GLORIFICATION
AND HUMILITY

In relation to God, the attitude required is one of glorification (takbir), and in relation to human beings, the attitude required is humility (tawadu). These two concepts—takbir and tawadu—form the core of the entire essence of religion.

The Quran instructs: “And glorify Him with great glorification.” (17:111) Elsewhere it says: “And proclaim the greatness of your Lord.” (74:3)

Upon recognizing God, the strongest emotion that arises in a person’s heart is this: all greatness belongs to God alone. This leads one to bow down in humility before Him. Recognizing God as the Greatest fills a person with the awareness that all humans, including themselves, are small in comparison. This awareness expresses itself through worship, God-consciousness (taqwa), humility, supplication, and turning to God (inabah).

In Sahih Muslim, there is a narration from Iyad ibn Himar in which the Prophet of Islam said: “God has revealed to me that you must adopt humility, so that no one boasts over another, and no one oppresses another.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2865)

This hadith clearly describes how a person should behave toward others. One must be humble before fellow human beings. Those who have more should not boast over those who have less. The strong should not oppress the weak.

The awareness and inner state created by faith naturally lead one to recognize God as the Greatest and oneself as small in comparison. This same awareness cultivates a mindset of humility and respect toward all people, not arrogance or disdain.