A lesson in humility we've forgotten

Let me take you back to a moment in Islamic history - one I think about often.

Ibn Abbas ر, one of the greatest scholars of this Ummah and the cousin of the Prophet ﷺ, was once seen holding the saddle of his teacher, Zaid bin Thabbit ر, as he prepared to ride his animal.

Zaid, out of modesty, told him, “O cousin of the Messenger of Allah, move away.”

But do you know what Ibn Abbas said?

“This is how we treat our scholars and noble ones.”

Simple words.
But powerful.

Why am I telling you this?

Because somewhere along the way, we’ve started losing this kind of adab (manners) in our communities.

We live in a time where people chase likes, titles, and online debates over sitting quietly, listening, and showing respect to those who carry knowledge.

We interrupt.

We argue without understanding.

We pick and choose what benefits us and leave what makes us uncomfortable.

And sometimes - we forget that the way we treat people of knowledge says a lot about the state of our hearts.

Even someone like Ibn Abbas ر, whose status in the Ummah was undeniable, lowered himself in front of his teacher.

Knowledge isn’t just about facts, quotes, or big words.

It’s about humility.

It’s about honouring the people who dedicate their lives to preserving it.

And it’s about recognising that you’ll never truly benefit from knowledge unless you approach it with a heart that’s soft, sincere, and respectful.

As one of the scholars said:

“Knowledge will not give you a part of itself until you give it all of yourself.”

And part of that is adab.

The next time you find yourself in a gathering, a class, listening to a reminder, or even reading a post - pause for a second.

Don’t rush to respond.

Don’t scroll past.

Don’t think you already know it.

Sit with it.

Reflect.

Honour it.

And honour the one who’s reminding you of it.

Because you never know which word, which moment, which person - will be the one Allah uses to change your heart.

Our Ummah was built on knowledge and character walking hand in hand.
Let’s not let one walk ahead of the other.

If this reminder resonated with you, pass it on.
Or hit reply and tell me - what’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned from a teacher or reminder in your life?

I’d love to hear it.

May Allah increase us all in beneficial knowledge, soft hearts, and beautiful adab.
Ameen.

P.S. I share more like this on Threads and Instagram. Come say Salaam.

Until the next letter,

— Hidvyaa