Humility: A Great Form of Worship

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radition has it that every person is a sinner and the best one is he who repents for his sins, which is a great form of worship. This relates to God as well as human beings. When you acknowledge your wrongdoing before God, this is called ‘repentance’ or tawbah, and when in relation to human beings, repentance means admitting that one was wrong. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2499)

A study of the lives of the Prophet’s Companions reveals that they were truly and frequently repentant. There were many occasions when one of the Companions said that he had made a mistake and asked for forgiveness, even although in the purely legal sense, he had not made any kind of mistake. This was because they felt that they might have erred unintentionally.

Why was this so? It was because saying ‘I was wrong’ is in fact to establish one’s humility. According to Islamic doctrine or belief, at all times the angels of God are near to every person. They are constantly noting down records of man’s words and deeds. In such a situation, it is absolutely natural that a true believer will be extremely serious about the angels recording him as a humble person and not as a rebellious one.

This feeling is natural. It arises consciously or unconsciously, in everyone. Therefore, a believer does not like to appear as an arrogant person in the eyes of the angels. Even in the case where apparently he has not made a mistake, because of his humility, he often utters these words: “I was at fault”, (I was in the wrong). By not admitting the mistake, rebellious emotions get the better of one. On the contrary, by admitting mistakes, one demonstrates his humility. Refusal to accept one’s wrongdoings shows arrogance, whereas admitting one’s mistakes is a sign of the true believer who has surrendered himself before the Lord.

What is Taqwa?

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t is recorded in a tradition that Umar Faruq once asked Ubayy ibn Kaab what taqwa was. He replied, “Have you ever passed by thorny bushes?” He said he had. Ubayy ibn Kaab then asked, “What did you do then?” Umar Faruq said that he had gathered up his clothes and cautiously kept away from the thorns, so as not to get entangled. Ubayy ibn Kaab replied that that was taqwa. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol. 1, p. 75)

We learn the reality of taqwa from this tradition. Taqwa actually means that in this world, one should keep away from all kinds of trials and tribulations. It can be summed up in one phrase, a ‘cautious approach’. At all times in the world there are different types of temptations, and great and small tribulations. In such conditions, the way of taqwa is for a person to keep sedulously away from all these and adopt a cautious approach on all occasions.

Two things are very important to be able to adhere to this path—sincerity and introspection. That is, to reflect upon everything very seriously and to introspect at all times. These two practices will act as a guarantee that one will continue to remain on the path of taqwa and will steer clear of non-godly paths which will lead to distraction.

Taqwa does not mean adopting some outward form of dress. It is mentioned in the tradition that taqwa relates to the heart. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2864-a)

Those who reflect deeply on matters will be able to follow this path of taqwa. In reality, taqwa is the name of one’s internal state. If a person is not God-conscious internally, no outward form or practice can grant him the status of a person imbued with taqwa. According to a hadith, God does not see the outward form, but sees one’s heart, i.e., one’s inner state. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2864-b)