The Essence of Humility and Knowledge
O Dust Particle
13/5/2026
One day, the Caliph Harun al-Rashid invited the esteemed blind scholar, Abu Muawiyah Muhammad ibn Khazim (may Allah have mercy on them both), to dine at his table. Baghdad was resplendent in all its glory. The halls of the caliphate shimmered with gold and jewels, the majesty of the empire cast its shadow on the court’s walls, and anyone walking on the royal carpet felt as if they stood before the greatest grandeur of the age. Yet, on this day, an extraordinary scene unfolded. The sovereign of the empire sat in complete reverence before a blind scholar. When the meal concluded, Harun al-Rashid himself rose, poured water over Abu Muawiyah’s hands, and humbly asked, “O Abu Muawiyah! Do you know who poured water over your hands?” He replied, “No.” Harun said, “The Commander of the Faithful did.”
It was a moment where an ordinary person might have been intoxicated by their own greatness, but Abu Muawiyah immediately unveiled the truth. He said, “O Commander of the Faithful! You have not honored Abu Muawiyah, but rather you have respected the knowledge that Allah has placed in my heart. You have not revered my dust, but the light bestowed by my Lord.”
These were not mere words; they were a mirror reflecting the entire reality of humanity. The greatest deception in the world is that a person mistakes the light surrounding them as their own, whereas in truth, they are nothing more than a helpless particle of dust. Whatever they possess is a gift; and a gift never belongs to the one who receives it. The greatness of a human being is not their own, but the greatness of the blessings that God has endowed within them.
When heads bow before a scholar, it is in reverence to knowledge, not the flesh and bones. When crowds gather around a wealthy person, it is the allure of wealth, not any innate grandeur of their being. When the world stands at the door of a powerful person, it is the awe of the position, not any inherent majesty of their existence. When eyes linger on a beautiful face, it is the charm of beauty, not any eternal greatness of the transient body. Otherwise, what is a human being in their essence? A speck of dust, scattered by a mere gust of wind.
When I delve into my own existence, I feel like an empty vessel. If any light flickers within, it is not from my lamp, but a ray from another sun. If my words carry any influence, it is not born of my will; if my mind holds any brilliance, it is not the personal achievement of my consciousness; if my heart possesses any expanse, it is not the creation of my being. These are all gifts, and pride in a gift is akin to a mirror believing the sun reflected within it is its own light.
How strange is human pride. They stay one night in an inn and consider themselves its owner. The body, whose strength they boast of, trembles before a mere fever. The intellect, whose heights they are proud of, shatters in a moment of forgetfulness. The tongue, whose magic captivates gatherings, becomes silent stone with a single stroke. The wealth, which makes them feel like the heir of Qarun, washes away like a sandcastle with the turn of time. So where is this “I” that a person is so proud of?
The truth is, a human is neither a flame nor a sun; they are merely a mirror, and all the brilliance of the mirror depends on the light that falls upon it. Yet, the tragedy of humanity is that they mistake the reflection for the reality and assign to themselves a status that belongs only to God. This is pride, and this is the veil that stands between a servant and the truth.
The people of insight, upon realizing this secret, shattered the idols of their ego. They understood that as long as the “I” remains, “He” is not found. As long as a drop insists on being a drop, the vastness of the ocean does not become its destiny; but when it erases its own existence, the ocean surges within it.
The greatest achievement of a human being is to recognize their own insignificance. To realize that their status is that of a pauper, entrusted with a few moments of guardianship. Then a light of humility emerges in their heart, burning away all the darkness of arrogance. Then, upon hearing praise, they do not feel delight, but tremble, for they understand that people are not praising them, but the gift that has been entrusted to them for a short while.
It is then revealed to a person that they are nothing, but His gift is everything. I was dust, and He honored me. I was a silent particle, and He granted me speech. I was empty, and He filled me with His grace. Thus, if there is any virtue within me, it is not mine, and if there is any greatness, it belongs to Him who bestowed consciousness upon worthless dust, placed light in a dark heart, and made a traveler of mortality a mirror of His power. So, all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds.
