The balance between a person’s inner state and external actions is a topic that helps an individual maintain their positive qualities in the face of both good and bad events. This balance means that a person neither becomes arrogant and self-absorbed, nor does he diminish himself so much that he loses his self-respect.
Achieving this balance is one of the qualities of a person who is adorned with noble morals. But how can one attain this balance? Paying attention to the prayers and supplications conveyed by the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) is one way through which we can learn how to achieve moral principles, including inner balance.
One of the most prominent collections of supplications available to Muslims is the Sahifa Sajjadiya, which contains 54 prayers of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him). In the Sahifa Sajjadiya, specifically in the Du’a Makarim al-Akhlaq (The Prayer for Noble Morals), the Imam (peace be upon him) describes the cure for arrogance and self-absorption as inner humiliation or, in other words, humility. Humility is the opposite of arrogance and serves to prevent a person from seeing themselves as superior to others. A passage from this prayer reads:
“O Allah! Send blessings upon Muhammad and his family, and do not elevate me in the eyes of people except that You lower me in my own eyes.”
From this passage, we can infer that worldly status or, in other words, outward honor, might lead a person to become arrogant and forget the humility that they previously observed toward others. As a result, they might begin to look down upon people with contempt and inferiority.
The following story illustrates the dilemma of a religious officer who, upon reading this passage from Du’a Makarim al-Akhlaq, had a question. This officer approached one of the scholars and asked:
“After the dawn prayer, while I was reading Du’a Makarim al-Akhlaq, I came across a phrase that caught my attention. The phrase contained the word ‘degree,’ which, in our profession, determines the position of individuals, as military officers gain a higher status with each rank they attain. My question is whether our military ranks and the concept of ‘degree’ in the prayer are connected?”
The scholar responded by explaining:
*”The degree in this prayer refers to the outward honor and respect that people give to a high-ranking individual. However, as a simple analogy, this phrase of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) can be understood in your case as follows:
For example, if your rank is Colonel, people who come to your office should be treated with humility: stand up for them, greet them, and invite them to sit. Once they are seated, you too should sit down. If your rank increases to Brigadier General, you should increase your humility and respect toward others. When someone visits you, rise from your chair, step away from your desk, shake their hand, and only sit after they have seated themselves.
If your rank rises further and you become a Major General, your humility should grow even more. Rise from your chair and approach the person to shake hands. After they sit, take your seat across from them but not at your desk.
In summary, the higher your outward rank becomes, the smaller and humbler you should feel within yourself. By doing so, your higher rank will not divert you from the path of virtue nor hinder your moral responsibilities.”*
Thus, outward honor and respect that come as a result of certain achievements or events are blessings from God. A person who enjoys this blessing should be grateful for it, perform their religious and moral duties, and remember that this honor, like other worldly blessings, is temporary and fleeting. Therefore, one should always be mindful of its eventual passing and pray to God to keep them humble in their own eyes, regardless of their external status.
The greatest feature of such honor, which is accompanied by a sense of humility, is that it does not lead to pride, as the individual remembers that even a small change could alter their situation.
(Adapted from the book Sharah wa Tafseer du’a Makarim, authored by the late Juhat al-Islam Mohammad Tafi Falsafi)