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Al-Hākim mentioned in Al-Mustadrak that when ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reached the Levant, he came across a ford. Thereupon, he dismounted, took off his shoes, held the halter of his riding animal, and crossed the ford.
Seeing him, Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrāh said to him: “O Commander of the Believers, you have done something serious in the sight of the dwellers of the land! You have taken off your shoes, walked before your riding animal, and crossed the ford.”
In response, ‘Umar hit Abu ‘Ubaydah’s chest with his hand and said: “If only someone other than you had said it, O Abu ‘Ubaydah!
You were the lowest of people, and Allah honored you with Islam. So, if you seek honor anywhere else, Allah Almighty will humiliate you.”
Allah Almighty says: {Whoever desires honor - then to Allah belongs all honor...} [Surat Fātir: 10]
Praising Himself, Allah Almighty says: {And indeed, your Lord - He is the All-Mighty, the Most-Merciful.} [Surat ash-Shu‘arā’: 9] {...There is no god except Him, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.} [Surat Ᾱl-‘Imrān: 6] Allah Almighty commands us from above the seven heavens to know that and take it for sure: {...And know that Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 260]
Our All-Mighty Lord, Who combines all meanings of honor in its most sublime and perfect form, says: {Whoever desires honor - then to Allah belongs all honor...} [Surat Fātir: 10]
To Him belongs honor by way of dominance, as He is the Vanquisher of His enemies.
To Him belongs honor by way of invincibility, as none can reach Him for He is Self-Sufficient.
And to Him belongs honor by way of power, as all difficulties and hardships are humble and easy before Him for His strength.
He is the All-Mighty Lord Who grants might and honor to whomever He wills of His servants.
He is the All-Mighty Lord Whose close servants and allies cannot be defeated or humiliated.
He is the All-Mighty Lord, the Vanquisher, the Dominant, the Owner of absolute and perfect power. None can target Him with any harm or overcome Him.
How could anything target the All-Powerful Lord with any harm or overcome Him?! He is the All-Mighty, and His might and honor are perfect in every way and free from any deficiency.
As the believers know and believe that honor and might come from Allah alone, they stand humble before their All-Mighty Lord and turn to Him for refuge, protection, and honor because they are well aware of the verse that says: {Whoever desires honor - then to Allah belongs all honor...} [Surat Fātir: 10]
Al-Madā’ini said in his book: “One of the people of Yemen went to Al-Hajjāj complaining about his brother Muhammad ibn Yūsuf. It happened that he arrived as Al-Hajjāj was on the pulpit. He got up and complained about his brother Muhammad. Thereupon, Al-Hajjāj ordered that he be imprisoned. When he descended the pulpit, he called for him feeling really angry against him. He said: ‘How dare you complain about my brother!’ The man replied: ‘I am more honorable by Allah than your brother is by you.’ Thereupon, Al-Hajjāj said: ‘Set him free.’”
An honorable death is better than a life in humiliation.
The more the Muslim exalts this name in his heart and the more he acts to actualize it in his life, the greater the honor he will receive. {...And honor belongs to Allah, and to His Messenger, and to the believers...} [Surat al-Munāfiqūn: 8]
The most honorable among people are the prophets, followed by the believers.
Hence, none attains honor in this world or in the Hereafter but those who are made honorable by Allah Almighty. {Say: “O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are competent over all things.} [Surat Ᾱl-‘Imrān: 26]
Whoever seeks honor through other than Allah has actually sought it in a transient dominion and power that will soon go away.
Who could ever stand up to Allah and fight and overcome Him?! The people of Pharaoh sought honor in him: {So they cast their ropes and their sticks, and said: “By the might of Pharaoh, it is we who will certainly win.”} [Surat ash-Shu‘arā’: 44] And what was the result? {Then Moses cast his staff, and behold, it swallowed up all that they falsely showed.} [Surat ash-Shu‘arā’: 45]
A lot of people seek honor with the disbelievers and the enemies of religion. Those people had not estimated Allah or known Him properly. Otherwise, they would have recognized the true little worth of those people to whom they show allegiance and friendliness, for no matter how powerful they become or how many followers they may have, they are nothing compared to the might, power, and dominance of Allah.
Allah Almighty has informed them that the honor and pleasure they seek cannot be reached except through Him. Indeed, they have become just like the hypocrites, whose outside differs from their inside. {Give tidings to the hypocrites that there is for them a painful punishment. Those who take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek with them honor? But indeed, honor belongs to Allah entirely.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 138-139]
Some seek honor with their own people and tribe. Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “Two men bragged about their lineage during the Prophet’s lifetime. One of them said: ‘I am so-and-so, the son of so-and-so, the son of so-and-so. So, who are you, O you with no good mother?’
Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Two men bragged about their lineage at the time of Moses (peace be upon him). One of them said: “I am so-and-so, the son of so-and-so - till the ninth grandfather - So, who are you, O you with no good mother?” The other one said: “I am so-and-son, the son of so-and-so, the son of Islam.”
So, Allah revealed to Moses: “With regard to these two men talking about their lineage, as for you who bragged about your affiliation to the nine grandfathers, you are in Hellfire; you are the tenth of them.
And as for you who have bragged about your affiliation to two grandfathers, you are in Paradise; you are the third of them in Paradise.’” [Narrated by Ahmad; Sahīh (authentic)]
It was once said: “Let those who seek honor in their position consider what happened to Pharaoh; let those who seek honor in their wealth consider what happened to Qārūn; and let those who seek honor in their lineage consider what happened to Abu Lahab. Indeed, honor lies in piety.”
Truthful was the one who said: “We are people whom Allah has honored by Islam. So, if we seek honor through something else, Allah will humiliate us.”
The biggest cause of the humiliation of the Muslim Ummah today is that they do not seek honor through their Lord as they should.
When the disbelievers began to threaten the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), speak impudently with him, and show their strength, Allah Almighty revealed a verse in which He consoled His Prophet and stated that all humanity is weak. He says: {And let not their speech grieve you. Indeed, honor belongs to Allah entirely. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.} [Surat Yūnus: 65]
The greater the believer’s faith is, the greater the honor within his heart and the firmer his belief in victory and dominance will be. Allah Almighty says: {And Allah made it not except as [a sign of] glad tidings for you and to reassure your hearts thereby. And victory is not except from Allah, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.} [Surat Ᾱl-‘Imrān: 126] He also says: {...And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and All-Mighty.} [Surat al-Hajj: 40]
Whoever possesses faith attains honor, and whoever attains honor wins the love of Allah Almighty, Who says:
{...Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble towards the believers, firm against the disbelievers...}
[Surat al-Mā’idah: 54]
Ibn Kathīr said: “Whoever likes to be honorable in this world and in the Hereafter should stick to obedience to Allah. In this way, he will reach his objective, for indeed Allah Almighty is the Owner of this world and the Hereafter, and all honor belongs to Him as He says: {...Indeed, honor belongs to Allah entirely.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 139]”
Ibrāhim al-Khawwās (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “As much as the believer honors the religion of Allah, Allah grants him honor and makes him honorable in the hearts of the believers. This is the meaning of the verse that says: {...And honor belongs to Allah, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.} [Surat al-Munāfiqūn: 8]”
Honor cannot be attained unless its requirements are fulfilled.
First and foremost, honor is attained by faith as Allah Almighty says:
{...And honor belongs to Allah, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.}
[Surat al-Munāfiqūn: 8]
It is also attained through humility towards the believers as Allah Almighty says: {...Humble towards the believers, firm against the disbelievers...} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 54]
Honor is attained through pardon as well. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah increases the one who pardons in honor.” [narrated by Muslim]
Honor can also be obtained by invoking Allah by this name as Ibrāhim (Abraham) (peace be upon him) used to make this supplication: {Our Lord, do not make us a temptation for the disbelievers; and forgive us. Our Lord, surely You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.} [Surat al-Mumtahanah: 5] Also, the angels who carry the Throne used this name in their supplication for the believers: {Our Lord, and make them enter the Gardens of Eternity which You have promised them and whoever was righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their offspring; surely You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.} [Surat Ghāfir: 8]
Whenever the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) got up from sleep suddenly during the night, he would say: “La ilāha illallāh Al-Wāhid Al-Qahhār, Rabbu as-samāwāti wa al-ard wa ma baynahuma Al-‘Azīz Al-Ghaffār (There is no god except Allah, the One, the Superb Vanquisher, Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, the All-Mighty, the Superb Forgiver).” [Narrated by Ibn Hibbān; Sahīh (authentic)]
A man came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) complaining of some sort of pain and the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) taught him to worship Allah Almighty by His might saying: “Put your right hand upon it and say seven times: Bismillāh, a‘ūdhu bi‘izzatillāh wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajid wa uhādhir (In the name of Allah, I seek refuge in the honor and might of Allah from the evil that afflicts me and that I apprehend).” [Narrated by Muslim]
Allah’s name “Al-‘Azīz” comes in association with His names: “Al-Qawiyy” (the All-Powerful), “Al-Hakīm” (the All-Wise), “Al-‘Alīm” (the All-Knowing), “Al-Hamīd” (the Praiseworthy), “Al-Ghafūr” (the All-Forgiving), “Al-Wahhāb” (the Bestower), and “Al-Muqtadir” (the Supreme Determiner).
This, by Allah, stems from His boundless mercy and benevolence towards us.
It indicates the perfection of Allah’s names and attributes and that they complete one another. As Allah possesses absolute might and power, He is also the All-Wise, the All-Knowing, the All-Merciful, and the All-Compassionate towards His servants, and the Praiseworthy for His words, actions, and rulings.
So, His might comprises wisdom, mercy, and justice. {...There is no god except Him, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.} [Surat Āl-‘Imrān: 6]
Since His might is that of perfection and majesty, He deserves to be praised for it constantly. Allah Almighty says: {...the All-Mighty, the Praiseworthy.} [Surat Ibrāhim: 1]
O the King, Who holds the forelocks of His creation, I seek refuge in You, O the Most Generous Lord.
Your predestination is sure to come to pass. I am Your servant, seeking Your refuge and protection.
{Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe. And peace be upon the Messengers. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.} [Surat as-Sāffāt: 180-182]
O Allah, the All-Mighty, grant us honor by obeying You and do not humiliate us by disobeying You.