To show humility is in itself an act of worship

ABU DHABI // Humility is an act of worship and one of the first merits that Allah bestowed upon believers, worshippers will be told today.

Humbleness in dealing with others is a virtue that demands showing leniency and respect and an acceptance of the truth. And because it is an honourable trait, Allah ordered his Prophet to embrace it in a Quranic verse that says: “And lower your wing to the believers.

“That is to say, show humbleness to them by being lenient with them, speaking to them gently, seeking their satisfaction, and treating them kindly,” the sermon explains.

Similarly, Prophet Mohammed instructed Muslims to do the same. “Allah, the Most High has revealed to me that you (people) should be humble, so that no one boasts to the other or transgresses another,” he said.

Humility is an act of worship in itself, as described by the Prophet’s wife Lady Ayesha: “People are paying no attention to the best act of worship: humility”. People who embrace humbleness were described in the Quran: “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.”

It means to preserve tranquillity and quiet demeanour and be patient and humble.

“One other great type of humbleness is the one we practise while dealing with our parents,” the sermon says.

“Treating one’s parents with humility is a divine order. This means, to treat one’s parents with leniency and modesty so as not to abandon something that they loved.”