Several tales and proverbs are narrated about the virtue of humility in Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, preceded us in this. He is the one who gave and taught all Muslims the virtue of humility in Islam. After him, the commanders of the faithful and all Muslims followed his approach.
The Humility of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him: It is narrated that one day, Adi bin Hatim, who was a Christian, came to the Prophet, upon whom be the best prayers and finest greetings, while he was in Medina. He took him to his home. While they were on their way, an old, weak woman met the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and stopped him for a long time, asking him about some of her affairs. He stood for her until she finished. Adi was amazed at his humility.
When they reached the Messenger’s home, he presented him with a cushion to sit on, but the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sat on the ground and began talking to his guest until he was convinced that he was truly the Messenger of Allah. So he believed in him and verified him.
The Humility and Asceticism of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq: What is narrated about the humility of our master Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, is that he was among the most ascetic and humble in character, clothing, and food. His clothing during his caliphate was the shamlah (outer garment) and the abayah (cloak).
The leaders of Arabs, their nobles, the kings of Yemen, wearing embroidered robes and Yemeni fabrics heavy with gold and crowns, came to him. When they witnessed his clothing, asceticism, humility, piety, and the dignity and awe he possessed, they went his way and removed what they had upon them.
Among those who came to him from the kings of Yemen was (Dhu al-Kala), king of Himyar, with a thousand slaves from his tribe, wearing a crown and the Yemeni fabrics and robes we described. When he saw in Abu Bakr what we have described, he cast aside what was upon him and dressed in his attire. Indeed, one day he was seen in one of the markets of Medina with a sheep’s skin on his shoulder. His tribe was alarmed by this and said: You have disgraced us among the emigrants, the helpers, and the Arabs.
He said: Do you want me to be a tyrant king in Islam? No, by Allah, obedience to the Lord can only be through humility to Allah and asceticism in this world. So the kings became humble, and those who came to him were humble after arrogance, and submissive after tyranny.
Ibn Ishaq said, and the scholars of biographies said: Abu Bakr was the milker of his people’s sheep. When he was pledged allegiance to the caliphate, a maid from the tribe said: Now who will milk the sheep for us? Abu Bakr heard her and said: I will milk them for you, and I hope that what I have entered into of the caliphate will not change me from the character I was in. So he would milk for them, may Allah have mercy on him and multiply his reward.