Be warned! If you see a pious Muslim seemingly carrying out an inappropriate act, then never think bad of them, for gaining any benefit from this is a distant matter; it is likely that you will face embarrassment. Let us listen to two accounts in this regard, and take heed:

Can he be better than me?

Imam Hasan Basri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه possessed so much humility that he considered everyone to be better than him. The reason for this is as follows. One day, on the river Tigris, he saw an Abyssinian man and woman drinking alcohol from a bottle. He thought to himself, can these people be better than me? They are alcoholics. During this time, he saw a boat that was sinking in the distance that had 7 people on board. Upon seeing this, the Abyssinian man jumped into the water and took 6 people out, one at a time. The Abyssinian said to him رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه: “You save the life of just one. I was testing you to see if the eyes of your heart were open or not! The woman who is with me is my mother and there is nothing but water in this bottle.”

Imam Hasan Basri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه heard this and was certain that this man was from the unseen. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه fell to the Abyssinian’s feet and said: “Just as you saved the lives of those 6 people, save me from pride.” So, he supplicated: “May Allah Almighty grant you the light of insight and save you from pride and arrogance.” After this incident occurred, Imam Hasan Basri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه never considered himself to be better than anyone else.”^[1]

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                                                 صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! We should respect every pious person; we do not know who could be a hidden wali [friend of Allah]. Ameer of Ahl al-