(And know!

(And know!) By you carrying things which you are able to, it will not reflect negatively upon your manliness.”[^4] Bilal the Abyssinian Bilal was one of those Muslims who had made great progress spiritually to the extent that he became the muezzin of the Noble Prophet (S). The Noble Prophet (S) would say to him: “O’ Bilal! Invigorate my soul (by means of your Adhan).” The Noble Prophet (S) not only placed him in charge of the public treasury, but also treated him as if he were his blood brother.

“When I enter Paradise, I shall hear your footsteps ahead of me, as you walk on its lush-green ground,” he had told Bilal. Consequently, the other Muslims would approach Bilal and congratulate him for the lofty rank that he had come to acquire for himself, but he never allowed their compliments to make him arrogant, nor did he permit the people’s praises to change him.

With great humbleness, he would respond to their praises by saying, “I am an Abyssinian and (till yesterday) I had been a slave.”[^5] The Humbleness of the Noble Prophet Abu Dharr narrates: “Once, I observed Salman and Bilal arriving in the presence of the Noble Prophet (S). Salman, out of respect, fell down at the Prophet’s feet and kissed them. The Noble Prophet (S) endeavoured to prevent him from performing this act.

“Do not perform acts that the non-Arabs perform for their emperors,” advised the Noble Prophet (S). “I am (just) a servant from amongst the servants of Allah - I eat what they eat and sit where they sit.”[^6] Muhammad Ibn Muslim Muhammad Ibn Muslim was a wealthy individual from the nobles of Kufah and a companion of Imam Baqir (as) and Imam Sadiq (as). Once, Imam Baqir (as) advised him: “O’ Muhammad!

You must be humble and modest.” On his return to Kufah from Madinah, Muhammad Ibn Muslim picked up a pair of scales and a container of dates. He then sat down at the door of Kufah’s main mosque and began calling out: “Wh'oever needs dates, should purchase them from me.” (He acted thus so that not the slightest pride should remain within him). His relatives objected to him by saying that he had disgraced them through this act of his.

“My Imam has instructed me to perform a task and I shall not disobey him; I shall not move from this place till I have sold all the dates that are in this container,” said Muhammad. “If it is as you say, then you might as well take up the work of a miller,” his relatives said to him sarcastically. To their surprise, Muhammad agreed.