37/16. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 4176 — Humility Raises a Person
Freedom from arrogance, and having humility
Hadith About Humility: Allah Raises the Humble
Sunan Ibn Majah : 4176
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 4176
حَدَّثَنَا حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، أَنَّ دَرَّاجًا، حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ أَبِي الْهَيْثَمِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ " مَنْ يَتَوَاضَعْ لِلَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ دَرَجَةً يَرْفَعْهُ اللَّهُ بِهِ دَرَجَةً وَمَنْ يَتَكَبَّرْ عَلَى اللَّهِ دَرَجَةً يَضَعْهُ اللَّهُ بِهِ دَرَجَةً حَتَّى يَجْعَلَهُ فِي أَسْفَلِ السَّافِلِينَ " .
Abu Sa'eed Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever humbles himself one degree for the sake of Allah, Allah will raise him in status one degree, and whoever behaves arrogantly towards Allah one degree, Allah will lower him in status one degree, until He makes him among the lowest of the low.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 4176In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 77English translation : Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 4176
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 4176
This hadith about humility explains two opposite paths. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that whoever humbles himself one degree for the sake of Allah, Allah will raise him one degree. Whoever behaves arrogantly toward Allah one degree, Allah will lower him one degree, until He makes him among the lowest of the low. The hadith connects humility directly to Allah, not to public praise. A person may look lower in people’s eyes, but if the humility is for Allah, the hadith promises raising in status. Arrogance moves in the other direction. It lowers a person. For people searching for a humility hadith, this narration gives a clear scale: humility raises, arrogance lowers.
What we learn from this hadith
- Humility for the sake of Allah is linked to being raised in status.
- Arrogance toward Allah is linked to being lowered.
- The hadith teaches that inner attitude has real consequences.
- A believer should choose humility over self-importance.
