Humbleness

أَرْسَلَ النَّجَاشِيُّ إِلَى جَعْفَرِ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ‌[1] وَ أَصْحَابِهِ فَدَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ وَ هُوَ فِي بَيْتٍ لَهُ جَالِسٌ عَلَى التُّرَابِ وَ عَلَيْهِ خُلْقَانُ الثِّيَابِ‌[2] قَالَ فَقَالَ جَعْفَرٌ ع فَأَشْفَقْنَا مِنْهُ حِينَ رَأَيْنَاهُ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ فَلَمَّا رَأَى مَا بِنَا وَ تَغَيُّرَ وُجُوهِنَا قَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي نَصَرَ مُحَمَّداً وَ أَقَرَّ عَيْنَهُ أَ لَا أُبَشِّرُكُمْ فَقُلْتُ بَل

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Once al-Najashi (a king of Abyssinia) called to his presence Ja’far ibn abu Talib and his companions. When they came in, they found the king sitting on the ground wearing two old pieces of cloth.’ The Imam said that Ja’far has said, ‘We felt compassion for him in our hearts when we saw

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ فِي السَّمَاءِ مَلَكَيْنِ مُوَكَّلَيْنِ بِالْعِبَادِ فَمَنْ تَوَاضَعَ لِلَّهِ رَفَعَاهُ وَ مَنْ تَكَبَّرَ وَضَعَاهُ.

“I heard the Imam saying, ‘In heaven there are two angels who guard the servants (of Allah). Whoever is humble before Allah, they raise him up, and whoever is arrogant, they bring him low.’”

أَفْطَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص- عَشِيَّةَ خَمِيسٍ فِي مَسْجِدِ قُبَا فَقَالَ هَلْ مِنْ شَرَابٍ فَأَتَاهُ أَوْسُ بْنُ خَوَلِيٍّ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ بِعُسِّ مَخِيضٍ بِعَسَلٍ‌[1] فَلَمَّا وَضَعَهُ عَلَى فِيهِ نَحَّاهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ شَرَابَانِ يُكْتَفَى بِأَحَدِهِمَا مِنْ صَاحِبِهِ لَا أَشْرَبُهُ وَ لَا أُحَرِّمُهُ وَ لَكِنْ أَتَوَاضَعُ لِلَّهِ فَإِنَّ مَنْ تَوَاضَعَ لِلَّهِ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ وَ مَنْ تَكَبَّرَ خَفَضَهُ اللَّهُ وَ م

‘‘In a Thursday evening the Messenger of Allah had completed his day’s fasting and dinner was served in the Mosque of Quba. He asked, ‘Is there any drink?’ Aws ibn Khuli brought him a bowl of milk mixed with honey. When he touched it with his lips he moved it away saying, ‘There are two drinks each of which is enough d

مَنْ أَكْثَرَ ذِكْرَ اللَّهِ أَظَلَّهُ اللَّهُ فِي جَنَّتِهِ‌[3].

‘‘Whoever speaks of Allah very often, Allah will provide him shadow in His paradise.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَذْكُرُ أَنَّهُ أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص مَلَكٌ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يُخَيِّرُكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ عَبْداً رَسُولًا مُتَوَاضِعاً أَوْ مَلِكاً رَسُولًا قَالَ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى جَبْرَئِيلَ وَ أَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ‌[4] أَنْ تَوَاضَعْ فَقَالَ عَبْداً مُتَوَاضِعاً رَسُولًا فَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ‌[5] مَعَ أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْقُصُكَ مِمَّا عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ شَيْئاً قَالَ وَ مَعَهُ مَفَاتِيحُ خَزَائِنِ الْ

“I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) saying, ‘Once an angel came to the Messenger of Allah and said, ‘‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, gives you the choice to be a servant and a humble messenger, or to be an angel and a messenger.” He looked to Jibril who made a gesture with his hand to be humble. He (the Messenger of A

مِنَ التَّوَاضُعِ أَنْ تَرْضَى بِالْمَجْلِسِ دُونَ الْمَجْلِسِ وَ أَنْ تُسَلِّمَ عَلَى مَنْ تَلْقَى وَ أَنْ تَتْرُكَ‌ الْمِرَاءَ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ مُحِقّاً وَ أَنْ لَا تُحِبَّ أَنْ تُحْمَدَ عَلَى التَّقْوَى.

“It is of humbleness to be happy with one seat instead of another seat, to initiate the greeting of peace to one who meets him and to avoid extreme argumentation even though one is right, and should not love to be praised for piety.”

أَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى مُوسَى ع أَنْ يَا مُوسَى أَ تَدْرِي لِمَ اصْطَفَيْتُكَ بِكَلَامِي دُونَ خَلْقِي قَالَ يَا رَبِّ وَ لِمَ ذَاكَ قَالَ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى إِلَيْهِ أَنْ يَا مُوسَى إِنِّي قَلَّبْتُ عِبَادِي ظَهْراً لِبَطْنٍ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ فِيهِمْ أَحَداً أَذَلَّ لِي نَفْساً مِنْكَ يَا مُوسَى إِنَّكَ إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ وَضَعْتَ خَدَّكَ عَلَى التُّرَابِ أَوْ قَالَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ.

“Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, sent revelation to Moses asking, ‘Moses, do you know why I chose you to speak to instead of My other creatures?’ He asked, ‘My Lord, why did You do so?’ The Imam said, ‘Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, revealed to Moses, “Moses, I turned My creatures upside down and I di

مَرَّ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ص عَلَى الْمُجَذَّمِينَ‌[2] وَ هُوَ رَاكِبٌ حِمَارَهُ وَ هُمْ يَتَغَدَّوْنَ‌[3] فَدَعَوْهُ إِلَى الْغَدَاءِ فَقَالَ أَمَا إِنِّي لَوْ لَا أَنِّي صَائِمٌ لَفَعَلْتُ فَلَمَّا صَارَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ أَمَرَ بِطَعَامٍ فَصُنِعَ وَ أَمَرَ أَنْ يَتَنَوَّقُوا فِيهِ‌[4] ثُمَّ دَعَاهُمْ فَتَغَدَّوْا عِنْدَهُ وَ تَغَدَّى مَعَهُمْ‌[5].

“Once, Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) was passing by the lepers while riding his donkey. They were having their lunch so they invited him to join them for food. The Imam said, ‘Had 1 not been fasting I would have joined you.’ When he returned home he asked that good food be prepared. He then invited the lepers for food and h

إِنَّ مِنَ التَّوَاضُعِ أَنْ يَجْلِسَ الرَّجُلُ دُونَ شَرَفِهِ.

"Verily, humility includes a man sitting below his social rank."

نَظَرَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ قَدِ اشْتَرَى لِعِيَالِهِ شَيْئاً وَ هُوَ يَحْمِلُهُ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ الرَّجُلُ اسْتَحْيَا مِنْهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع اشْتَرَيْتَهُ لِعِيَالِكَ وَ حَمَلْتَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمَا وَ اللَّهِ لَوْ لَا أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ لَأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أَشْتَرِيَ لِعِيَالِيَ الشَّيْ‌ءَ ثُمَّ أَحْمِلَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ‌[6].

Abū ʿAbdillāh (AS) looked at a man from the people of Medina who had bought something for his family and was carrying it. When the man saw him, he felt shy from him (the Imam). So Abū ʿAbdillāh (AS) said: "You bought it for your family and carried it to them. By Allah, if it were not for the people of Medina, I would p

فِيمَا أَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى دَاوُدَ ع يَا دَاوُدُ كَمَا أَنَّ أَقْرَبَ النَّاسِ‌ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْمُتَوَاضِعُونَ كَذَلِكَ أَبْعَدُ النَّاسِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ.

"In what Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, revealed to David (a.s.): 'O David, just as the closest people to Allah are the humble, likewise the farthest people from Allah are the arrogant.'"

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع فِي السَّنَةِ الَّتِي قُبِضَ فِيهَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا لَكَ ذَبَحْتَ كَبْشاً وَ نَحَرَ فُلَانٌ بَدَنَةً[1] فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ إِنَّ نُوحاً ع كَانَ فِي السَّفِينَةِ وَ كَانَ فِيهَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَ كَانَتِ السَّفِينَةُ مَأْمُورَةً فَطَافَتْ بِالْبَيْتِ وَ هُوَ طَوَافُ النِّسَاءِ وَ خَلَّى سَبِيلَهَا نُوحٌ ع فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ و

“I entered upon Abu al-Hasan Musa (a.s.) in the year when Abu Abdullah (a.s.) passed away. I said, 'May I be your ransom, why did you slaughter a ram while so-and-so sacrificed a camel?' He (peace be upon him) said, 'O Abu Muhammad, Noah (a.s.) was in the Ark, and it contained what Allah willed. The Ark was commanded (

قَالَ: التَّوَاضُعُ أَنْ تُعْطِيَ النَّاسَ- مَا تُحِبُّ أَنْ تُعْطَاهُ. - وَ فِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ قَالَ قُلْتُ مَا حَدُّ التَّوَاضُعِ الَّذِي إِذَا فَعَلَهُ الْعَبْدُ كَانَ مُتَوَاضِعاً فَقَالَ التَّوَاضُعُ دَرَجَاتٌ مِنْهَا أَنْ يَعْرِفَ الْمَرْءُ قَدْرَ نَفْسِهِ فَيُنْزِلَهَا مَنْزِلَتَهَا بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ لَا يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ إِلَى أَحَدٍ إِلَّا مِثْلَ مَا يُؤْتَى إِلَيْهِ إِنْ رَأَى سَيِّئَةً دَرَأَهَا[6] بِالْ