The Humility of Dust, the Secret of Perfection

🌼🔆🌼The Humility of Stone🌼🔆🌼

🌹🔅☘️ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ ☘️🔅🌹

🔅🌹 “Transcendent Humility”  “The Miracle of Humility”  “The Reward of Humility” “Commentary on Supplication 20 of al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya”  “Session 216” and more … Summary with addendum       1403.01.30    Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141(903)  🌹🔅

🔅🌼O God, grant me breadth on every side 🌼🔅

🌷🔆وَ لَا تَرْفَعْنِي فِي النَّاسِ دَرَجَةً إِلَّا حَطَطْتَنِي عِنْدَ نَفْسِي مِثْلَهَا، وَ لَا تُحْدِثْ لِي عِزّاً ظَاهِراً إِلَّا أَحْدَثْتَ لِي ذِلَّةً بَاطِنَةً عِنْدَ نَفْسِي بِقَدَرِهَا.

🌹O God, do not raise me to rank and standing among people without bringing me down, breaking me, and lowering me in my own eyes to the same degree.

🌹O Lord, do not grant me outward esteem, honor, respect, and distinction without bringing inward humiliation and abasement before my own soul.

🌹The heights one attains among people, when balanced by the humble lowliness of the self, bring inner poise, gentleness, and peace. Outward honor finds its balance in inward softness.

🌹Every distinction that becomes visible must be safeguarded by the garment and protection of humility. A flame, beneath its dazzling light, spreads gentle warmth and radiance within its own protective covering.

🌹Distinctions and heights between God and His servant that have no outward manifestation possess their own station and character. In that utter privacy, the delicate bond with the Beloved must be kept intact, along with an acknowledgment of the blessings granted through the All-Merciful.

🌻🔆Hud: 88   … وَ ما تَوْفيقي‏ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَ إِلَيْهِ أُنيبُ

🔆… My success is only through God. In Him I put my trust, and to Him I turn in repentance.

 🔅🌼O God, adorn me with the many forms of humility 🌼🔅

🌹Every limb and faculty must experience humility. Whatever part is adorned with humility becomes connected to God.

🌹Humility in how we treat others, in meeting them, and in keeping ties

🌹Humility toward oneself

🌹Humility in looking, listening, speaking, and attending

🌹Humility in food, sexual relations, clothing, and transport: in all these, the humble person brings themselves below the level of their means and abilities.

🌷🔆وَ مَلْبَسُهُمُ الِاقْتِصَادُ وَ مَشْيُهُمُ‏ التَّوَاضُع‏[1]

🔆Their clothing reflects moderation, and their conduct and way of life are marked by humility.

🌹The more far-reaching humility is, the greater its effects and its majesty.

🌹The vast garden of the human being blossoms through humility at every level.

🌹Humility brings virtues to light and is the foundation of growth, beauty, and flourishing.

🔅🌼The Measure of Humility’s Reward🌼🔅

🌹The reward for humility has no measure or limit.

🌷🔆 وَ اعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ‏ يَرْفَعِ‏ الْمُتَوَاضِعِينَ‏ بِقَدْرِ تَوَاضُعِهِمْ وَ لَكِنْ رَفَعَهُمْ بِقَدْرِ عَظَمَتِهِ وَ مَجْدِهِ وَ لَمْ يُؤْمِنِ الْخَائِفِينَ بِقَدْرِ خَوْفِهِمْ وَ لَكِنْ آمَنَهُمْ بِقَدْرِ كَرَمِهِ وَ جُودِهِ وَ لَمْ يُفَرِّحِ الْمَحْزُونِينَ بِقَدْرِ حُزْنِهِمْ وَ لَكِنْ‏ فَرَّحَهُمْ بِقَدْرِ رَأْفَتِهِ وَ رَحْمَتِه‏[2]

🔆Imam Kadhim (peace be upon him) said: … Know that God raises the humble not in proportion to their humility, but according to His own greatness and majesty; grants peace to those who fear Him not in proportion to their fear, but according to His own nobility and generosity; and gladdens the sorrowful not in proportion to their grief, but according to His own compassion and mercy.

🔅🌼Humility Is the Sweetness of Worship🌼🔅

🌷🔆 وَ قَالَ‏ مَا لِي لَا أَرَى عَلَيْكُمْ‏ حَلَاوَةَ الْعِبَادَةِ قَالُوا وَ مَا حَلَاوَةُ الْعِبَادَةِ قَالَ التَّوَاضُعُ‏[3]

🔆 The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: “Why do I not see in you the sweetness of worship?” His companions asked, “What is the sweetness of worship?” The Prophet replied, “Humility.”

🌹Humility in worship, and worship in humility: this is the sweetness, grace, beauty and majesty of servitude to God.

Complete obedience is complete humility in servitude; humility in all other respects falls under this.

🔅🌼 The Humility of Stone 🌼🔅

🌻🔆Al-Baqarah: 74   ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً وَ إِنَّ مِنَ الْحِجارَةِ لَما يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ الْأَنْهارُ وَ إِنَّ مِنْها لَما يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ الْماءُ وَ إِنَّ مِنْها لَما يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ وَ مَا اللَّهُ بِغافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

🔆Then, after this, your hearts hardened and became like stones—or even harder. For there are stones from which rivers gush forth; others split open and water flows from them; and others fall down in awe of God. God is not unaware of what you do.

🌹There are worlds within stones: stones that vie with flowers and stars, stones that put flowers to shame, stones that are alive. The secret of their life and beauty lies in their worship, remembrance, knowledge and humility.

🌷🔆 ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَ إِنَّ مِنْها يَعْنِي مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ لَما يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ‏ إِذَا أَقْسَمَ‏ عَلَيْهَا بِاسْمِ‏ اللَّهِ وَ بِأَسَامِي أَوْلِيَائِهِ: مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلِيٍّ وَ فَاطِمَةَ وَ الْحَسَنِ وَ الْحُسَيْنِ وَ الطَّيِّبِينَ مِنْ آلِهِمْ ص، وَ لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ شَيْ‏ءٌ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْخَيْرَاتِ.[4]

🔆 Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him): … Out of awe of God, some of these stones come down when they are adjured by God and by the names of His chosen ones—Muhammad (peace be upon him), Fatima (peace be upon her), Hasan (peace be upon him), Husayn (peace be upon him), and his pure descendants (peace be upon them). Yet no such effect is found in your hearts.

🔅🌼 The Humility of Earth 🌼🔅

🌻🔆Fussilat: 39   وَ مِنْ آياتِهِ أَنَّكَ تَرَى الْأَرْضَ خاشِعَةً فَإِذا أَنْزَلْنا عَلَيْهَا الْماءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَ رَبَتْ إِنَّ الَّذي أَحْياها لَمُحْيِ الْمَوْتى‏ إِنَّهُ عَلى‏ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ قَديرٌ

🔆Among His signs is that you see the earth lying barren; then, when We send down rain upon it, it stirs and swells with growth. Surely the One who gives it life will bring the dead to life. He has power over all things.

🌹Flowers, fragrance, nectar, fruit and beauty are the fruits and traces of the earth’s humility. In this way, God the Great exalts the humble.

🔅🌼 Water works miracles with humble earth 🌼🔅

🌻🔆Al-Hajj: 5   … وَ تَرَى الْأَرْضَ هامِدَةً فَإِذا أَنْزَلْنا عَلَيْهَا الْماءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَ رَبَتْ وَ أَنْبَتَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهيجٍ

🔆You see the earth dry and lifeless; then, when We send down water upon it, it stirs, swells, and brings forth every kind of delightful plant and sapling.

🌹Water plays a melody of beauty upon the soul of the earth.

🔅🌼 The Kaaba’s humility turned the earth into a garden 🌼🔅

🌷🔆 «كَانَتِ الأَرْضُ‏ خَاشِعَةً عَلَى الماءِ، ثُمَّ دُحِيَتْ».

🌷🔆 «كَانَتِ الكَعْبَةُ خَاشِعَةً على الماءِ فدُحِيَتْ مِنْهَا الأَرْضُ».

🌷🔆 «خَلَقَ اللّه البَيت قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ الأَرْضَ بِأَلْفِ عامٍ، و كانَ البَيْتُ زُبْدَةً بَيْضَاءَ حِينَ كانَ العَرْشُ عَلَى الماءِ، و كانَتِ الأَرْضُ تَحْتَهُ كَأَنَّهَا خَاشِعَةٌ عَلَى الماءِ».

🌷🔆And يُرْوَى: خَشَفَةً، فدُحِيَت الأَرْضُ مِن تَحْتِهِ.[5]

🔆The earth humbled itself before the water, then spread out.

🔆God created the House a thousand years before creating the earth. At that time, the House was a white foam, while the Throne was upon the water; the earth below it was as if submerged in the water.

🔆The Kaaba was submerged in the water, and the earth spread out from beneath it.

🌹The earth sprouted from the body of the Kaaba like a flower

🌹Humility before the Real and the truth elevates a being. All the beauty in the world has its roots in humility. Humility before divine authority and truth made water sweet, flowers fresh, birds colorful and melodious, nectar sweet, stone into diamond and agate, the sky star-studded, and trees fruitful.

🔅🌼The deeper the exhale, the higher the inhale🌼🔅

🌹To descend is not to become small; it is the foundation of rising tall,

🌹To dive into the water and sink beneath its surface is not humiliation; it is to attain greatness

🔅🌼Purification comes before adornment🌼🔅

🌷🔆 قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِعَبْدٍ خَيْراً أَلْهَاهُ عَنْ مَحَاسِنِهِ وَ جَعَلَ مَسَاوِيهِ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ وَ كَرَّهَهُ مُجَالَسَةَ الْمُعْرِضِينَ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَ الْحَيَاءُ خَمْسَةُ أَنْوَاعٍ حَيَاءُ ذَنْبٍ وَ حَيَاءُ تَقْصِيرٍ وَ حَيَاءُ كَرَامَةٍ وَ حَيَاءُ حُبٍّ وَ حَيَاءُ هَيْبَةٍ وَ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَهْلٌ وَ لِأَهْلِهِ مَرْتَبَةٌ عَلَى حِدَة[6]

🔆The Noble Prophet (PBUH) said: “When God Most High wills goodness for someone, He turns them away from dwelling on their own virtues and good qualities, brings their faults and shortcomings clearly before their eyes, and makes them averse to keeping company with those who turn away from the remembrance of God Most High.”

There are five kinds of modesty:

1- Modesty in the face of sin:

2- Modesty over one’s failings and shortcomings

3- Modesty of honor.

4- Modesty of love

5- Modesty of awe.

Each kind has its own people and those suited to it, and each group has its own particular station and rank.

🔅🌼How wonderful—we are all created by the Creator🌼🔅

🌹How wonderful! We are all created by the Creator and beloved of the Worshipped One

🌹A great social test is unavoidable: a contest in social humility. We must know that we are all princes and princesses, all descended from a single soul.

🌹Everything in the world is His handiwork, His creation and under His care. He is the Creator of all things.

🌹Beings appeared in different forms to carry out their particular duties and missions. Every being has its own chosen field; the harder the chosen field, the greater the test.

🌻🔆 النساء : 1 يا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ واحِدَةٍ وَ خَلَقَ مِنْها زَوْجَها وَ بَثَّ مِنْهُما رِجالاً كَثيراً وَ نِساءً وَ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذي تَسائَلُونَ بِهِ وَ الْأَرْحامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقيباً

🔆O people, be mindful of your Lord, who created you all from a single human being, and from that being created its mate, and from the two spread many men and women throughout the earth. Be mindful of God, in whose name you make requests of one another, and honor your family ties. Surely God is ever watchful over you.

🌻🔆البقرة : 163 وَ إِلهُكُمْ إِلهٌ واحِدٌ لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الرَّحْمنُ الرَّحيمُ

🔆Your God is One God; there is no deity except Him, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

🌹 Above all, we should remember this truth: all beings are servants of the one God—not only human beings, but every creature.

🔅🌼Humility before all of existence🌼🔅

🌹 A person should be humble before every being in existence.

🌻🔆Al-An‘am: 38   وَ ما مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ لا طائِرٍ يَطيرُ بِجَناحَيْهِ إِلاَّ أُمَمٌ أَمْثالُكُمْ ما فَرَّطْنا فِي الْكِتابِ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ ثُمَّ إِلى‏ رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُونَ

🔆 There is no creature on earth, nor any bird flying on its two wings, but they are communities like you. We have left nothing out of the Book; then they will all be gathered before their Lord.

🌷🔆 وَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ أَبِي الْجَارُودِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ‏ فِي قَوْلِهِ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ قادِرٌ عَلى‏ أَنْ يُنَزِّلَ آيَةً» وَ سَيُرِيكَ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ آيَاتٍ مِنْهَا دَابَّةُ الْأَرْضِ وَ الدَّجَّالُ وَ نُزُولُ عِيسَى بْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَ طُلُوعُ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا، قَوْلُهُ: وَ ما مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ لا طائِرٍ يَطِيرُ بِجَناحَيْهِ إِلَّا أُمَمٌ أَمْثالُكُمْ‏ يَعْنِي خَلْقٌ مِثْلُكُمْ وَ قَالَ: كُلُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ مِمَّا خَلَقَ مِثْلُكُمْ.^[7]

🔆 Abu al-Jarud says: Imam al-Baqir, peace be upon him, commenting on the verse “إِنَّ اللَّهَ قادِرٌ عَلى‏ أَنْ يُنَزِّلَ آيَةً قَوْلُهُ: وَ ما مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ لا طائِرٍ يَطِيرُ بِجَناحَيْهِ إِلَّا أُمَمٌ أَمْثالُكُمْ‏ يَعْنِي خَلْقٌ مِثْلُكُمْ» وَ ,” said: “Toward the end of time, you will see signs and portents of God’s power: the Beast of the Earth and the Antichrist; the descent of Jesus son of Mary from heaven; and the sun rising in the west.” He said: “Everything among them is what He created, just as He created you.”

🌼Ali Saei (Abdullah Mishkat) 110.141(903)🌼

[1] Nahj al-Balagha (ed. Subhi Salih); p. 303  Sharif al-Radi, Muhammad ibn Husayn, Hijrat – Qom, first edition, 1414 AH.

[2] Bihar al-Anwar (Beirut edition); vol. 1, p. 155  Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir ibn Muhammad Taqi, Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi – Beirut, second edition, 1403 AH.

[3] Majmu‘at Waram; vol. 1, p. 200  Waram ibn Abi Firas, Mas‘ud ibn Isa, Maktabat Faqih – Qom, first edition, 1410 AH.

[4] The Commentary Attributed to Imam Hasan al-Askari, peace be upon him; p. 284  Hasan ibn Ali, peace be upon him, Imam al-Mahdi School, may God hasten his noble advent – Iran, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.

[5] Taj al-‘Arus min Jawahir al-Qamus; vol. 11, p. 95  Husayni Zabidi, Muhammad Murtada, Dar al-Fikr – Beirut, first edition, 1414 AH.

[6] Misbah al-Shari‘a; p. 190  Attributed to Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, A‘lami – Beirut, first edition, 1400 AH.

[7] Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn    vol. 1    714 Huwaizi, Abd Ali ibn Jum‘a, Isma‘iliyan – Iran, Qom, 4th edition, 1415 AH.