Humility in the Management of Politics and Religion

🌼🔆🌼A Strategy for Dealing with the Enemy 🌼🔆🌼

🌹🔅☘️ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ ☘️🔅🌹

🔅🌹 “Managing Humility in Politics” “The Difference between Humility and Gentleness” “Etiquette in Dealing with the Enemy” “A Strategy for Friendship and Enmity” “The Messenger of Humility” and more … Summary with addendum
Prayer 20 of al-Sahifa, Session 214
1402.12.10
Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141 (903) 🌹🔅

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

🔅🌼The Humility of a Ruler 🌼🔅

🌹First, a ruler must assess whether he is qualified for the position he holds. If he is not, then the principle of “humility in servitude” requires him to relinquish authority to those fit to exercise it. If he is qualified, he should show humility toward his subordinates and the people, even from his position of power.

🔅🌼The Zero Point of Humility 🌼🔅

🌹When everyone occupies their rightful place, the foundation of humility is firmly established. We may call this the zero point of humility.

🔅🌼Intellectual Humility 🌼🔅

🌹Intellectual humility arises from a position of knowledge.

🔅🌼Political and Religious Humility 🌼🔅

🌹In matters of preaching, counsel, guidance, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, Islam’s strategy is gentle speech and conduct. But in the face of the enemy’s anti-religious and aggressive actions, Islam’s strategy is «اشداء علی الکفار».

🌹A believer has no grounds for humility toward a hypocrite or an atheist; indeed, any such humility is reprehensible. Gentle speech and conduct as part of a strategy of guidance are not, strictly speaking, humility, but resemble it: outwardly they look like humility, while inwardly one should not humble oneself before an atheist.

🌹Gentleness is fundamental to enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, since it helps win people over and serves as a means of guiding them.

🌻🔆Āl ʿImrān: 159   فَبِما رَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِنْتَ لَهُمْ وَ لَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَليظَ الْقَلْبِ لاَنْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَ شاوِرْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ فَإِذا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلينَ

🔆By God’s mercy, you were gentle with them. Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have scattered from around you. So pardon them, ask forgiveness for them, and consult them in the matter. Then, when you have decided, put your trust in God. Surely God loves those who put their trust in Him.

🔅🌼 Managing Humility in Politics and Religion🌼🔅

🌻🔆Ṭā Hā: 44   فَقُولا لَهُ قَوْلاً لَيِّناً لَعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشى‏

🔆But speak gently to him (Pharaoh), so that he may take heed or become fearful.

🌹Gentle speech and ethical humility go hand in hand with dignity, authority and courage; they do not entail passivity or humiliation.

🌹Gentle words and conduct, even while maintaining authority in preaching and counsel, are intended solely to bring about reform—not to give way, but to act with authority.

🌹Preachers soften their manner to reach people, not to yield to them.

🌹Softening one’s manner is not self-abasement; it is an expression of self-respect.

🔅🌼Recognising the Enemy and the Strategy of Friendship🌼🔅

🌹Recognising the enemy is fundamental to determining how to deal with them and relate to them.

🌹Our conduct toward an enemy at war with us will differ from our conduct toward one who is not. Likewise, even when we share a common enemy with someone who remains our adversary, the degree of enmity will differ, as will the way we deal with them. In this latter case, our relationship should be shaped by the aim of overcoming the common enemy, not by trust in them. No enemy, at any level—not even the lowest—is a confidant or friend; only the nature and degree of their enmity vary.

🌹Our strategy toward enemies should be shaped by the nature and degree of their hostility. There are ideological and non-ideological enemies; belligerent and non-belligerent ones; wise and ignorant ones; foreign and domestic ones; our enemies’ enemies, our enemies’ friends, and our friends’ enemies; media and cultural enemies; open and hidden enemies; passive and active enemies; and those who threaten our wealth, our lives, or our honour. Each occupies a particular place on the scale of hostility, but they are all united in being our enemies.

🌹Enemies differ in degree, but their hostility can never be mistaken for friendship.

🌹Let us be alert: the enemy distorts and disguises its hostility, presenting itself as a friend.

🌹To humble oneself before the unbelievers is to betray and break the believers, and to embolden the unbelievers! It is also a kind of disrespect toward God’s religion and a disregard for the majesty of the Divine.

🌻🔆Āl ʿImrān: 118   يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنُوا لا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطانَةً مِنْ دُونِكُمْ لا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبالاً وَدُّوا ما عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضاءُ مِنْ أَفْواهِهِمْ وَ ما تُخْفي‏ صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْآياتِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

🔆O you who believe! Do not take outsiders into your confidence. They will spare no effort to harm and corrupt you; they long to see you suffer. Their hostility is evident in what they say, while what they conceal in their hearts is even worse. We have made Our signs clear to you, if only you would reflect!

🌻🔆Āl ʿImrān: 119   ها أَنْتُمْ أُولاءِ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَ لا يُحِبُّونَكُمْ وَ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْكِتابِ كُلِّهِ وَ إِذا لَقُوكُمْ قالُوا آمَنَّا وَ إِذا خَلَوْا عَضُّوا عَلَيْكُمُ الْأَنامِلَ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ قُلْ مُوتُوا بِغَيْظِكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَليمٌ بِذاتِ الصُّدُورِ

🔆Here you are, loving them, while they do not love you, even though you believe in all the revealed Books. When they meet you, they say, “We believe.” But when they are alone, they bite their fingertips in rage against you. Say, “Perish in your rage!” Surely God knows what lies within people’s hearts.

🌹A smile for the enemy is a scowl for one’s friends. Whoever loves their enemy betrays their friends.

🌹An enemy’s smile is meant to deceive: it is a calculated ploy to catch you off guard and strike. Behind that smile lurks a poisonous sting.

🌹The most foolish love is love for one’s enemies.

🌻🔆Fāṭir: 6   إِنَّ الشَّيْطانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا إِنَّما يَدْعُوا حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُوا مِنْ أَصْحابِ السَّعيرِ

🔆Indeed, Satan is your enemy, so take him as an enemy. He only calls his followers so that they may become inhabitants of the blazing Fire!

🌹“Friendship with the enemy” eventually turns into “worship of the enemy,” and ends with that same enemy bringing its devotees down.

🌹The greatest enmity is enmity toward God, expressed through unbelief, atheism, and polytheism!

🌹God’s messengers humble themselves before God; their gentleness is purely an observance of proper etiquette.

🔅🌼Moses’ strategy of courtesy in dealing with Pharaoh🌼🔅

🌻🔆اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ وَ أَخُوكَ بِآياتي‏ وَ لا تَنِيا في‏ ذِكْري (42) Ṭā Hā

🌻🔆اذْهَبا إِلى‏ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغى‏ (43)

🌻🔆فَقُولا لَهُ قَوْلاً لَيِّناً لَعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشى‏ (44)

🌻🔆They both said رَبَّنا إِنَّنا نَخافُ أَنْ يَفْرُطَ عَلَيْنا أَوْ أَنْ يَطْغى‏ (45)

🌻🔆قالَ لا تَخافا إِنَّني‏ مَعَكُما أَسْمَعُ وَ أَرى‏ (46)

🌻🔆فَأْتِياهُ فَقُولا إِنَّا رَسُولا رَبِّكَ فَأَرْسِلْ مَعَنا بَني‏ إِسْرائيلَ وَ لا تُعَذِّبْهُمْ قَدْ جِئْناكَ بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَ السَّلامُ عَلى‏ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدى‏ (47)

🌻🔆إِنَّا قَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْنا أَنَّ الْعَذابَ عَلى‏ مَنْ كَذَّبَ وَ تَوَلَّى (48)

🌻🔆قالَ فَمَنْ رَبُّكُما يا مُوسى‏ (49)

🌻🔆قالَ رَبُّنَا الَّذي أَعْطى‏ كُلَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدى‏ (50)

🌻🔆قالَ فَما بالُ الْقُرُونِ الْأُولى‏ (51)

🌻🔆قالَ عِلْمُها عِنْدَ رَبِّي في‏ كِتابٍ لا يَضِلُّ رَبِّي وَ لا يَنْسى‏ (52)

🌹It may be easy to silence someone who cries “اَنا ربّکم الاَعلی,” but silencing the deluded thoughts of their followers and ignorant devotees is difficult. Part of the prophets’ mission was to reform the understanding of those who made false claims and restore the discernment of those who had been misled.

🌹Engaging through knowledge and culture is more effective than military confrontation; each has its rightful place.

🔅🌼The Prophet’s exemplary conduct in guiding the community 🌼🔅

🌻🔆Al-Qalam: 4   وَ إِنَّكَ لَعَلى‏ خُلُقٍ عَظيمٍ

🔆Indeed, you are of a great moral character.

🌻🔆Āl ʿImrān: 159   فَبِما رَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِنْتَ لَهُمْ وَ لَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَليظَ الْقَلْبِ لاَنْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَ شاوِرْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ فَإِذا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلينَ

🔆By God’s mercy, you were gentle with them. Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would surely have scattered from around you. So pardon them, pray for their forgiveness, and consult them in affairs. Then, when you have made a decision, put your trust in God. Surely God loves those who put their trust in Him.

🌻🔆Al-Kahf: 6   فَلَعَلَّكَ باخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ عَلى‏ آثارِهِمْ إِنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهذَا الْحَديثِ أَسَفاً

🔆Perhaps you would destroy yourself with grief over them if they do not believe this message.

🌻🔆Al-Shuʿarāʾ: 3   لَعَلَّكَ باخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ أَلاَّ يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنينَ

 🔆Perhaps you would destroy yourself with sorrow because they will not believe.

🌻🔆Al-Tawbah: 128   لَقَدْ جاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزيزٌ عَلَيْهِ ما عَنِتُّمْ حَريصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنينَ رَؤُفٌ رَحيمٌ

🔆A Messenger has indeed come to you from among yourselves: your suffering weighs heavily upon him; he is deeply concerned for your guidance, and compassionate and merciful to the believers.

🔅🌼“انا بشر مثلکم” The secret of servitude lies in humility 🌼🔅

🌹The King of the universe entered the material world clothed as a human being. He left behind his celestial mantle and stepped into this world in its worn garments, to guide humanity. He shared in humankind’s grief and suffering—and indeed willingly bore even greater hardship.

🌻🔆Al-Kahf: 110   قُلْ إِنَّما أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يُوحى‏ إِلَيَّ أَنَّما إِلهُكُمْ إِلهٌ واحِدٌ فَمَنْ كانَ يَرْجُوا لِقاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلاً صالِحاً وَ لا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَداً

🔆Say: “I am only a human being like you. It is revealed to me that your God is One God. So whoever hopes to meet their Lord should do good deeds and associate no one in the worship of their Lord.”

🌹The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the foremost model of humility in all existence; he surpassed every measure of humility.

🌹Follow the Prophet’s example in good conduct.

🔅🌼A strategy for relations with non-Muslims🌼🔅

🌻🔆Al-Fath 48:29   مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَ الَّذينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَماءُ بَيْنَهُمْ تَراهُمْ رُكَّعاً سُجَّداً يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلاً مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ رِضْواناً سيماهُمْ في‏ وُجُوهِهِمْ مِنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ ذلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِي التَّوْراةِ وَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِي الْإِنْجيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْأَهُ فَآزَرَهُ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوى‏ عَلى‏ سُوقِهِ يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغيظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذينَ آمَنُوا وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ مِنْهُمْ مَغْفِرَةً وَ أَجْراً عَظيماً

🔆Muhammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of God. Those who are with him are firm and resolute toward the disbelievers, yet compassionate toward one another. You see them continually bowing and prostrating, seeking God’s grace and pleasure. The mark of their prostration is visible on their faces. Such is their description in the Torah, and their description in the Gospel: like a crop that puts forth its shoots, then strengthens them until they grow sturdy and stand upright, flourishing so abundantly that they delight the sowers. Through them, God enrages the disbelievers. To those among them who believe and do righteous deeds, God has promised forgiveness and a great reward.

🌹Humbling oneself before disbelievers is scarcely different from disbelief.

🌹There is no place for an oppressor or usurper to humble himself; restoring people’s rights is the sign of humility.

🌹An oppressor or usurper’s humility is a ploy and a deception.

🌹Humbling oneself before an enemy is absolutely forbidden, but a believer’s conduct should not provoke the enemy.

🌹What may appear to be humility before an enemy is, in fact, a particular form of compassion and a distinct method and strategy.

🔅🌼A further note🌼🔅

🌹We must distinguish a true enemy from one who is treated as an enemy. We must also recognize those who seem to be friends but are, in truth, worse than enemies.

🌹The greatest enemy is the enemy of one’s faith.

🌹Satan infiltrates the believers to sow enmity among them.

🌹A believer who bears enmity toward another believer is no longer a believer!

🌹Divine grace accompanies seeking and spiritual discipline.

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