Humility in Islam: Quran and hadith

Texts from the Quran and from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim about humility. This is a collection of texts, not a ruling and not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar. All topics

From the Quran

وَعِبَادُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ هَوْنًۭا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ ٱلْجَٰهِلُونَ قَالُوا۟ سَلَٰمًۭا

And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,

وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍۢ فَخُورٍۢ

And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.

وَلَا تَمْشِ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَلَن تَبْلُغَ ٱلْجِبَالَ طُولًۭا

And do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth [apart], and you will never reach the mountains in height.

تِلْكَ ٱلدَّارُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّۭا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًۭا ۚ وَٱلْعَٰقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

That home of the Hereafter We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous.

لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ

Assuredly, Allah knows what they conceal and what they declare. Indeed, He does not like the arrogant.

قَالَ فَٱهْبِطْ مِنْهَا فَمَا يَكُونُ لَكَ أَن تَتَكَبَّرَ فِيهَا فَٱخْرُجْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰغِرِينَ

[Allah] said, "Descend from Paradise, for it is not for you to be arrogant therein. So get out; indeed, you are of the debased.

وَٱقْصِدْ فِى مَشْيِكَ وَٱغْضُضْ مِن صَوْتِكَ ۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ ٱلْأَصْوَٰتِ لَصَوْتُ ٱلْحَمِيرِ

And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; indeed, the most disagreeable of sounds is the voice of donkeys."

وَٱخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

And lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers.

From the hadith

مَا نَقَصَتْ صَدَقَةٌ مِنْ مَالٍ وَمَا زَادَ اللَّهُ عَبْدًا بِعَفْوٍ إِلاَّ عِزًّا وَمَا تَوَاضَعَ أَحَدٌ لِلَّهِ إِلاَّ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Charity does not decrease wealth, no one forgives another except that Allah increases his honor, and no one humbles himself for the sake of Allah except that Allah raises his status

لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ كِبْرٍ " . قَالَ رَجُلٌ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثَوْبُهُ حَسَنًا وَنَعْلُهُ حَسَنَةً . قَالَ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَمِيلٌ يُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْطُ النَّاسِ

It Is narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. Mas'ud that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), observed:He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise. A person (amongst his hearers) said: Verily a person loves that his dress should be fine, and his shoes should be fine. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Verily, Allah is Graceful and He loves Grace. Pride is disdaining the truth (out of self-conceit) and contempt for the people

الْمُسْلِمُ أَخُو الْمُسْلِمِ، لاَ يَظْلِمُهُ وَلاَ يُسْلِمُهُ، وَمَنْ كَانَ فِي حَاجَةِ أَخِيهِ كَانَ اللَّهُ فِي حَاجَتِهِ، وَمَنْ فَرَّجَ عَنْ مُسْلِمٍ كُرْبَةً فَرَّجَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَةً مِنْ كُرُبَاتِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَمَنْ سَتَرَ مُسْلِمًا سَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor. Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Resurrection

بَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ يَمْشِي قَدْ أَعْجَبَتْهُ جُمَّتُهُ وَبُرْدَاهُ إِذْ خُسِفَ بِهِ الأَرْضُ فَهُوَ يَتَجَلْجَلُ فِي الأَرْضِ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said that there was a person who used to walk with pride because of his thick hair and fine mantles. He was made to sink in the earth and he would go on sinking in the earth until the Last Hour would come

لاَ يَنْظُرُ اللَّهُ إِلَى مَنْ جَرَّ ثَوْبَهُ خُيَلاَءَ

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'Allah will not look at the person who drags his garment (behind him) out of conceit

بَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ يَمْشِي فِي حُلَّةٍ، تُعْجِبُهُ نَفْسُهُ مُرَجِّلٌ جُمَّتَهُ، إِذْ خَسَفَ اللَّهُ بِهِ، فَهْوَ يَتَجَلَّلُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (or 'Abul Qasim) said, "While a man was walking, clad in a two-piece garment and proud of himself with his hair well-combed, suddenly Allah made him sink into the earth and he will go on sinking into it till the Day of Resurrection

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنْ قَيْسٍ، عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، قَالَ مَا حَجَبَنِي النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُنْذُ أَسْلَمْتُ، وَلاَ رَآنِي إِلاَّ تَبَسَّمَ فِي وَجْهِي‏.‏ وَلَقَدْ شَكَوْتُ إِلَيْهِ أَنِّي لاَ أَثْبُتُ عَلَى الْخَيْلِ، فَضَرَبَ بِيَدِهِ فِي صَدْرِي وَقَالَ ‏ "‏ اللَّهُمَّ ثَبِّتْهُ وَاجْعَلْهُ هَادِيًا مَهْدِيًّا ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Jarir:The Prophet (ﷺ) did not screen himself from me (had never prevented me from entering upon him) since I embraced Islam, and whenever he saw me, he would receive me with a smile. Once I told him that I could not sit firm on horses. He stroked me on the chest with his hand, and said, "O Allah! Make him firm and make him a guiding and a rightly guided man

حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَكَمُ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ مَا كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصْنَعُ فِي بَيْتِهِ قَالَتْ كَانَ يَكُونُ فِي مِهْنَةِ أَهْلِهِ ـ تَعْنِي خِدْمَةَ أَهْلِهِ ـ فَإِذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ خَرَجَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ‏.‏

Narrated Al-Aswad:That he asked `Aisha "What did the Prophet (ﷺ) use to do in his house?" She replied, "He used to keep himself busy serving his family and when it was the time for prayer he would go for it

Quran verses use the Arabic text with the Sahih International translation. Hadith are from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. A translation is not the Quran itself, and one text does not give a full ruling. Open each link and read the text in its full context.

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