Does Islam teach humility?

[Pastek]

But it is so very insistent on talking about the superiority of its doctrine, of its scripture, of its prophet, of its One True God... it really looks like that person who brandishes a statement of virtue because the statement is the only evidence that he is likely to ever achieve towards that virtue.

Nor does the practice, or the political reality of Muslim communities, help any in dispelling this impression.

Maybe it's not only centered on humility but trying to be better is not only a question of humility.
And I'm not criticizing Christianity at all.
That's why the month of Ramadan is so important for us, it's about charity, trying to be nice (control ourselves), see what the poor are enduring etc

If you look well at what the prophets say and did in the Quran they teach us patience, kindness, forgiveness, to not run after wealth etc

 

[The Hammer]

“And do not turn your face away from people in contempt, nor go about in the land exulting overmuch; surely Allah does not love any self-conceited boaster. And pursue the right course in your going about and lower your voice; surely the most hateful of voices is braying of the ***.”

Humility

 

[Sand Dancer]

It just occured to me that it may be Islam's lack of humility, in it's teachings, that cause me anxiety about Islam.

Please show me whether or not Islam practices and supports humbleness. Or if pride and assertiveness are more valued in Islam.

Thanks for taking part in my quest for understanding.

Monotheism in general is arrogant. Thinking that only your specific god is the "true" god is not very humble.

 

[LuisDantas]

Monotheism in general is arrogant. Thinking that only your specific god is the "true" god is not very humble.

That probably depends a lot on the doctrine proper. Sikhs appear to be at least a bit better than the Abrahamics there, and there are very clear differences among the Abrahamics as well.

Islaam is close to the bottom of the barrel there, unfortunately.

 

[dianaiad]

In Catholicism, my own religion, humility is seen as a virtue, and is representative of Christs presence on earth, and is fully expressed in his crucifixion.

Humility - Wikipedia
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Humility
Virtue - Wikipedia

Representation of Humility in a stained-glass window, by Edward Burne-Jones
View attachment 32976

Do NOT get me wrong here. I know that humility in Catholicism is vital. It's taught. It's important. REally. I know that.

However, having an incredibly beautiful and expensive stained glass window of Humility in gold embroidered robes over the blue that was so incredibly rare at the time the window is supposedly representing is....

I mean, I love the window, and I love the emphasis upon humility that Catholicism has. But hey......using Edward Burnes-Jones ultra pre-Rafaelite 'everybody dressed in cloth of gold' representation of this virtue is a bit, er, ironic.

Don't mind me. When I think of Catholicism and humility, I'm more inclined to think of St. Francis of Assisi, is all.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

That probably depends a lot on the doctrine proper. Sikhs appear to be at least a bit better than the Abrahamics there, and there are very clear differences among the Abrahamics as well.

Islaam is close to the bottom of the barrel there, unfortunately.

I don't know...Satanism specifically teaches pride as a virtue.

And, interestingly, many of the Satanists I've known are pretty chill (when they haven't been teens simply trying to be ******).

 

[LuisDantas]

I don't know...Satanism specifically teaches pride as a virtue.

And, interestingly, many of the Satanists I've known are pretty chill (when they haven't been teens simply trying to be ******).

True enough. It seems to me that this is a bit of "recipe according to recipient" situation, if I dare say so.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

A quick YouTube search shows there is a concept of humility being taught in Islam. Watching a bit, it doesn't seem too different from what I've seen in other Abrahamic religions.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

True enough. It seems to me that this is a bit of "recipe according to recipient" situation, if I dare say so.

I agree. I know many Catholics who could use a good pinch of humility.

 

[sun rise]

I had not considered it previously, but you are right. Islaam does not strike me as teaching humility at all.

Sure, it presents humility as a virtue. But it is so very insistent on talking about the superiority of its doctrine, of its scripture, of its prophet, of its One True God... it really looks like that person who brandishes a statement of virtue because the statement is the only evidence that he is likely to ever achieve towards that virtue.

Nor does the practice, or the political reality of Muslim communities, help any in dispelling this impression.

Religion in general does that - Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and to some degree Buddhism. There's nothing special about Muslims believing theirs is superior.

 

[sun rise]

Maybe it's not only centered on humility but trying to be better is not only a question of humility.
And I'm not criticizing Christianity at all.
That's why the month of Ramadan is so important for us, it's about charity, trying to be nice (control ourselves), see what the poor are enduring etc

If you look well at what the prophets say and did in the Quran they teach us patience, kindness, forgiveness, to not run after wealth etc

And it's important, critically important to look at what the majority says and does (for all religions) rather than the vocal minority who gets media attention.

 

[Wasp]

How is one supposed to show that?

My current view, through my own interactions and understandings of Islam, is that assertiveness is a more valued trait than general humbleness.

Where does this idea come from?
Humility is really at the core of Islam. Arrogance was the first sin ever committed. It is also one of the most common sins today. The quran frequently advises against arrogance.

 

[Samantha Rinne]

It just occured to me that it may be Islam's lack of humility, in it's teachings, that cause me anxiety about Islam.

Please show me whether or not Islam practices and supports humbleness. Or if pride and assertiveness are more valued in Islam.

Thanks for taking part in my quest for understanding.

As far as I understand, no, it does not.

God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World speaks about how each of the major world religions is an attempt to address a specific problem in the world. For example, the problem of Christianity is sin, the problem of Confucianism is disorder. So what is Islam's problem in the world? Pride. But rather than solving it with humility (cultivating one's own self in a way that pride is put in perspective) they solve it with submission. But this solution quickly means that one party submits to another (whichever group of shameless bullies that happen to demand submission from others).

 

[sun rise]

...This is NOT humility, and it makes me wonder what the Arabic meaning of humility really is -probably something more along the lines of "total submission"

When I look at Christians as portrayed in the media, I see very little humility. I see Catholics fighting with the Pope because they don't like what he says. I see abuse of children. I can find 10,000 examples of non-Christian behavior among those who call themselves Catholic.

What the religion teaches is one thing. What is practiced is far from what the religion teaches all too often.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَوْحَى إِلَيَّ أَنْ تَوَاضَعُوا حَتَّى لَا يَبْغِيَ أَحَدٌ عَلَى أَحَدٍ وَلَا يَفْخَرَ أَحَدٌ عَلَى أَحَدٍ

Verily, Allah has revealed to me that you must be humble towards one another, so that no one wrongs another or boasts to another

Google translate renders that Arabic as:

God inspired me to be humbled so that no one should desire anyone, and no one should be proud of anyone.

 

[sun rise]

As far as I understand, no, it does not.

God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World speaks about how each of the major world religions is an attempt to address a specific problem in the world. For example, the problem of Christianity is sin, the problem of Confucianism is disorder. So what is Islam's problem in the world? Pride. But rather than solving it with humility (cultivating one's own self in a way that pride is put in perspective) they solve it with submission. But this solution quickly means that one party submits to another (whichever group of shameless bullies that happen to demand submission from others).

That is not what the religion teaches. It teaches submission to the will of God on the part of Muslims not the opposite of demanding submission from others.

 

[LuisDantas]

Religion in general does that - Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and to some degree Buddhism. There's nothing special about Muslims believing theirs is superior.

I SO disagree.

 

[Firemorphic]

It just occured to me that it may be Islam's lack of humility, in it's teachings, that cause me anxiety about Islam.

Please show me whether or not Islam practices and supports humbleness. Or if pride and assertiveness are more valued in Islam.

Thanks for taking part in my quest for understanding.

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "Shall I tell you of the people of Paradise? They comprise every poor humble person, and if he swears by Allah to do something, Allah will fulfill it; while the people of the fire comprise every violent, cruel arrogant person."

 

[Firemorphic]

Religion in general does that - Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and to some degree Buddhism. There's nothing special about Muslims believing theirs is superior.

Yes, in my experience with other religions this is entirely true, often moreso than you emphasize.

 

[Estro Felino]

I just wonder: how many times the word love is pronounced in the Holy Qur'an.
The equivalent of agapó in the Gospels

 

[firedragon]

It just occured to me that it may be Islam's lack of humility, in it's teachings, that cause me anxiety about Islam.

Please show me whether or not Islam practices and supports humbleness. Or if pride and assertiveness are more valued in Islam.

Thanks for taking part in my quest for understanding.

Greet people well

And if you are greeted with a greeting, then return an even better greeting or return the same. God is Reckoning over all things - Quran 4:86



Humility

And be humble in how you walk and lower your voice. For the harshest of all voices is the voice of the donkeys. - Quran 31:19



Invite to your path with wisdom and good advice

Invite to the path of your Lord with wisdom and good advice, and argue with them in that which is better. Your Lord is fully aware of who is misguided from His path, and He is fully aware of the guided ones. - Quran 16:125



Kindness to parents

And your Lord decreed that you shall not serve except He, and do good to your parents. When one of them or both of them reach old age, do not say to them a word of disrespect nor shout at them, but say to them a kind saying. And lower for them the wing of humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord, have mercy upon them as they have raised me when I was small. - Quran 17:23-24



Speak well with good words

Have you not seen how God puts forth the example that a good word is like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches are in the heaven. It bears its fruit every so often with the permission of its Lord; and God puts forth the examples for the people, perhaps they will remember. - Quran 14:24-25



Do not speak with bad words

And the example of a bad word is like a tree which has been uprooted from the surface of the earth, it has nowhere to settle. - Quran 14:26



Patience and mercy

And race towards forgiveness from your Lord and a Paradise whose width encompasses the width of the heavens and of the earth; it has been prepared for the righteous. The ones who spend in prosperity and adversity, and who repress anger, and who pardon the people; God loves the good doers. - Quran 3:133-134



Practice goodness against your enemy

Not equal are the good and the bad response. You shall resort to the one which is better. Thus, the one who used to be your enemy, may become your best friend. - Quran 41:34



Do not be arrogant or insolent

And do not turn your cheek arrogantly from people, nor shall you roam the earth insolently. For God does not love the arrogant show off. - Quran 31:18



Humility and wisdom

And the servants of the Almighty who walk on the earth in humility and if the ignorant speak to them, they say: ‘Peace. - Quran 25:63



Don’t insult those of other religions. Do not play God.

And do not insult those who call on other than God, lest they insult God out of ignorance. And We have similarly adorned for every nation their works; then to their Lord is their return and He will inform them of what they had done. - Quran 6:108



Do not mock others

O you who believe, let not a people ridicule other people, for they may be better than they. Nor shall any women ridicule other women, for they may be better than they. Nor shall you mock one another, or call each other names; miserable indeed is the name of wickedness after attaining faith. And anyone who does not repent, then these are the transgressors.” - Quran 49:11



Do not practice suspicion and backbiting

O you who believe, you shall avoid much suspicion, for some suspicion is sinful. And do not spy on one another, nor shall you backbite. Would any of you enjoy eating the flesh of his dead brother? You certainly would hate this. You shall observe God. God is Redeemer, Merciful. - Quran 49:12



No racism

O mankind, We created you from a male and female, and We made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Surely, the most honourable among you in the sight of God is the most righteous. God is Knowledgeable, Expert.” - Quran 49:13