Stay Humble

Written by: Barah

Life is like a game of cards: you never truly know what hand you’ll be dealt. You may think it comes down to luck, and sometimes it does, but for the most part it’s your own skill. And with skill comes cockiness. You can and should be confident, but remember to stay humble, because you never know what the next hand is going to look like for you. Remember that you’re a person who is kind, a good influence, always trying to do what’s right, and so on–but one day, out of the blue, you could become that other person you once looked down on.

When you’re kind and doing what’s right, you should be doing so for yourself and your Lord, not so you can look at others that do something wrong–or something perceived as wrong–and think, “I’m a better person than them because I don’t do that terrible thing.” Keep in mind that one day you could easily be them. You have no idea. Imagine years later you’re doing exactly what the person you once looked down upon did. How do you think that will make you feel? What do you think that says about the kind of person you are?

As the hadith says:

كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يكثر أن يقول:

يا مثبت القلوب ، ثبت قلبي على دينك ، قالوا : يا رسول الله ، آمنا بك وبما جئت به ، فهل تخاف علينا ؟ قال : نعم ، إن القلوب بين إصبعين من أصابع الله يقلبها .

“The Prophet (s) used to often say these words, ‘O You Who changes the hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion.’ We said, `O God’s Messenger! We believed in you and in what you brought us. Are you afraid for us?’ He said, ‘Yes, for the hearts are between two of God’s Fingers, He changes them (as He wills).”

[Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Du’a Hadeeth 3834]

This is how easy one person can go from one extreme to the next. You’re no saint, and neither is anyone in this world, so remember to be humble.