Praise Be to Allah,
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the embodiment of impeccable qualities of simplicity and modesty. He preached simplicity and practiced all his life.
Giving up Fancy Clothes for the Sake of Allah
Mu‘aath ibn Anas al-Juhanee reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever gives up the wearing of expensive fancy clothes out of humility to Allah while he can acquire it, will be called by Allah on the Day of Resurrection in front of the creation and be allowed to choose whichever jewels of the people of faith he wishes to wear.[i]”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, He will replace it with something better.”
Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said,
“Whoever wears a garment in vanity, Allah will make him wear a garment of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection, then He will set it ablaze with fire.[ii]”
Abu Sa’id reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, said, “A man before you left his house wearing two green mantles, boasting in them. Allah commanded the earth to take him. Verily, he will be buried in it until the Day of Resurrection.[iii]”
There are three (types of) people to whom Allah will neither speak on the Day of Resurrection nor look at them nor purify them, and they will have a painful chastisement.” The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) repeated it three times. Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) remarked: “They are ruined. Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?” Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “One who lets down his lower garments (below his ankles) out of arrogance, one who boasts of his favors done to another; and who sells his goods by taking a false oath.”[iv]
The Prophet (PBUH) said,
“Don’t you hear? Don’t you hear? Indeed, simplicity in dress is a part of eemaan. Indeed, simplicity in dress is a part of eemaan.” (Sunan Ibn-i-Majah, vol. 5, p. 416, no. 4118 and Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 3, p. 1158, no. 4149, and authenticated in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah, vol. 2, p. 395, no. 3324)
It Is Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“He who wears libaas ul-shuhra in this world will be dressed in humiliating clothes on the day of judgment.”[v]
The question here is: ” What consists libaas ul-shurah?” What is meant by this expression is anything worn to show-off and to attract the attention of others, to look upwards unto him/her once he/she appears wearing it. This, of course, is due either to its strange colors amongst the ordinary dresses of other people or due to the stylish models or even to how precious, expensive or even to the contrary of this as being trivial and completely valueless.[vi]
Statements from the Salaf about Broadcasting Action:
Abu Umamah Al-Baheli (radi Allahu anhu) came to a man in the masjid while he was in Sujud crying and making dua. Abu Umamah said: “If only you would have done this in your house.[vii]”
Ali ibn Abi Talib (Radi Allahu anhu) said: “There are three signs of a person desiring to known and seen.
1: He’s lazy when he’s alone.
2: He’s active when he’s around others.
3: He’s does extra deeds when he’s praised and reduces his deeds and efforts when he’s criticized.[viii]
Once when I was with Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr, he asked, “Who among you saw the shooting star last night?” I answered, “I saw it,” and I explained that I was not praying at the time and [that I was up] because I had been stung. He said, “What did you do?” I replied, “I requested that a ruqyah prayer be done to cure it!”. He asked, “What compelled you to do that?” I replied, “A hadeeth I heard from ash-Sha‘bee.” He then asked, “What did he narrate?” I replied, “He reported from Buraydah ibn Husayb, who said that ruqyah is not allowed except in the treatment of the evil eye (‘ayn) and stings.” (Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr) commented, “He who limits himself to what he has heard has done well. However, Ibn ‘Abbaas narrated to us that the Prophet, peace, and blessings be upon him said, “All the nations were paraded before me, and I saw the prophets follow one another, one with a small group, one with two or three people and a prophet with none. Then there appeared a multitude of people which I took to be my nation, but I was told that they were Moosaa and his people. Later, a larger group appeared, and I was told that they were my people. Among them were seventy thousand who would enter Paradise without reckoning or punishment.[ix]” ……….
Husayn, May Allah be pleased with him, said that so that people would not imagine that he up praying and thereby praise him for something he did not do[x].
Despite being a Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and having a large following, he, peace, and blessings be upon him did not live a life of affluence. Abu Hurairah narrated, Once Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was traveling with his companions and when it was time to have the food prepared, he asked them to slaughter a sheep.
A man said: I will slaughter it, another one said: I will skin it out. A third said: I will cook it. So the Messenger of Allah said: I will collect wood for the fire.
They said: “No. We will suffice you that work.”
I know that you can do it for me, but I hate to be privileged. Allah hates to see a slave of his privileged to others. So, he went and collected firewood.[xi]”
The Simplicity of the Prophet’s lifestyle:
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to sleep sometimes on a mattress (made of leather stuffed with palm fibers), sometimes on a leather rug, sometimes on a palm mat, sometimes on the ground, sometimes on a bed woven of fronds, and sometimes on a black cloth[xii].”
Abdullah narrated :
“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him was sleeping upon a mat, then he stood, and the mat had left marks on his side. We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! We could get a bed for you.’ He said: ‘What do I have to do with the world! I am not in the world but as a rider seeking shade under a tree, then he catches his breath and leaves it.[xiii]”
Anas said:
“The Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, never ate on a table, nor did he eat thin bread until he died.[xiv]“
Food of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.
As regards the simplicity of his food and drink, Aisha tells us, “We, the family of Muhammad would go for a month without lighting a fire; all we had to eat were dates and water.
By way of Abu Huraira, who said, “The Prophet never once expressed disdain for any sort of food. If he had an appetite for it, he would eat it; if he did not like it, he simply left if alone.”
Warning of Seeking Fame
Ka‘b ibn Maalik said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“Two hungry wolves sent against a flock of sheep cannot cause more damage to them than a man’s eagerness for wealth and prominence causes to his religious commitment.[xv]”
Seeking fame is blameworthy in all circumstances. The believer should be modest and humble, and he should not like to be pointed out[xvi].
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that the damage that eagerness for wealth and prominence causes to one’s religious commitment is no less than the damage that two hungry wolves would cause in a sheep pen, and this is quite obvious. If there is sound religious commitment, there cannot be this eagerness, because once the heart tastes the sweetness of servitude to Allah and love of Him, then there will be nothing dearer to the individual than that, and he will give it precedence over other things. In that way, Allah diverts evil deeds and shameful acts from those who are sincere to Allah alone”[xvii].
Ibn Abbass (Radi Allahu anhu) said Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“Whoever wants to be heard of, Allah will allow him to be heard of and whoever wants to been seen Allah will let him been seen[xviii]”
Muslim (2965) narrated that ‘Aamir ibn Sa‘d said: Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqaas was with his camels when his son ‘Umar came to him and when Sa‘d saw him he said: I seek refuge with Allah from the evil of this rider. Then he dismounted and said to him: You are busy with your camels and sheep and you have left the people contending with one another for kingship? Sa‘d struck him on the chest and said: Be quiet! I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Allah loves the slave who is pious, independent of means and hidden from the people.”
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The one who is hidden from the people is the one who does not try to be prominent and known, and he is not interested in becoming prominent before people or being pointed out, or having people talk about him. You will find him going from his house to the mosque, and from the mosque to his house, and from his house to visit his relatives and brothers, keeping a low profile.”[xix]
The dangers of praising others.
Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Beware of praising one another, for it is like slaughter (i.e., fatal).”[xx]
Al-Mannaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Praise leads to self-admiration and arrogance, and it is fatal like slaughter, hence it is likened to it. Al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If someone does you a favor, if he is one of those who like to be thanked and praised, then do not praise him, because part of fulfilling his rights is that you should not approve of his wrongdoing, and his seeking thanks is wrongdoing. Otherwise, you may show him gratitude so that he will continue doing good.
Staying Away From Public Drama and Scandals
The Prophet ﷺ said, “The believer is noble and turns his attention away [from others]. And the corrupt person is a depraved troublemaker”[xxi].
This hadith should serve as a warning to all of us. Be noble, and avoid creating scandals and the following gossip. And if you find yourself reveling in creating drama, and spreading gossip, and being the center of attention at the expense of other people’s reputation, realize that the Prophet ﷺ himself has labeled such a person as ‘fājir’. In our times, it appears such people are more concerned with Facebook likes and YouTube views than they are with following the teachings of Islam!][xxii].
Allah Knows Best.
[i] Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2481, Grade:
Sahih li ghayrihi (authentic due to external evidence) according to Al-Albani
[ii] Sunan Ibn Majah 3607, Grade: Hasan (fair) according to Al-Albani,
https://www.abuaminaelias.com/dailyhadithonline/2013/07/19/pride-vanity-clothing-famous/
[iii] Musnad Aḥmad 11141
[iv] Muslim
[v] Narrated by Ahmed & Abu Dawood, confirmed sahih by Al Albani in Sahih Al-Jami’ 6526
[vi] https://islamqa.info/en/answers/93/libaas-ul-shuhrah-and-wearing-extravagant-clothing
[vii] https://www.abuaaliyah.com/2015/01/17/the-dangers-of-self-praise-and-boasting/#_ftnref10
Nuzhatul Fudala’ 1/281
[viii] Nuzhatul Fudala’ 1/281
[ix] Sahih Muslim, vol.1, p. 141-142, no. 425.
[x] A Commentary on THE BOOK OF TAWHEED PART ONE by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, Page 57
[xi] Khulasa As- Siyar p.22, https://www.islamicfinder.org/news/prophet-muhammad-pbuh-the-most-humble-and-modest/
[xii] Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah be Merciful to him) said in his book Zad Al-Ma‘ad:
[xv] At-Tirmidhi (2376) narrated – and classed it as Saheeh, Also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘ (5620)
[xvi] Salih al- Munajjid, https://islamqa.info/en/answers/177655/is-it-permissible-to-seek-fame-and-love-to-be-prominent-in-worldly-matters
[xvii] End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (10/215)
[xviii] Collected by Bukhari (6499) and Muslim(2986)
[xix] End quote from Sharh Riyadh as-Saaliheen (p. 629)
[xx] Ahmad (16460), also Classed as Saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘ (2674)
[xxi] Reported by Abu Dawūd
[xxii] https://www.facebook.com/yasir.qadhi