How can I become more humble and stop looking down on others?

Assalaamu ‘Alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh.

Alhamdulillaah, the fact that you realise your weakness is also a blessing. Unfortunately they are numerous people who suffer from this destrcutive disease, but are not even aware of it.

Allaah most High says in the Noble Qur’aan:

“…and indeed, what an evil abode will be for the arrogant.” (An-Nahl, 16:29)

The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alyhi wa sallam) once said: A person who holds pride in his heart, equivelent to the weight of a mustard seed, shall not enter Paradise.”

What is Pride? The definition of pride given by the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) himself in the Hadeeth consitutes of two aspects.

1. Reject the truth (unwillingness to accept the truth)

2. Regard people as insignificant

The gist of it, is to regard oneself as superior to another in any worldly or religous facet, thereby regarding others as insignificant. This is Haraam, and a major sin. Allaah says in the Qur’aan that a Allaah does not love those who are arrogant. This shows that there can never be a reletionship of love between Allaah and the arrogant one. What greater punishment can there be than to be deprived of Allaah’s love.

Whenever you begin to look down on someone, reprimand yourself, and think that you are not aware of the good in this person. And no matter how evil he may be, he is still far better than you. A believer at all times regards himself as the worst of Allaah’s creation.

Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi (rahmatullaahi alayh) used to make this Du’a to Allaah daily. “O Allaah, at present I am worse than every single muslim on the surface of the earth. And with regard to my outcome, then let alone human beings, I am even worse than dogs.” Because none of us know what our outcome is going to be. If, May Allaah forbid, we die without Imaan, then we will be worse than dogs, because even dogs will be turned into dust, whereas we would have to enter Jahannam. May Allaah protect us all. So the reality is what our status is going to be in the Akhirah. All other status and postition, and skills and facets, are worthless, and cannnot be a basis for pride.

One of the most effective ways to cure the disease of pride, mentioned by the Ahlullaah, is that one should adopt actions of the lower class and under-privelaged. Such as wearing patched clothes.

Another method prescribed by the Ahlullaah, is that whenever you see someone younger than yourself, think that he is younger than me, so ofcourse his sins too must be less than mine, therefore I am worse than him. And when you see someone older than yourself, think that he has lived longer than me, so he must have more good deeds than myself.

You can also recite the following Du’a:

“Allaahumm-aj’alnee fee ‘aynee sagheeran wa fee a’yun-in-naasi kabeeran”

And Allaah knows best.

Wassalaam.

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A. Z. Pandor