Humility: The Consummation of all Virtues

Humility is the root, branch and consummation of all virtues, whereby the servant attains to the stations of the righteous, those who are content with Allah in joy and sorrow alike. This is perfection of piety.

Humility means that the servant never meets anyone without assuming him to be more worthy than himself. He will always say: "Perhaps he is better than I in Allah's sight, and higher in degree."

If it is someone young, he will say: "This person has not offended Allah as I have done, so he is undoubtedly better than I."

If it is someone older, he will say: "This person served Allah long before I did."

If it is someone learned, he will say: "This person has received something I have not experienced, and has acquired something I have not acquired. He knows things of which I am ignorant, and he puts his knowledge into practice."

If it is someone who is ignorant, he will say: "This person has offended Allah in ignorance, while I have offended Him knowingly. I do not know what end He has in store for me, nor what end He has in store for him."

If it should be an unbeliever, he will say: "I don't know; perhaps he will embrace Islam and come to good end, and maybe I shall become an unbeliever and come to a bad end."

Revelations of the Unseen, Shaikh Abd Al Qadir Al-Jilani -RA