Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali: Humility and Compassion with those who disobey Allah

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Ibn Rajab رحمه الله said in Jami’ Ulum wal Ahkam, his commentary on Hadith Number 13 of the Forty Hadith:

Some of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) said:

التواضع أن تقبل الحق من كل من جاء به وإن كان صغيرًا فمن قبل الحق ممن جاء به سواء كان صغيرًا أو كبيرًا وسواء كان يحبه أو لا يحبه فهو متواضع ومن أبي قبول الحق تعاظما عليه فهو متكبر

Humility is that you accept the truth from anyone who brings it, even if they are young. Whoever accepts the truth from whoever brings it to him, whether they are young or old, whether he loves them or not, then he is humble. Whoever refuses to accept the truth because he regards himself as too important beside it [or as compared to the person who speaks it to him], then he is arrogantly proud.

Despising people is to look down on them and repulse them, which results from looking at one’s self and seeing only perfections and looking at others and seeing only imperfections.

On the whole, the believer should love for the believers what he loves for himself, and hate for them what he hates for himself. If he sees in his brother Muslim some defect in his religion then he should exert himself to put it right.

Some of the righteous from the Salaf said:

أهل المحبة لله نظروا بنور الله وعطفوا على أهل معاصي الله مقتوا أعمالهم وعطفوا عليهم ليزيلوهم بالمواعظ عن فعالهم وأشفقوا على أبدانهم من النار ولا يكون المؤمن مؤمنا حقا حتى يرضى للناس ما يرضاه لنفسه وإن رأى في غيره فضيلة فاق بها عليه فيتمنى لنفسه مثلها فإن كانت تلك الفضيلة دينية كان حسنا وقد تمنى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لنفسه منزلة الشهادة

The people who love Allah look by the light of Allah, and they are compassionate with those who disobey Allah. They hate their actions but show mercy to them so that through their admonitions they might leave their actions. They are afraid that the Fire will consume their bodies. The believer will not truly be a believer until he is pleased for people to have what he is pleased for himself. If he sees in someone else some merit by which they excel him, then he wishes the like of it for himself. If that merit is related to the religion then it is good. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم wished martyrdom for himself.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لاَ حَسَدَ إِلاَّ فِي اثْنَتَيْنِ رَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً فَسَلَّطَهُ عَلَى هَلَكَتِهِ فِي الْحَقِّ، وَرَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ حِكْمَةً فَهْوَ يَقْضِي بِهَا وَيُعَلِّمُهَا

There is to be no envy except with respect to two [cases]: a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it [in charity] day and night, and a man whom Allah has given wisdom with which he judges and he teaches it to others.

[Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 24, Number 490]

[Ibn, R. A.-R. A. (2007). The compendium of knowledge and wisdom. London: Turath Publishing. p. 194-195]

Taken from Faith in Allah

  Has not the time yet come for those who believe that 

their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah 

and what has come down of the truth? 

[Surah Al Hadid 57:16]