The Virtue of Modesty

A Hadith Qudsi is recorded in these words: “God said: ‘Pride is My Cloak and greatness is My robe, and one who competes with Me in respect of either of them, I shall cast into Hell.’” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 4090)

This Hadith Qudsi, meaning sacred narration attributed to God and relating to Him, teaches us the importance of modesty. The truth is that man’s relation with God is established at the level of real modesty. If there is any sense of his own greatness in a person, this relation with God cannot be established. The true sign of real modesty is when one attains the state in which praise does not please him and criticism does not displease him.

One who is not truly modest, consciously or unconsciously, lives with a sense of his own greatness or importance. This kind of feeling is a veritable obstacle in establishing any relationship with God. The modest man, on the contrary, has the ability to fully accept divine inspiration. Whereas, where there is no modesty in the full sense, the immodest person, cannot be a recipient of divine inspiration.