Humbleness – Hazrat Moulana Thanvi رحمة الله عليه
Hazrat Thanwi Rahmatullahi Alaih was a first-rate humble person. In view of his widespread fame, people harboured extraordinary thoughts about his splendour and grandeur. For this reason, one day his younger brother, Munshi Akbar Ali said to him: “You are taken to be a great person. You are no more an ordinary man. At least you should now travel in second class.”
Hazrat responded: “What must I do!? It is against my nature. I prefer sitting in a train with villagers, bhangis and chamaars [low-caste people]. What is there in status? Soon the bhangi and chamaar will decompose into soil; and me too.” (Kamaalaat-e-Ashrafiyyah)
Once, Moulana Abdul Maajid Saheb Daryabadi wrote in a letter: “I have submitted the entire account of my [spiritual] sickness to Hakeemul Ummat hoping and requesting treatment.”
In response Hazrat wrote: “What am I!? What hikmat do I have [alluding to the title of Hakeemul Ummat]!? What benefit do the titles of the public serve!? However, I have no problem in being of service.” (Hakeemul Ummat)
In another letter Moulana wrote: “Some things which I hear or see induce my heart to say, ‘He [Hazrat Thanwi] is a human being just like us.’”
In response to this Hazrat wrote: “This is exactly in harmony with reality. In fact, I should say that it is close to reality. If there were not the words, ‘like us,’ then it would have been exactly in harmony to reality. Now it is a bit out of touch with reality because in actual fact I am lower than others. I am not adopting formalities here; I can take an oath over this because I perceive my condition more than others.” (Hakeemul Ummat)
