In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Verily, all good praises are for Allah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, He is alone and without any partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
“O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam (as Muslims) with complete submission to Allah.” [Ali Imran 3:102]
“O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from him He created his wife, and from them both He created many men and women, and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship) Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you).” [al-Nisa’ 4:1]
“O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allah and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth). He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (SAW) he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hellfire and made to enter Paradise).” [al-Ahzaab 33:70-71]
As to what proceeds: Verily the best of speech is the Book of Allah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (SAW). The worst of affairs are the newly-invented affairs in the religion and every newly invented affair in the religion is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance and all misguidance is in the hellfire. As to what proceeds:
Allah the Most High said:
“Verily, Allah does not like such as are proud and boastful.”
This means, one who is proud, and arrogant, insolent and boasts to others. He thinks that he is better than other people, thus thinking high of himself, even though he is insignificant to Allah and hated by people.
Dear Brothers and Sisters! Arrogance is a state in which we are convinced that we have the right to be above others. Justifiable self-regard, without comparing our selves to others and feeling superior, is not the same thing. That is, at worst, vanity. Arrogance is unlawful in Islam. It is considered to be a disgraceful state. The opposite of arrogance is to look at ourselve with the intention of truly knowing ourselves. Self-examination is a virtue, and one that is expected of a Muslim. Whether our self-regard is justifiable or not, whether truly in our hearts we believe that we are superior to others or not, if our conceit is exteriorised, manifested, communicated to others by mind or deed, it is a sin. The worst version of this sin occurs when no justification exists for the feeling of superiority we cherish. Allah Most High, one of whose attributes is the Proud One, is the only one with a right to that name.
The only occasion when the attitude of pride is not a sin is when it is manifested against an aggressive, arrogant person or against a tyrannical enemy, when we are waging battle in defense of ourself, our religion or country. In fact, to show pride toward an arrogant person is considered to be a good deed. Jabir related that the Prophet (Pbuh) said:
“The only state of pride Allah permits is the one shown in battle or while performing a generous act.” (Abu Dawud)
The meaning of pride while helping a person in need is belittling our own generosity while pretending that we could have done much better. Modesty, to appear less than we are, is commendable. Yet, the exaggeration of humbleness to the extent of appearing abject is a sin. Mu`adh ibn Jabal reported that the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) said:
“Showing excess attachment and appearing abject, reducing oneself to the state of a beggar, does not suit the character of a believer. The only exception is the humbleness of a student toward a teacher, seeking to receive knowledge.” (Ibn Adiy)
Only knowledge is worth begging for, and worth humbling ourselves to receive. To illustrate the right and wrong way to manifest humility, imagine a totally coarse, ignorant person entering into the company of the wise. If these wise people show excessive respect to the newcomer, stand up to greet him, offer him the best place, see him to the door when he is leaving, that is definitely wrong. On the other hand, if they show him kindness so as not to make him feel unwelcome, listen to and answer his questions at the level of his understanding (even if the questions are beneath them), and especially never think of themselves as better than he, doing all they can to make him feel he is their equal, then indeed their behaviour is proper. Another example of unlawful humility in Islam is to beg while we have shelter and food, even if only enough for one day. To give someone a small gift with the hope of receiving a greater benefit is equivalent to begging. Allah Most High says:
“Do no favour seeking gain.” (Surah Mudaththir, 6)
To go to feasts without being invited is humiliating and a kind of begging. Abdullah ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) said:
“If a person refuses an invitation, he is revolting against Allah and His Messenger. If someone goes to a feast or a wedding without being invited, he has entered that house as a thief and left as a plunderer.” (Abu Dawud)
To seek out, visit, and frequent dignitaries, people in power, high government officials, judges, generals, or influential rich people, with the hope of obtaining benefit from these relationships, is forbidden humility according to our religion, unless these people possess the means of our receiving what is rightfully ours and we are in real need of it. When in the company of such people, to remain standing, to bow, to show excessive respect in action and speech, are demeaning, and the wrong kind of humility as well. To work hard—even far beneath our qualifications—to support our families, to help with the menial chores of our houses, shopping, cooking, cleaning are commendable signs of true humility. To be ordinary in appearance, to wear inexpensive and worn clothes, to befriend the poor and disadvantaged, to eat simple food and not throw away leftovers, not to seek reputation-building, self-glorifying jobs, not to consider it beneath you to be a shepherd, a gardener, a porter, a carpenter, or a mason—these are signs of true humility. These kinds of manifestations of humility are worthy of great divine rewards, for they resemble the behaviour of Prophets and saints. But many people do not know it and think of a life like this as reprehensible. They are the arrogant ones who do not know themselves. Arrogance becomes more dangerous when it is manifested and directed. Some people are arrogant toward human beings. They are not any better than the accursed Devil who refused to obey Allah when He asked all the angels to prostrate to Adam (AS). The Devil thought that he was created of fire while Adam was created of earth, and that fire was superior to earth. He did not know himself and he did not know Adam. Therefore he was punished and rejected from Allah’s mercy until the end of time. Some are arrogant toward Allah, like the Pharaoh who said, “I am your Lord, the Supreme.” Or like Nimrod, who said to the Prophet Ibrahim (AS), “Your God may be the Lord of the Heavens. I am the lord of this world,” and dared to challenge Allah to fight him. Allah drowned the Pharaoh and his armies while they were chasing the Prophet Musa (AS) and the children of Israel. Nimrod was killed by a mosquito that devoured his brain. Some are arrogant toward the Prophet of Allah, like Abu Jahl, who said, “Is this who Allah chose as His Messenger? Couldn’t He have revealed the Qur’an to a celebrated man of Makkah or Madinah?” Allah seals the eyes and ears and hearts of the arrogant so that they can not know the truth. He declares in the Noble Qur’an:
Be the first to comment