#129 Balancing Confidence and Humility

You've got to step up. You've been put in a certain position.

We're supposed to value the ability to make the effort that Allah gave us.

The things that Allah gave us, He can give to anybody else.

And these things will come, and they will go.

But the only thing of value before Allah and before ourselves should actually be just our efforts.

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ (QS An Najm: 39)

"Human beings will have nothing of worth on judgment day, except the effort that they made."

That's it.

That's all that's going to matter.

This balance between confidence and humility, that has to be struck.

Because too much self-worth will turn into arrogance.

And too much humility, then you start thinking, "I'm nothing, I'm nobody."

I'll give you an example of this that I saw in the Islamic space.

I was at a university many years ago, there were almost no Muslims in the university. Five or six young men that are Muslim students in the university.

And there's no masjid for like a hundred miles.

So they've got to make Jum'ah by themselves, these five young guys. And one of them is a hafidh Quran.

So obviously it falls on him to kind of prepare something, learn a little bit, to be able to give the khutba, and to lead the prayer.

And he won't do it.

And then you go to him and say, "Hey, why won't you give the khutba?"

"Akhi, I'm nothing. I'm just a faqeer. I... I know my own worthlessness before Allah. How can I stand on the mimbar of Rasulullah (ﷺ)? Because I know that I'm not even worth the dirt of the feet of the ulama that are here."

And he starts giving you this whole humility.

Talk about how, "No, no, no, I'm nothing, I'm worthless, I'm useless."

And I tell him, "I know you are useless, but still..."

“The thing is, if you don't do it, this guy is gonna lead the prayer in English. He's gonna say, 'God is great' (instead of Allahu Akbar)”

"So you know what? You kind of have to step up, bro. You've got to step up. You've been put in a certain position. This is not about arrogance."

Confusing the need for confidence with arrogance

"You're confusing the need for confidence with arrogance. This is a time to show confidence."

But too much confidence, now if you imagine he starts giving the khutba, but then there's somebody else that comes along and says, "Hey, this week we have a scholar."

"Oh, why is he taking my spot? I like my spot, why he got to take my spot for? Can't you give him like Saturday Khutba or something? I don't know, is there an alternative? Cause I'm kinda used to having the main stage."

Now that is arrogance.

So there's this balance between confidence and humility that has to be struck.