The Humility of Hazrat Thanwi رحمه الله
Once Hazrat Thanwi رحمه الله was crossing the street around fajr time while the city street-cleaner was brooming the street. The man who was accompanying Hazrat at that time, who happened to also be a scholar and close confident of Hazrat Thanwi رحمه الله, saw the street-cleaner brooming up the dust, so this scholar quickly rushed ahead and kindly requested him to stop brooming the street so that Hazrat Thanwi رحمه الله may pass.
The purpose of this was so that Hazrat Thanwi’s (RA) clothes would not become dirty with the dust and garbage that was getting broomed up.
When Hazrat Thanwi رحمه الله heard this, he said, “Brother, what right did you have to stop the street-cleaner, appointed by the city, from his duty?! The poor man is just doing his job. Have you thought me to be some tyrant pharaoh or something?!”
Allahu Akbar! This was the high status of humility and humbleness that Hazrat Thanwi رحمه الله possessed.
Ma`rifat e Ilahiyya; pg. 380
Once Hadhrat said: I am fasting and I take an oath that there is no one lower and more disgraceful than me in this world. On another occasion he said: I consider myself to be lower than every Muslim presently and lower than every Kaafir as far as the future is concerned. (This means that a Kaafir can accept Islam and become a better person).
-Malfooz Hadhrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanvi Rahmatullah Alayh
