Theme
التواضع
Humility
at-Tawadu'
Some of the greatest Companions were the least noticed. They avoided praise, turned down positions they felt unable to carry, prayed where no one would see, and lowered their voices in the presence of revelation.
These practices are about doing good without needing it to be seen.
… وَقَّاصٍ فِي إِبِلِهِ فَجَاءَهُ ابْنُهُ عُمَرُ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ سَعْدٌ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شَرِّ هَذَا الرَّاكِبِ فَنَزَلَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَنَزَلْتَ فِي إِبِلِكَ وَغَنَمِكَ وَتَرَكْتَ النَّاسَ يَتَنَازَعُونَ الْمُلْكَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَضَرَبَ سَعْدٌ فِي صَدْرِهِ فَقَالَ اسْكُتْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْعَبْدَ التَّقِيَّ الْغَنِيَّ …
“Allah loves the servant who is God-conscious and is free from want and is hidden”
30 practices from 27 companions
Open any practice to read it in full on the Companion's page, with the Arabic and English text of every source.
Abd al-Rahman ibn Awfعبد الرحمن بن عوف
Fearing that comfort may use up reward
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Let remembrance of the righteous keep wealth humble.
Sit with this Does your comfort make you more thankful, or more forgetful?
Abdullah ibn Abbasعبد الله بن عباس
Standing correctly beside the imam and accepting correction
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Take correction lightly and gratefully, and let it become knowledge.
Sit with this When you are gently corrected, does it become knowledge or a wound?
Abdullah ibn Mas'udعبد الله بن مسعود
Travelling for better knowledge
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However much you know, keep a teacher or a better-informed person in your sights.
Sit with this Who knows more than you, and how could you reach them?
Abdullah ibn Mas'udعبد الله بن مسعود
Saying 'Allah knows best' when you do not know
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Admit what you do not know. It builds trust, and keeps you learning.
Sit with this When did you last say "Allah knows best" instead of guessing?
Abdullah ibn Salamعبد الله بن سلام
Praying two light rak'ahs and leaving
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Pray a short, humble voluntary prayer when you enter the mosque, and avoid showing off.
Sit with this Could you pray somewhere today without anyone noticing that you did?
Abdullah ibn Salamعبد الله بن سلام
Refusing to speak without knowledge
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Be careful about praising yourself or others beyond what you know, and keep humble.
Sit with this When were you last praised for something you knew was not quite true?
Abu Dharr al-Ghifariأبو ذر الغفاري
Treating workers as brothers
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Treat those who work for you with equality: feed, dress and help them as you would yourself.
Sit with this Do the people who work for you eat and dress the way you would want to?
Abu Dharr al-Ghifariأبو ذر الغفاري
Humility about authority
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Know your limits; do not seek roles you cannot carry.
Sit with this Is there a role you want that you are not yet ready to carry?
al-Bara ibn Malikالبراء بن مالك
Staying humble and unnoticed
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Do not measure yourself by how people see you; be content to be unnoticed.
Sit with this Could you be content today to do good and go unnoticed?
al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswadالمقداد بن الأسود
Refusing flattery
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Praise sparingly and sincerely; do not let flattery inflate you or others.
Sit with this Do you praise sparingly and sincerely, and resist being flattered?
al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwamالزبير بن العوام
Accepting the Prophet's ruling
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Accept a fair decision, and do not read favouritism into someone else's ruling.
Sit with this Can you accept a fair ruling without reading favouritism into it?
Ali ibn Abi Talibعلي بن أبي طالب
Waking for night prayer, and honest humility about it
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Wake your household for night prayer with kindness, and accept a reminder without defending yourself.
Sit with this How do you take a reminder about worship without defending yourself?
Asking what matters most
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Ask what matters most to Allah and His Messenger, and accept the answer without taking offence.
Sit with this Can you hear an honest answer you did not hope for without taking offence?
Accepting correction in business
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Check the rules of a transaction before you make it, and accept correction without ego.
Sit with this Do you check the rules of a deal before you make it, and accept correction after?
Hamzah ibn Abd al-Muttalibحمزة بن عبد المطلب
Simple burial in a single cloth
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Let the example of those who gave everything keep your own comfort in perspective.
Sit with this What comfort do you enjoy that they never had?
Juwayriyyah bint al-Harithجويرية بنت الحارث
Giving what little you have
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Do not feel embarrassed to offer a small gift; your household's modest offering counts.
Sit with this Is embarrassment stopping you from offering something small?
Khabbab ibn al-Arattخباب بن الأرت
Worrying about worldly ease
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Check what ease you have and ask whether you are using it for Allah.
Sit with this What ease do you enjoy, and are you using it for Allah?
Choosing the hereafter over a comfortable life
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Ask yourself what comfort you could trade for something that lasts.
Sit with this What comfort could you trade for something that lasts?
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqasسعد بن أبي وقاص
A hidden, content life
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Value being unnoticed; seek contentment over status.
Sit with this Could you choose contentment over status this week?
Being honoured by the Prophet
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Honour the people of standing in your community, and accept honour humbly.
Sit with this Whom in your community could you honour, and can you accept honour humbly?
Safiyyah bint Abd al-Muttalibصفية بنت عبد المطلب
Seeking nearness to Allah through deeds, not lineage
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Family closeness to good people does not replace your own deeds.
Sit with this Are you relying on whom you know instead of what you do?
Safiyyah bint Huyayyصفية بنت حيي
Keeping weddings and gatherings simple
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Celebrate without extravagance, and share what you have with others.
Sit with this Could your next celebration be simpler, and shared more widely?
Staying away from the bustle of the market
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Do your buying and selling, but do not live there.
Sit with this Does the market, or the screen, take more of you than it should?
Sawda bint Zam'ahسودة بنت زمعة
Giving up her own turn for the sake of harmony
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Give up a personal right when it keeps the home calm.
Sit with this Is there a personal right you could give up to keep the peace at home?
Relying on Allah, not on numbers
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Do not rely on your numbers or strength; rely on Allah.
Sit with this What are you counting on that is not Allah?
Thabit ibn Qaysثابت بن قيس بن شماس
Taking the adab of the Prophet's presence seriously
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Lower your voice and your ego in front of the Qur'an, the Prophet's words and knowledgeable people.
Sit with this Do you lower your voice when the Quran or the Prophet's words are spoken?
Patience when others are preferred
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Be patient when others get what you wanted.
Sit with this How do you respond when someone else is preferred over you?
Modesty (haya')
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Treat modesty as strength; let it shape what you say and show.
Sit with this What would modesty change in what you say and show today?
Uthman ibn Madh'unعثمان بن مظعون
Humble, immediate acceptance of correction
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Respond to advice with 'I seek to follow', not with defensiveness.
Sit with this Do you meet advice with "I seek to follow" or with defence?
Returning to his father's name
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When Allah's command changes a long-held custom, follow it right away.
Sit with this Which long-held custom would you give up at once if Allah asked?
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