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STUDY GUIDE
15
THE CHARACTERISTIC OF HUMILITY
READING ASSIGNMENT
Holy Qur'an
Surah 16: "The Bee" 16:77-83
Surah 40 "The Believer"40:61-68
Surah 25: "Discrimination"
(Section 6)
Bible:
Mark
9:33-37 (Lesson: "Humility, The
Secret of Greatness")
Scriptural References:
"And he it is who made the night
and the day to follow each
other, for him who desires to be
mindful or desires to be
thankful ... And the servants of
the beneficent are they who
walk- on the earth in humility,
and when the ignorant address
them, they say, peace!" 25:63
"Successful indeed are the
believers, who are humble in
their prayers and who shun what
is vain." 23:1-3
"O you who believe, should any
one of you turn back from his
religion, then Allah will bring
a people, whom he loves and who
love him, humble towards
believers, mighty against the
disbelievers, striving hard in
Allah's way and not fearing the
censure of any censurer. This is
Allah's grace --- he gives it to
whom he pleases. And Allah is
ample-giving. Knowing." 5:54
"Say: Who is it that delivers
you from the calamities of the
land and the sea? (When) you
call upon him, in humility and
in secret: If he deliver us from
this, we will certainly be of
the grateful ones. Say: Allah
delivers you from this and from
every distress. Yet you set up
others (with him)." 6:65
INTRODUCTION TO STUDY GUIDE
#15
Humility is the quality or
condition of being humble.
One who is humble is modest,
unpretentious, unassuming and
submissive.
At the core of his thinking. The
humble man does not think grand
things of himself that exalt him
above others. It is not a
feeling that he is undeserving,
but it is a quality that a
leader must have to lift up the
weight of the people. The power
of strength is in placing it
under the weight. The leader
cannot pull the people from
above. The leader must get under
and lift them up.
The idea of Humility is that it
is the opposite of pride. We
must all, particularly those who
are leaders, become more and
more humble.
"Let nothing be done through
strife vainglory, but in
lowliness of mind let each
esteem others better than
themselves. Look not every man
on his own things but every man
also on the things of others ...
Let this mind be in you. Which
was also in Christ Jesus. Who
... Made himself of no
reputation and took upon him the
form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men; and,
being found in a fashion as a
man, he humbled himself and
became obedient unto death. Even
the death of the
cross...Wherefore, God also hath
highly exalted him..."
Philippians 2:3-9
"Put on, therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved, tender
mercies, kindness, humbleness of
mind. Meekness, long-suffering;
forbearing one another and
forgiving one another. If any
man have a quarrel against any;
even as Christ forgave you. So
also do ye. And above all these
things, put on Love. Which is
the bond of perfectness."
Colossians 3:12-14
QUESTIONS
1. How does one get a true
perspective on oneself?
2. What harmful effects are the
result of the disease of pride?
3. What value is there for the
individual self in acquiring the
Quality of Humility?
4. What is it that causes@ most
of us to dislike the Quality of
Humility?
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GLOSSARY
HUMILITY "Not given to
vain discourse; Modest sense of
one's own importance
submissiveness."
HUMBLE "Not proud or
arrogant; having a feeling of
insignificance; lowly,
courteously respectful; To lower
in condition. Importance or
dignity; marked by the absence
of self-assertion or self
-exaltation. To remove the
independence, power or will of;
unpretending, unpretentious."
HEART "The center of
vital functions; the essential
part; the seat of life. The seat
of One's innermost thoughts and
secret feelings: Intent; will;
purpose; desire. The feeling or
sentiment one has in regard to a
thing. The seat of love and
affection. The seat of moral
conscience and courage."
CHARACTERISTIC (CHARACTER)
Characteristics are features
and traits. The aggregate of
which form the apparent nature
of a person. Moral or ethical
quality; an account of the
habits and behavior of a person;
a particular virtue or vice.
QUALITY An attribute that
belongs to and distinguishes a
person; character with respect
to excellence, fineness,
superiority; a fundamental or
innate characteristic.
EXALTATION Elation of
mind or feeling; the state of
being exalted; elevated in rank,
honor power, character, quality;
to praise, extol stimulate
intensify, rapturously excited.
ABASED Humiliated; to be
reduced or lowered, as in rank
office, reputation or
estimation. To be brought down.
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DISCUSSION
"And Allah brought you forth
from the wombs of your mothers
-- You know nothing - and He
gave you hearing and sight and
hearts that you might give
thanks." 16:78
Humility is that quality or
characteristic of the heart that
causes one to see oneself in
true perspective. It is one of
the qualities that we MUST gain
in order to bring about a better
world and become redeemers of
self and others.
Conversely, Pride is a disease
of the heart that causes one to
see oneself totally out of
focus.
The only way to gain a true
perspective on oneself is
through a proper relationship
with Allah (God). In that
relationship, He is the center
and He it is to whom sincere
obedience is due. Without that
relationship, we will see
ourselves out of focus; we will
see ourselves bigger than we
actually are.
Pride is a disease that causes
blindness. When we are blind, we
cannot see. Then we make fatal
mistakes in dealing with people
and things around us and in
dealing with our Creator.
If we fail to acquire the
Quality of Humility through our
own efforts, Allah (God) will
force it upon us.
"And your Lord says: Pray to me,
I will answer you. Those who
disdain my service will surely
enter hell, abased." 40:60
"And faces shall be humbled
before the Living, the Self
subsistent. And He who bears
iniquity is indeed undone. And
whoever does good works and he
is a believer, he has no fear of
injustice, nor of the
withholding of his due." 20:1 11
"And to Allah makes obeisance
every living creature that is in
the heavens and that is in the
earth. And the angels too and
they are not proud. They fear
their Lord above them and do
what they are commanded."
(Prostration). 16:49-50
Acquiring the quality of
humility is a sure means of
salvation. Without it, we may
find ourselves unable to follow
instructions that will save our
lives.
"He that hath an Ear, let him
hear..." Rev. 2:7
The Holy Qur'an teaches that
"Only they who listen accept."
It is difficult to listen to
someone when we think we are
better than they are.
An example. Those who were in
the class with the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad refused to
accept the instructions of
Master Fard Muhammad to hear him
because of the disease of pride.
Today, the impediment that
hinders those who were students
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and followers of the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad from
obeying his command concerning
Minister Farrakhan, is pride.
Review Study Guide 14. Allah
(God) asked Iblis what hindered
him from obeying his command and
Iblis responded, "I am better
than he." Iblis gave no weight
to Who it was that gave the
command.
Some may ask, "Why, then,
Brother Farrakhan, did you obey
Warith Deen Muhammad?" My
response is that I respected the
authority he took by Allah's
permission and respected it even
though I disagreed with it. When
what I was asked to do so
conflicted with what I was
taught by the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad that I could not obey,
I went another way.
Another crucial way in which
humility benefits us is that it
allows us to patiently endure
the difficulties we encounter in
the struggle to become a
Redeemer of self and others. In
fact, without humility, we
cannot make it.
"Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn of me, for I am
meek and lowly in heart, and ye
shall find rest unto your souls,
for my yoke is easy and my
burden is light." Matthew 1 1:29
Master Fard Muhammad
commissioned the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad in these
words: "TAKE PLENTY."
We cannot be long-suffering to
redeem a people, unless we feel
in our hearts that the people we
serve are greater than
ourselves. The arrogant simply
cannot take much. The arrogant
are swift in bringing out the
sword of contention. The
arrogant cannot do the work of
redemption.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad
took much abuse. He knew who he
was in relation to Allah (God).
But He said that in comparison
to his sender, "I felt like a
filthy worm."
Study the mountains. If they
could speak, they would say, "I
have seen many generations." The
mountain has greater longevity
than we do, yet it submits. The
earth we must return to has
greater longevity than we do.
Yet it submits.
If, by the grace of Allah (God),
you are exalted to a position of
power, authority and eminence,
then know that this is his grace
upon you. Give praise to him and
walk humbly.
Luqman admonished his son in
this way:
"...Keep up prayer and enjoin
good and forbid evil and bear
patiently that which befalls
thee. Surely this is an affair
of great resolution. And turn
not thy face away from people in
contempt, nor go about in the
land exultingly. Surely Allah
loves not any self-conceited
boaster. And pursue the right
course in going about and lower
thy
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voice. Surely the most
hateful of voices in the braying
of asses." Holy Qur'an 31:18,19
Our experience as slaves has
made us look at humility and
meekness as weakness. As a
protective measure. We feigned
humility in slavery, so that
today, when we see actual
meekness, we do not like it.
This is the meaning of the
scriptures, that "He came unto
his own and his own received him
not."
Jesus possessed humility and a
way that his own people hated.
But today, we must have the
courage to say, as he said, "I
can of myself do nothing."
We must subordinate our mind to
the spirit of Allah (God) that
we may have infinite endurance.
As long as our mind is
subordinated to the flesh, our
endurance is finite.
Humility raises our level of
tolerance so that when we are
tried with the ignorance of
others, when we are insulted and
disrespected by others, we will
not give up. When our level of
tolerance is reached, we say, "I
have to leave. I give up. I am
through with this."
Through patience and prayer, we
are given a word. A thought that
humbles us beyond the pain; we
see the objective or goal as
bigger than ourselves; we
realize that the people who
inflict suffering and the people
who are ignorant are being used
by Allah (God) to prepare us for
the work of Redemption.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Let us begin right now to work
diligently to acquire humility.
The more we surrender to God the
more it increases our ability to
endure. For our own sake and the
sake of our people.
At our next meeting, we will
report back on our experience in
applying the above principles in
actual relationships with
others.
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SECTION 11:Punishment
withheld
77 And Allah’s is the unseen
of the heavens and the earth.
And the matter of the Hour is
but as a twinkling of the eye or
it is nigher still. Surely Allah
is Possessor of power over all
things.
78 And Allah brought you
forth from the wombs of your
mothers — you knew nothing —and
He gave you hearing and sight
and hearts that you might give
thanks.
79 See they not the birds,
constrained in the middle of the
sky? None withholds them but
Allah. Surely in this are signs
for a people who believe.
80 And Allah has given you an
abode in your houses, and He has
given you houses of the skins of
cattle, which you find light to
carry on the day of your march
and on the day of your halting,
and of their wool and their fur
and their hair, household stuff
and a provision for a time.
81 And Allah has made for
you, of what He has created,
shelters, and He has given you
in the mountains, places of
retreat, and He has given you
garments to save you from the
heat, and coats of mail to save
you in your fighting. Thus does
He complete His favour to you
that you may submit.
82 Then if they turn away,
thy duty is only clear
deliverance (of the message).
83 They recognize the favour
of Allah, yet they deny it, and
most of them are ungrateful.
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SECTION 7:The
Power of Allah
61
Allah is He Who made for you the
night for resting in and the day
for seeing. Surely Allah is Full
of grace to men, but most men
give not thanks.
62
That is Allah, your Lord, the
Creator of all things. There is
no God but He. Whence are you
then turned away?
63
Thus are turned away those who
deny the messages of Allah.
64
Allah is He Who made the earth a
resting-place for you and the
heaven a structure, and He
formed you, then made goodly
your forms, and He provided you
with goodly things. That is
Allah, your Lord
— so
blessed is Allah, the Lord of
the worlds.
65
He is the Living, there is no
God but He; so call on Him,
being sincere to Him in
obedience. Praise be to Allah,
the Lord of the worlds!
66
Say: I am forbidden to serve
those whom you call upon besides
Allah, when clear arguments have
come to me from my Lord; and I
am commanded to submit to the
Lord of the worlds.
67
He it is Who created you from
dust, then from a small
life-germ, then from a clot,
then He brings you forth as a
child, then that you may attain
your maturity, then that you may
be old; and of you are some who
die before and that you may
reach an appointed term, and
that you may understand.
68
He it is Who gives life and
causes death, so when He decrees
an affair, He only says to it,
Be, and it is.
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SECTION 6:The
Transformation wrought
61 Blessed is He Who made the
stars in the heavens and made
therein a sun and a moon giving
light!
62 And He it is, Who made the
night and the day to follow each
other, for him who desires to be
mindful or desires to be
thankful.
63 And the servants of the
Beneficent are they who walk on
the earth in humility, and when
the ignorant address them, they
say, Peace!
64 And they who pass the
night prostrating themselves
before their Lord and standing.
65 And they who say: Our
Lord, avert from us the
chastisement of hell; surely the
chastisement thereof is a
lasting evil:
66 It is surely an evil abode
and resting-place!
67 And they who, when they
spend, are neither extravagant
nor parsimonious, and the just
mean is ever between these.
68 And they who call not upon
another god with Allah and slay
not the soul which Allah has
forbidden, except in the cause
of justice, nor commit
fornication; and he who does
this shall meet a requital of
sin —
69 The chastisement will be
doubled to him on the day of
Resurrection, and he will abide
therein in abasement —
70 Except him who repents and
believes and does good deeds;
for such Allah changes their
evil deeds to good ones. And
Allah is ever Forgiving,
Merciful.
71 And whoever repents and
does good, he surely turns to
Allah a (goodly) turning.
72 And they who witness no
falsehood, and when they pass by
what is vain, they pass by
nobly.
73 And they who, when
reminded of the messages of
their Lord, fall not down
thereat deaf and blind.
74 And they who say, Our
Lord, grant us in our wives and
our offspring the joy of our
eyes, and make us leaders for
those who guard against evil.
75 These are rewarded with
high places because they are
patient, and are met therein
with greetings and salutation,
76 Abiding therein. Goodly
the abode and the resting-place!
77 Say: My Lord would not
care for you, were it not for
your prayer. Now indeed you have
rejected, so the punishment will
come.
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Mark
9:33-37
And he came to
Capernaum: and being in the
house he asked them, What was it
that ye disputed among
yourselves by the way?
But they held their peace: for
by the way they had disputed
among themselves, who should be
the greatest.
And he sat down, and called the
twelve, and saith unto them, If
any man desire to be first, the
same shall be last of all, and
servant of all.
And he took a child, and set him
in the midst of them: and when
he had taken him in his arms, he
said unto them,
Whosoever shall receive one of
such children in my name,
receiveth me: and whosoever
shall receive me, receiveth not
me, but him that sent me.
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