He who brings down, diminishes, decreases.
“Lo! those who oppose Allah and His messenger WILL BE ABASED EVEN AS THOSE BEFORE THEM
WERE ABASED; and We have sent down clear tokens, and for disbelievers is a shameful doom”
(58:5).” The Holy Quran

From the root kh-f-d with the classical Arabic connotations: to lower, weaken, to humble,abase to relax, subdue.
Allah chooses the ones to be humbled, softened, made gentle.
He decides which ones to weaken or diminish.
He humbles the proud, haughty or insolent, to awaken them from their sleep.
