Look at those who are below you and do not look at those who are above you, for that is more likely to keep you from belittling the favor of Allah upon you.
“Look at those who are below you and do not look at those who are above you, for that is more likely to keep you from belittling the favor of Allah upon you.”
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the Muslim to look at those who are below him and lower than him in terms of status, wealth, prestige, etc., and not to look at those who are above him or better than him in his worldly affairs.
The plain meaning, from HadeethEnc
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضيَ اللهُ عنهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «انْظُرُوا إِلَى مَنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنْكُمْ، وَلَا تَنْظُرُوا إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ فَوْقَكُمْ، فَهُوَ أَجْدَرُ أَلَّا تَزْدَرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللهِ عَلَيْكُمْ».
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Look at those who are below you, and do not look at those who are above you, for that is more likely to hold you back from belittling the blessing of Allah upon you."
What does Sahih Muslim 2963 mean?
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah, agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. The instruction is deliberately one-directional, and the scholars keep it where the hadith puts it — in worldly matters: wealth, standing, what a person has. The reason given is not that comparison is unpleasant but that comparison upwards makes a person belittle what he was actually given.
Written from HadeethEnc