Allah (swt) forbade the believers from weakness, which strips from the heart determination and focus on one's purpose; it throws one on the ill path of humiliation and submission to other than Allah. Nothing truly can legitimize the inclination toward weakness, as it is a gateway to degradation and subservience. The real believer cannot be weak, for by the very essence of their faith, they are superior – superior in belief and worldview, superior in their connection to the Most High, superior in purpose, and ultimate aim. They are superior in feelings, morals and behavior, superior in strength, position and help. For, Allah (swt) is with the believers, accompanying them as the Almighty, the Compeller, the All-Powerful, present with them, defending and granting them triumph. “So do not weaken and call for peace while you are superior; and Allah is with you and will never deprive you of [the reward of] your deeds” (47:35). “So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you are superior if you are [true] believers” (3:139).
This is a principle from which believers must never deviate. Their dignity and honor are the essence of their faith and a core component of their identity. Whoever abandons them perishes and incurs God’s wrath and displeasure.
The motivation for humiliation, submission, and subservience often stems from the desire to preserve worldly interests, to secure safety and to guarantee comfortable living. Whoever seeks such a path by humbling themselves and degrading their dignity for the sake of preserving comfort or for protection invites wrath upon themselves, even if they pray, fast, and perform all types of acts of worship. It has been narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “"Whoever sits with a wealthy person and humbles himself before them loses two-thirds of their faith.” Therefore, whoever bows and submits to a wealthy person, a ruler, an institution, a system, or an ideology, in a manner that reflects humiliation and submission, to safeguard their livelihood and/or their worldly gains, loses two-thirds of their faith.
One of the primary reasons a person reaches such a state is the excessive concern for worldly matters and sadness over their losses, making him/her impatient, complaining to others instead of God. In a Hadith, the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever begins their day saddened by worldly matters has become displeased with their Lord. Whoever complains about their misfortune is, in fact, complaining about their Lord. Whoever approaches a wealthy person and humbles themselves before them [inappropriately] loses two-thirds of their religion … ” Once, one of the pious predecessors observed a man complaining of his poverty and hardship to another, he told him: “Do you complain of the Most Merciful to one who has no mercy?”
This weakness, manifested with a trembling of the heart for someone other than Allah (swt) in search of benefit, protection, immunity and security, makes one submit and abase oneself in a manner that reflects humiliation and brokenness, expressing an absolute dependence on others. This weakness embodies a form of subservience to other than Allah (swt), stripping away two-thirds of one’s faith, inviting humiliation, and causing the loss of dignity and honor. Ironically, such people often resort to justifying their position by criticizing those who uphold their own dignity and honor. Having lost the sense of dignity and honor, their perspective becomes corrupted, and their understanding impaired. They begin to measure truth and falsehood by material standards, rather than divine ones.
One of the predominant manifestations of submission and humility today is blindly following others and submitting to their ideas without engaging in critical thinking. This constitutes a form of intellectual subjugation. It leads to the erosion of free thought and sound perception, depriving one of the ability to independently and objectively formulate ideas and opinions as well as to adhere to principles of sound thought that uphold truth. This type of enslavement causes one’s freedom of thought to be stripped away, becoming captive to corrupt ideas that may appear good on the surface, but are flawed at their core.
Living under the shadow of servitude marked by humiliation and subservience may provide comfort to the ignorant in this world. However, at the moment of death’s throes, they will realize that their attachment to wealth and interests, which drove them to be weak and accept humiliation, leads to God’s wrath and a grievous punishment. “When the angels seize the souls of those who have wronged themselves, scolding them, 'What was wrong with you?' They will reply, 'We were oppressed in the land.' The angels will respond, “Was Allah’s earth not spacious enough for you to emigrate?' It is they who will have Hell as their home — what an evil destination!” (4:97).
In order to observe true servitude, one has to know that it stands on two pillars, as Imam Al-Dhahabi elucidated: “One of the unique attributes of divinity is servitude, which stands on two pillars that cannot exist without each other: the utmost love and the utmost humility. This is the essence of servitude, and people's ranks in it vary based on their differences in these two foundations. Whoever directs their love, humility, and submission to anyone other than Allah has associated others in what is exclusively His right."
To protect these two pillars of servitude, one has to safeguard his/her dignity and honor, the characteristics nurtured with the divine guidance. The sure path to such an achievement is constant repentance, because the essence of humiliation is sinning. Al Imam Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: “Indeed, even if mules carry them elegantly, men surround them, and wealth flows to them in abundance, the humiliation of sin remains in their hearts. Allah has decreed nothing but to humiliate those who disobey Him."
O Allah, grant us the immense favor to reach Ramadan, the month of Mercy and Forgiveness.
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