper said to him: "By this you have been saved."

And God — Mighty and Glorious — described them, saying: «And those who give what they give while their hearts tremble with fear that to their Lord they are returning».

And the Most High said: «Indeed, those who are, from the khashya (reverential fear) of their Lord, apprehensive».

And He did not describe them with apprehension and fear over others.

And does anyone attain freedom from sins? And constant perseverance and striving without respite or weariness — have even the angels attained that? And God has informed us about them: «They do not slacken», and «from the reverential fear of their Lord, they are apprehensive».

So whenever apprehension and awe depart from your heart, and you look upon others with contempt and disdain —

…the precedence of knowledge, and without caution or fear of an evil ending, and that you are better than him, and disdaining him, or you rejected a right that was due to him out of disdain to accept it from him, or you withheld a right that was due to him out of love for yourself—such as maintaining ties of kinship or visiting him, disdaining to come to him, or feigning that he is a relative of yours, out of contempt for him, and disdaining him—then you have acted with kibr (arrogance) toward him.

And when you remember the jealousy of God, exalted and glorious, to the point of anger—these are the marks of sins upon you—while you are other than one who abandons [sin] out of apprehensiveness and compassion, fearful for yourself, lest [God's punishment] cut you off, and upon Him is salvation, while you are at the same time angry for the sake of God, mighty and exalted, shunning what is His—then you have been saved from arrogance.

But I fear for you that you may be deceived by the remembrance of [God's] blessing, so that you look upon it while you almost doubt that you are the one who is saved, when He is the Sovereign. And if someone sits beside you or draws near to you in a place where you have shunned [sin], desiring purity and anger for the sake of God, exalted and glorious—and most of that you regard as though one like you should not draw near [to such a person], and that you are better than him—without remembering fear for yourself, as though you almost do not doubt that he is one upon whom wrath falls, not one who is saved, and that you are one with whom [God] is pleased—without acting [humbly]. So you combine the purity of religion and loftiness, and you are deceived by what you gather of anger for God, exalted and glorious, and purity, and you grow proud while you are unaware.

Do you not see the saying of 'Awn ibn 'Abdillāh, when he described the believer? He said: "The believer's drawing near is neither a deception nor a beguiling , and his drawing near is only to show concern; and his distancing from one who is distant is not out of arrogance but rather out of purity, so that he may be safe."

So beware of the Enemy adorning righteous deeds for you so as to cast you into sin, or [beware that] God, exalted and glorious, bestows upon you His obedience and then the Enemy envies you for it, and so he adorns for you a sin by which he nullifies the obedience—and you would then be other than what you were.

So beware, when you remember the blessing by which you have been favored over another, that you combine with the remembrance of the blessing arrogance. Rather, remember the blessing while you are apprehensive and compassionate regarding the consequences, and [remember] for yourself, by that in which you have disobeyed your Master, that you are belittled, detested, and loathed.