Feeling Wiser than others?
Asalaam Wa Alykum Wa Rahmat Allah Hi Wa Barakat
Hayaa is something that has become soo rare in the society that the one who has it is looked upon as “strange” or “weird”. Its absurd to disagree that our society has really become immodest and more evil. And many of us also are being affected and influenced by it. Things that are haraam hold no meaning for us. We pray yet it is as if we are distant from Allah. Lying is something very insignificant and cheating in exams is considered a great accomplishment (Btw cheating is a major sin...NOT a minor sin! {Fatwaa Sheikh Riyad Al-Musaimiry, a Saudi Muslim scholar}).
Ego, another huge problem after modesty has also blackened our hearts. It has made us rigid and so much so that we behave no different than how satan behaved when he was asked to bow down to Adam (A.S). It was his ego that made him rebel.
If one wants to come closer to Allah and maybe be among the WaliAllahs (close friends of Allah), s/he needs to TRY to be modest and get rid of his/her ego/pride. It might be tough for those who poses ego to get rid of it, but remember, in Islam the reward is based on one’s sincere tries rather than the end results.
Modesty and good manners are something that either a person has naturally (lucky brother/sister) or has to work for it. Definitely having modesty and good manners naturally is a blessing and mercy from Allah and better than working for it. But it is important to have modesty as it plays a huge role in the lives of Muslims because it is a very important part of our Imaan (faith/belief). If we do not have any form of haya within us then it is most likely that our Iman is very weak. For as it states in the following hadith:
Narrated by Abu Huraira (RAA): The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya is a part of faith." {Bukhari---Translation of the Hadith}
We also learn from the Prophet (PBUH) the importance of having haya and how it is not something to be ashamed of, but instead, one should be concerned and ashamed if they do not possess it within their character.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar (RAA): The Prophet (PBUH) passed by a man who was admonishing his brother regarding Haya and was saying, "You are very shy, and I am afraid that might harm you." On that, Allah's Apostle said, "Leave him, for Haya is (a part) of Faith." {Bukhari---Translation of the Hadith}
Now the above hadith is also a form of proof that "shyness" is not just something regarding women but also an attribute that believing men should have, for it is an indication if their fear of Allah and an indication of the value of their Deen.
We often find that shyness, humility and bashfulness is frowned upon by our society as a weakness or a lack of confidence when, in fact these are quality of a dignified upright human being, who is conscious of their actions and their responsibilities in life.Haya' is of two kinds: good and bad:
The good Hayâ' is to be ashamed to commit a sin or a thing which Allah and His Messenger (saws) has forbidden, and bad Hayâ' is to feel ashamed to do a thing, which Allah and His Messenger (saws) ordered to do.
So if you really want to be raised in honour and come more closer to Allah then this is one of the things that you should be striving for.
Next in the list comes ego. This is one of the biggest problems that affect most of us today. How to know if you have ego problems? If someone corrects you or advices you (be it in a rude manner or wise manner, whether you like the advice or agree with it or not) you start being offended and start arguing, justifying your stand and pointing out the mistakes of the adviser, then my brother/sister, you have ego problems. If you look down at people and are repealed if someone is correcting your religion, then you have ego problems. If it is really hard for you to say “sorry” even just for the sake of finishing the argument, or thank you, then my dear brother/sister, you do have ego problems. If your heart does not feel anything when you hear about Islam and the Quran that you have become rigid and a victim of ego.
Pride inflates a person’s ego to the extent that his/her rationality ceases to function. Abu Jahl’s denial of the prophet hood of Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was because of pride in his clan and inter tribal rivalry with the Banu Hashim. He was one of the fiercest opponents of Islam till the day he died, despite believing that Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was truly a prophet. The words of Abu Jahl in this regard are: “By God, I know that he is not a liar, but I cannot simply join him; my tribe (Bani Makhzoom) and his have always competed against one another. They took the responsibility of providing water for the pilgrims, so we took the responsibility of providing assistance. We host many with food and drink exactly as they do. Now that we are of an almost equal status, they say that amongst them is a prophet! That is too much to compete with!” So Abu Jahl rejected the prophet hood of Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) to protect his pride, even if it meant going to hell for it. Thus we see how short-sighted pride makes a person.
The short sightedness that pride inspires causes one to overlook the most serious of consequences. What is most relevant for each of us is to investigate which truths we are denying or brushing aside because we don’t like the people who are the carriers of that truth or consider them to be beneath us.
How can you get rid of this? By remembering Allah more. When you remember Allah all the time, you are remembering someone who is greater than yourself. And the more you remember His greatness the more it reminds you of how weak you are. So it keeps your ego checked. The more egotistical you become, the more its a sign of the fact that you don’t remember Allah. If you really are remembering Allah all the time, you wouldn’t have time to be obsessed with your ego; you will be obsessed with Allah and his magnificent power. You will be humbled by it all the time. So the first thing about the people of pure mind is that they remember Allah and anything taking them away from Allah, they see them as enemies. Thus the permanent cure for all the evil is to mend your relationship with Allah and do acts that increase your love for Him. If I see a brother drinking, I won’t go and tell him what a grave sin he is doing right away. I’d try to mend his relation with his Lord and then these things naturally follow inshallah.
Ego, another huge problem after modesty has also blackened our hearts. It has made us rigid and so much so that we behave no different than how satan behaved when he was asked to bow down to Adam (A.S). It was his ego that made him rebel.
If one wants to come closer to Allah and maybe be among the WaliAllahs (close friends of Allah), s/he needs to TRY to be modest and get rid of his/her ego/pride. It might be tough for those who poses ego to get rid of it, but remember, in Islam the reward is based on one’s sincere tries rather than the end results.
Modesty and good manners are something that either a person has naturally (lucky brother/sister) or has to work for it. Definitely having modesty and good manners naturally is a blessing and mercy from Allah and better than working for it. But it is important to have modesty as it plays a huge role in the lives of Muslims because it is a very important part of our Imaan (faith/belief). If we do not have any form of haya within us then it is most likely that our Iman is very weak. For as it states in the following hadith:
Narrated by Abu Huraira (RAA): The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya is a part of faith." {Bukhari---Translation of the Hadith}
We also learn from the Prophet (PBUH) the importance of having haya and how it is not something to be ashamed of, but instead, one should be concerned and ashamed if they do not possess it within their character.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar (RAA): The Prophet (PBUH) passed by a man who was admonishing his brother regarding Haya and was saying, "You are very shy, and I am afraid that might harm you." On that, Allah's Apostle said, "Leave him, for Haya is (a part) of Faith." {Bukhari---Translation of the Hadith}
Now the above hadith is also a form of proof that "shyness" is not just something regarding women but also an attribute that believing men should have, for it is an indication if their fear of Allah and an indication of the value of their Deen.
We often find that shyness, humility and bashfulness is frowned upon by our society as a weakness or a lack of confidence when, in fact these are quality of a dignified upright human being, who is conscious of their actions and their responsibilities in life.Haya' is of two kinds: good and bad:
The good Hayâ' is to be ashamed to commit a sin or a thing which Allah and His Messenger (saws) has forbidden, and bad Hayâ' is to feel ashamed to do a thing, which Allah and His Messenger (saws) ordered to do.
So if you really want to be raised in honour and come more closer to Allah then this is one of the things that you should be striving for.
Next in the list comes ego. This is one of the biggest problems that affect most of us today. How to know if you have ego problems? If someone corrects you or advices you (be it in a rude manner or wise manner, whether you like the advice or agree with it or not) you start being offended and start arguing, justifying your stand and pointing out the mistakes of the adviser, then my brother/sister, you have ego problems. If you look down at people and are repealed if someone is correcting your religion, then you have ego problems. If it is really hard for you to say “sorry” even just for the sake of finishing the argument, or thank you, then my dear brother/sister, you do have ego problems. If your heart does not feel anything when you hear about Islam and the Quran that you have become rigid and a victim of ego.
Pride inflates a person’s ego to the extent that his/her rationality ceases to function. Abu Jahl’s denial of the prophet hood of Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was because of pride in his clan and inter tribal rivalry with the Banu Hashim. He was one of the fiercest opponents of Islam till the day he died, despite believing that Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was truly a prophet. The words of Abu Jahl in this regard are: “By God, I know that he is not a liar, but I cannot simply join him; my tribe (Bani Makhzoom) and his have always competed against one another. They took the responsibility of providing water for the pilgrims, so we took the responsibility of providing assistance. We host many with food and drink exactly as they do. Now that we are of an almost equal status, they say that amongst them is a prophet! That is too much to compete with!” So Abu Jahl rejected the prophet hood of Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) to protect his pride, even if it meant going to hell for it. Thus we see how short-sighted pride makes a person.
The short sightedness that pride inspires causes one to overlook the most serious of consequences. What is most relevant for each of us is to investigate which truths we are denying or brushing aside because we don’t like the people who are the carriers of that truth or consider them to be beneath us.
How can you get rid of this? By remembering Allah more. When you remember Allah all the time, you are remembering someone who is greater than yourself. And the more you remember His greatness the more it reminds you of how weak you are. So it keeps your ego checked. The more egotistical you become, the more its a sign of the fact that you don’t remember Allah. If you really are remembering Allah all the time, you wouldn’t have time to be obsessed with your ego; you will be obsessed with Allah and his magnificent power. You will be humbled by it all the time. So the first thing about the people of pure mind is that they remember Allah and anything taking them away from Allah, they see them as enemies. Thus the permanent cure for all the evil is to mend your relationship with Allah and do acts that increase your love for Him. If I see a brother drinking, I won’t go and tell him what a grave sin he is doing right away. I’d try to mend his relation with his Lord and then these things naturally follow inshallah.
REFERENCE
[1] Mission, Islam. Haya (shyness) . Retrieved from http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/Haya.htm
[2] Nouman, Ali Khan. (2010). Islam & ego. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtjwtmjbOKE
[3] Nouman, Ali Khan. (2010). Youth session. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSv0o5PaAsI&playnext_from=QL
[1] Mission, Islam. Haya (shyness) . Retrieved from http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/Haya.htm
[2] Nouman, Ali Khan. (2010). Islam & ego. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtjwtmjbOKE
[3] Nouman, Ali Khan. (2010). Youth session. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSv0o5PaAsI&playnext_from=QL
