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Knowledge Should Increase a Person in Humility – Shaykh Al-Uthaymeen (rahimahullah)

Shaykh Uthaymeen in explanation of verse 54 of Suratul Maa’idah explains the affair of humility.

This verse comprises of praise for the one who is humble to the believers, he lowers his wings to them – i.e. he is compassionate and is humble for indeed these are characteristics which Allah (the Mighty and Majestic) loves. In opposition to whoever looks down upon his believing brothers then this is not praiseworthy in the sight of Allah, or with the creation. Due to this you should know that every time your eemaan increases you (should) increase in humility, and every time your knowledge increases it (should) increase you in humility, some people – We ask Allah not to make us from them – when his knowledge increases he puffs up with pride and becomes arrogant and he does not speak with the people except with disdain, and when the people speak to him he ignores them, and says “what did you say?” whilst he knows, he heard all of their speech but out of arrogance ignores them, and there is no doubt that this is a grave shortcoming, because every time your knowledge increases it’s a must that your humility increases.


Tafseer Suratul Ma’idah verse 54 of Shaykh Al-Uthaymeen (Allah have Mercy upon him)

Humility is a Cause for the Truth to be Accepted – Shaykh Al-Uthaymeen (rahimahullah)

Some benefits extracted by Shaykh al-Uthaymeen in explanation of verse 82 of Surah al-Ma’idah:

Humility is from the means for the acceptance of truth and gaining affection of the believers.

A benefit taken from this verse is that arrogance is a cause of rejecting the truth, humility is a means for the truth to be accepted, because a person should not hold himself to be infallible, so when the truth becomes clear to him he follows it. Umar (Allah be pleased with him) wrote to Abu Moosa Al-Ash’aree (Allah be pleased with him) and said, “Do not let an affair which you have performed today prevent you from returning to the truth tomorrow” or speech similar to this; meaning that you follow and adhere to the truth wherever it is and you humble yourself to the truth, humble yourself in face of the truth.

Does this humility in face of the truth mean that a person is lowly? No, because the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa salam) said, “Whoever humbles himself for Allah, Allah raises him” and whoever humbles himself to the truth is given success in following the truth, and a sign of this is if the truth becomes clear to you, you follow it immediately without hesitation or argumentation, if you hesitate or debate then it is extremely dangerous for you, Allah (The Most High) said,

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفۡـِٔدَتَهُمۡ وَأَبۡصَٰرَهُمۡ كَمَا لَمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِهِۦٓ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time

Al-An’am 6:110

Due to this, when they truth becomes clear to you, do not debate or argue, going left and right attempting to justify yourself, for indeed you are in danger. Allah (The Mighty and Majestic) said,

بَلۡ كَذَّبُواْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمۡ فَهُمۡ فِىٓ أَمۡرٍ مَّرِيجٍ

Nay, but they have denied the truth (this Quran) when it has come to them, so they are in a confused state (can not differentiate between right and wrong). Qaf 50:5

For them truth is mixed/confused with falsehood.

Pay attention to this, you are a student of knowledge and it’s possible that someone opposes you from the people based upon evidence however you want to impose your opinion (upon others), this is a grave error!

Follow the truth wherever it is, the people will follow you wherever you are because the people desire and seek the truth, so if they see that you follow the truth when it becomes clear to you and you return to the truth, they will return (and follow the truth).

Therefore, humbling oneself to the truth in reality it raises, just as the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa salam) said, “Whoever humbles himself for Allah, Allah raises him” and in opposition to that is arrogance – Refuge is sought with Allah – arrogance causes the truth not to be accepted nor followed.


Tafseer SuraH Ma’idah verse 82 of Shaykh Al-Uthaymeen (Allah have Mercy upon him)

The Fitna of Self-Amazement Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymin

Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymin [may Allah have mercy upon him] stated:

One of the trials and tribulations is that some students of knowledge are afflicted with self-amazement, being opinionated, dismissive of others, and not giving attention to their statements to the extent that a person portrays himself as if he is the scholar of the Ummah and its genius. This disease, I mean: the disease of self-amazement, is one of the most harmful things to a person, especially the students of knowledge because if a man is amazed with his own opinion, he becomes dismissive of others, gives no value to their opinions and have no qualms about opposing others, and you find him walking on the ground as if he were walking on the air due to the intensity of the self-amazement in him.

This reaches the point where a man holds a weak opinion without any validity, embraces it, and diminishes the value of others who possess the knowledge and insight that he does not possess because he encounters a hadith that he is unaware contradicts others, and he is unaware that it is weak or restricted by another hadith in meaning or ruling, but he embraces it. If only he would embrace it and others are safe from his evil, but instead he embraces it and (proceeds) to declare erroneous those who are better than him knowledge and devotion in religion. This is a grave ailment that inevitably leads the afflicted person – and we seek refuge in Allah from it – to be blinded from the truth, perceiving falsehood as truth and truth as falsehood.

Indeed, I have heard about some young individual among the seekers of knowledge who was once presented with Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal’s statement and told, “You say such-and-such, while Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, said such-and-such”, so he stated, “And who is Ahmad Ibn Hanbal? He is a man, and I am a man.” Manhood in knowledge and religion requires knowledge and piety. Let us consider that you are a man and Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, is also a man, however, are you on the same level as Imam Ahmad in terms of knowledge, his indifference to the permissible things of worldly life that are of no source of reward in the Hereafter, and his piety?! O my brother! Fear Allah, and recognise your own value. Whoever recognises his own value, the people will recognise it. Whoever is amazed by himself, their worth diminishes in the eyes of the people. This (self-amazement) is one of the major trials. That’s why you find a man speaking to you while he is a young student who is proud, and self-elevated, neither relents nor is truth clear to him because they are amazed by themselves. This is one of the trials and tribulations. We ask Allah to include us among those who recognise their true worth and keep it in its rightful place.


An Excerpt from “Mawqif Al-Muslim Min Al-Fitan”. page 18-19

The Correct Aqīdah – Makes You Humble – Shaykh Rabī B. Hādi

The Correct Aqīdah – Makes You Humble

Shaykh Rabī ibn Hādi Al-Madkhalī:

If Allāh makes firm a person upon His True Religion, upon the True Methodology of Allāh and upon correct belief, then this is a blessing from Allāh. Therefore, he should not be deceived by himself or be arrogant and proud.

Rather, he only humbles himself to Allāh (The Lord of all that exists) and thanks him (for making him firm) and he implores Him (The Glorified and Most High) to preserve his religion for him, and to avert from him dangers and deviation.


Al-Wasāya Al-Manhajīya Page 10

Way of the Prophets in Supplicating to Allah – Shaykh Shaykh Sālih Al-Fawzān

Shaykh Sālih Al-Fawzān (hafidahullāh):

It is a must that the Muslim supplicates and calls upon his Lord in every time and location. He (should) humble himself to Allāh because this is the way of the Prophets and Messengers (alayhimus salātu was salām.)


Source: Official website of the Shaykh.