Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Hazrat Shaikh Moulana Muhammad Zakariyya (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned the following:
It is extremely important for a person to regard himself at all times unworthy for the favours which Allah Ta‘ala blesses him with.
At no time should one feel within his heart that he is eligible and worthy for the favours of Allah Ta‘ala (on account of the good deeds that he is doing in his life).
Nevertheless, together with having the conviction of not being worthy of the favours of Allah Ta‘ala, it is necessary for one to continue expressing gratitude to Allah Ta‘ala for His favours so that one does not fall into the sin of being ungrateful.
More than mentioning to people that one is unworthy of the favours of Allah Ta‘ala, it is more important that one keeps the conviction in his heart and mind at all times that he is unworthy of the favours that Allah Ta‘ala is granting him.
The sign of one having this conviction in his heart and mind that he is truly unworthy of all the good he has been blessed with is that if anyone has to speak to him in an unpleasant way e.g. in a gathering of people, if some person does not speak to him in a respectful manner, then he will not become angry nor will the thought cross his mind that the person did not deal with him in the manner he was worthy of being dealt with.
As long as a person feels himself worthy of being treated in a special manner and he becomes upset and angry when people don’t deal with him accordingly, then such a person’s heart does not have this quality of feeling himself unworthy of the favours which Allah Ta‘ala has granted him.
It is merely a claim on his tongue of himself being unworthy of the favours, but the reality has not entered his heart.
(Malfoozaat Shaikhul Hadith pg. 303)
