Sh.Waleed Basyouni

The Walk of the Servants of the Most Merciful

This is how they walk, and if this is how they walk in public, you can tell what is from the inside of the person a lot by looking at the outside. And not only the humbleness and the sense of humility, and down to earth presence in the way they walk — they deal with people.

You see when people walk, some people walk on this earth filled with arrogance. You can tell even from the way they walk, from the way they carry themselves, from the way they deal with people. That's where the real sense of humility appears — how you deal with people, how when you walk between people, how when you interact with people.

Some people, because Allah gave them money, they think that they are above everyone else. Just because he rides a fancy car — even if he doesn't walk on his feet — when he looks at everybody, it's as if there is nobody except him.

Some of them are so arrogant because of their status. "I'm doctor so-and-so, I am professor so-and-so, I am senator so-and-so" — whatever title they have. Or "I'm from this family, from this social status of mine." And they think that they are so great, the way they walk and the way they talk to people — it just shows that sense of arrogance, which is the opposite of what being a servant to the Most Merciful means.

The Story of al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra

Al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra — المهلب ابن أبي صفرة — was one of the most well-known and respected generals in Iraq, one of the senior commanders of the Umayyad armies in Iraq. He has a long history with al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. A very powerful man, and that in a time of war. And as we know, when there is instability, دائمًا الجيشُ له مكانةٌ كبيرةٌ في البلاد — the army people have a very strong position, especially in the time of war.

فكان هذا المهلب ابن أبي صفرة يمشي بكل كبر وافتخار. So this al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra was walking with full arrogance and pride. Then Mutarrif ibn 'Abdullah al-Shakhkhir — مطرف ابن عبدالله الشخير رضي الله عنه — saw him. His father was one of the Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and there is some difference of opinion regarding his own companionship — but he was among the very young Companions, and some count him among the Tabi'in. Regardless, when Mutarrif saw him walking this way — this general walking with arrogance like this — he said:

"Don't walk like that. This is not something Allah would like to see — you walking this way." Al-Muhallab said: أتعرف من أنا؟ — "Do you know who I am? You talk to me like that? What are you talking about? Do you know who I am?" He said: "Yes." And then he told him:

"You are a person who started from a lowly sperm, and you will end as a rotten corpse, and in between you are the carrier of your own filth." That's who you are. A perfect definition for a human being. Why are you arrogant for?

The Story of Harun al-Rashid

Once Harun al-Rashid felt that he was so proud of what Allah had given him. His kingdom was so big that he used to say — أمطري أين شئتِ يأتيني خراجي — "Rain wherever you wish, its revenue will come to me." Because when you grow crops, you pay part of that as a tax — the خراج — it goes to the government. He said: "I don't care where the rain goes — left, right, north, south, east, west — wherever it goes, it is my land, it will come back to me." So powerful was Harun al-Rashid.

Once, when he felt that way, he brought one of the scholars and told him: عِظْنِي — "Give me an admonition." The scholar said:

"Would you give half of your kingdom for a sip of water?" He said: "Absolutely — if I am that thirsty, I will give half of my wealth for a sip of water." Then the scholar said:

"What if that water got stuck and you couldn't urinate, and you couldn't get it out?" — Ask people who have experienced kidney stones, they will tell you how painful that is. Then he said: "Would you give half of your kingdom for that sip of water to come out?" He said: "Absolutely I would." The scholar said:

"Your whole kingdom is equal to a sip of water — in and out. Don't be arrogant. You would give anything for that."

The Humility of the 'Ibad al-Rahman

So the 'ibad al-Rahman — when they walk on this earth, when they deal with people — they know that whatever Allah has given them is a blessing from Allah. هَذَا نِعْمَةٌ وَفَضْلٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ، وَهَذَا ابْتِلَاءٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ — it is a test from Allah:

It's a test to see how you will do. It's a great thing to have money, it's a great thing to have titles, to have status, to be a person of influence, fame, power — whatever. But it's a test to see what you will do with it.

Look at the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman, peace be upon him. When he saw the throne of Bilqis placed before him and she was amazed, what did Sulayman say?

He said: "This is from the bounty and from the grace of my Lord, to test me — will I be thankful or will I be ungrateful?" Not like you, Bilqis, the queen, who was ungrateful to Allah — the one who gave her all that kingdom. He said: "For me, what you see — the power that I have been given — it is a test to see how I will do. And whoever is thankful to Allah, he only benefits himself. And whoever is ungrateful to Allah, Allah doesn't need your gratitude, Allah doesn't need you to be thankful to Him. He is the Most Rich."

Humility Is Not Humiliation

The 'ibad al-Rahman walk on earth with a sense of humility, their hearts filled with hope and respect and love and fear of Allah. But when we say يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا — it doesn't mean that they walk while they are humiliated. There is a difference between being humiliated — or somebody who walks as if he is humiliated — and someone who walks with humility.

Because of that, when 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, saw a man walking like a dead person — barely walking, dragging his feet — he struck him with his whip and said: ارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ، وَارْفَعْ قَدَمَكَ، مَا تَسْحَبُ رِجْلَكَ فِي الْأَرْضِ! لَا تُمِتْ عَلَيْنَا دِينَنَا وَلَا تُشَمِّتْ مِنَّا الْمُنَافِقِينَ. "Don't walk like a dead person dragging your feet — that is not humility, that doesn't mean that you are a humble person." He said: "Raise your head, make your back straight, and when you walk, lift your feet" — and that is how the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to walk.

He used to walk fast, peace be upon him. He would not drag his feet. And when he walked, كَانَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ تُوطَأَ عَقِبَاهُ — he disliked people walking right behind him. People would walk to his right, his left, or in front of him, peace be upon him. And he would say: اجْعَلُوا خَلْفِي لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ — "Leave what is behind me for the angels." Out of humility, peace be upon him — not like kings who have people walking behind them.

The Prophet's Manner of Turning Toward People

Arrogance is incredible — I've seen things that just amazed me. People speak to others while giving them their backs. But the Prophet, peace be upon him — كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا نَادَاهُ أَحَدٌ وَقَفَ وَالْتَفَتَ بِصَدْرِهِ، مَا الْتَفَتَ بِرَقَبَتِهِ — when somebody called him, he would not just glance over by turning his neck. He would turn his whole chest to face the person. That shows you a sense of humility.

"That 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 muttaqin."

Allah will replace those who abandon religion with people that Allah loves and who love Him — they will be humble with the believers but firm towards the disbelievers.

Three Things the Prophet Swore Upon

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "I swear by Allah upon three things":

(Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Hadith 6264)

"Your charity will never decrease your wealth" — and wallahi, I can swear to that. "And every time you forgive people, Allah elevates your status." And "anytime that you are humble — you go down to earth for the sake of Allah — Allah will raise your status and elevate your status."

May Allah make us among those whom the Prophet, peace be upon him, described by saying:

(Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 7354; graded Hasan by al-Albani)

"The most complete of the believers in faith are those with the best of manners — those who are easy to approach and deal with, who are humble, who like people and are liked by people." May Allah make us among them.

Second Khutbah: Why Does Allah Begin with Humility?

I asked myself: why did Allah begin the description of the believers — when it comes to character — with humility? Because you know what — your character is the key to accept what you carry. This deen, without good manners, is basically something that people will not be open to. One of the main goals of this deen is to change your character — to make you a person of excellence. It's not enough to be a Muslim only who prays and fasts. You have to also be a person of good manners. Islam has to change you — it has to change your character, the way you deal with people, the way you carry yourself with people.

And humbleness is a key to so many good things that can happen. التواضع مفتاح لكل خير. The humble person can always ask for help and they do not insist on everything being done their way — that makes you open to learning, and when you learn, you grow. التواضع سبب لطلب العلم والتعلم والسؤال.

The humble are quick to forgive others, difficult to offend, and content to wait on Allah's vindication when they have been wronged. التواضع يورث هذه الصفة في الإنسان — أن الإنسان يكون عنده استعداد. المتكبر لا يغفر.

They are patient and do not get frustrated with the weaknesses of others. التواضع ما يغضب على الناس بسرعة إذا رآهم لا يحسنون ما يحسن. The humble person is a peacemaker. In fact, we need humility to maintain peace in our lives — otherwise it's so easy to get frustrated and say "my way or no way at all." But there is a better way — a way that leads to peace with ourselves and others. التواضع مفتاح لأمور كثيرة من الخير. جعلنا الله وإياكم من أهل التواضع.

In a coming session, insha'Allah, we will continue talking about the other qualities of the 'ibad al-Rahman.

Du'a