Translation: Aboo Aamaal Misbaah Olagunju
The Sixth Counsel (O Student of Knowledge) is:
التواضع لله تعالى
HUMILITY FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH THE EXALTED
O brothers, be humble for the sake of Allah, and let everyone covet avoiding self exaltation, and be wary of tyranny, and also being scornful to people; the Messenger —Allah raise his rank and grant him peace— said: "Allah inspired on me that you should be humble; so that no one is oppressive towards another, and no one boasts over another. " (Sunan Abee Daawud: 4895).
Indeed whenever knowledge attains a lofty status for its companion amongst the Muslims, it becomes one of the path to transgression for some of them who aren't fortunate, then they transgress over, and scoffs at others, and you will find this in the declamation (boast) of some of the students of knowledge about what they have with them of knowledge and their scoffing at their colleagues and those who are with them, they continue to transgress until they start to trample on the early senior scholars of the Ummah, they trivialize their significance and mocks at their knowledge, and starts to seek out what has been mentioned about their slip ups or the mistakes that any of them (the senior scholars) had made in his books, thereafter they blow this error out of proportion to make it seem like a new affair that they only just uncovered, delighting in it; that it has became known that they are upon the status of verification (authentication), meanwhile hiding behind that scholar who is well revered by the people.
Because of this: the people of knowledge are cautioned against the transgression of knowledge and from the intoxication of knowledge; for indeed some people (of knowledge) are afflicted with transgression the same way it afflicts the rich who do not appropriate the wealth by considering it blessing requiring dealing pleasantly with; Allah —the exalted— said:
(كَلَّاۤ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَیَطۡغَىٰۤ أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰۤ)
"Nay! Verily, man does transgress all bounds (in disbelief and evil deed, etc.) * Because he considers himself self-sufficient."(Surah Al-Alaq: 6&7).
So man transgresses whenever he considers himself self-sufficient except for the one whom Allah makes fortunate and humbles himself for His Lord —the exalted—, similarly knowledge brings about transgression for the one whom Allah —the exalted— did not make fortunate, then you find him transgressing with his knowledge.
Therefore be covetous of humility O brothers and in avoiding self appraisal; for the one who elevates the slaves is Allah —the exalted—, and when Allah elevates you with your knowledge non can debase you, and if you discover that you desire to elevate yourself with knowledge and to put yourself forward beyond other than you by scoffing at him, then (know) that is from the indications of littleness of Tawfīq (success/being fortunate).
As a result of that be avaricious O my brother, towards Humility, and be attentive to avoidance of scoffing at an ignoramus for the ignorance of an affair, nor at your colleagues with you on the path of knowledge, nor at a teacher from amongst your teachers, and not at anyone from amongst the people of knowledge, crave after being humble towards/for the sake of your Lord firstly, and then to be easy with your brothers.
In a report, the prophet —Allah raise his rank and grant him peace— said: "I seek refuge with You from the evil of my soul". (Sunan At-Tirmidhi: 3392).
For it is important that refuge be sought from the evil of the souls; this is because the souls craves exaltation, as well as fame, so be avaricious towards humbling yourself for the sake of Allah, and be cautious of the traps of your soul, as ibn Qayyim —Allah be merciful to him— had said in An-Nūniyyah:
And be wary of the traps of your soul, that which when it comes out
Comes out to shatter you, a disgraceful shatter
And knock you out ragefully after throwing you down
In the middle of the lions den with flesh shredded.
So be humble for the sake of Allah —the exalted—, then look upon the entirety of your Muslim brothers with the gaze of humility.
For if Allah makes you fortunate to achieve what has been said by Bakr bin Abdillah and others like him amongst the pious predecessors, then you have achieved a great matter in humbling yourself and in avoiding haughtiness.
It has been reported from Bakr bin Abdillah and also from more than one of the pious predecessors —Allah be merciful with them— that they used to say: "whenever I went out and saw someone older than me I say: this one preceded me to Islam, and whenever I saw someone younger than I am I say: I am afront this one in sinning."
Meaning he neither elevate himself over the elder nor the younger, he considers the better of the affair to be with other than himself and he recalls it and says: "this one is older than me", that is; he has fasted before I started fasting, and observed Salah to Allah before I did, and observed much more Salah than I've done, like say for instance he is in his sixties (60s) while you are in your twenties (20s), you say: this has preceded me to Salah (prayer) and Sawm (fasting).
And whenever you see someone younger than you are, say: I preceded this one; because I was born before him, on the other hand, I have as well preceded him in sinning.
Contemplate upon this essential nurture for the soul upon Humility for the sake of Allah from whom blessing is sought, the exalted.
Al-Wasaayaa Litulaabil Ilm (15 – 18) — Ash-Shaykh Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul'Azeez Al-‘Anqariy
