Chapter 17. Arrogance, Pride, Conceit, Vanity And Haughtiness

Allah, Most High, says,

Moses said, "I have indeed called upon my Lord and your Lord (for protection) from every arrogant one who believes not in the Day of Account. (Ghafir: 27)

Verily He loveth not the arrogant. (An-Nahl: 23)

The Prophet (pbuh) said,

"Once a man was walking along in a new set of clothes, with a swagger to his step, pleased with himself, Allah caused the earth to swallow him and he will keep sinking until the Last Day.” [Bukhari]

"Tyrants and the arrogant will be raised on the last Day as grain strewn under feet that the people will walk upon.” [Tirmidhi and Ahmad]

Arrogance, as early Muslims said, was the first fault against Allah. Allah, the Almighty, says,

And behold, we said to the angels: bow down to Adam: and they bowed down: not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: he was of those who reject Faith (AI-Baqarah: 34)

Therefore, Faith is of no avail if arrogance exists, as is Iblis.

The Messenger (pbuh) said,

"Arrogance is belittling to admit the truth and considering people inferior.” [Muslim]

"Arrogance is refusing to acknowledge what is right and considering others to be inferior.” [Hakim]

"No one with the slightest particle of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise.” [Bukhari]

Allah loveth not any arrogant boaster. (Luqman: 18)

Allah, the Almighty, says in the Qudsi hadith,

"Pride is My garment and haughtiness My Mantle: whoever vies with Me for them I will throw into Hell.” [Muslim]

The Messenger (pbuh) said,

"A debate took place between heaven and hell. The latter said; in me shall enter tyrant and the arrogant people: while heaven said, "In me shall enter the weak and the lowly." Allah decided the issue by saying, You are heaven, My mercy, through you I shall have mercy on whomsoever I please; and you are hell, a place of punishment, through you I shall chastise whomsoever I like. It is incumbent upon Me to fill both of you!” [Bukhari]

Allah, the Almighty, says,

And swell not thy check (nor pride) at men. Nor walk in insolence through the earth for Allah loveth not any arrogant boaster. (Luqman: 18)

Salama Ibn Al-Akwa' recounted that a man was eating with his left hand in the presence of the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet told him,

"Eat with your right. " To which the man replied, "I cannot." Though nothing stopped him but arrogance. The Prophet said, "May you not be able to." And the man could never lift his right hand to his mouth again.” [Ahmad and AI-Hakim]

"Shall I tell you who the people of the Hell-Fire are. The cruel, the haughty and the arrogant.”

"There are three people whom Allah will not speak to, look at or exonerate on the Day of Judgement, and who will have a painful torment: he who wears the hem of his garment low (out of pride), he who reminds recipients of his charity to them and he who sells merchandise swearing that he paid more for it than he actually did.” [Muslim, An-Nisa'i and Ibn Majah]

"What comes down the anklebones of the caftan is in Hell.” [Bukhari]

The wickedest arrogance is that of someone who exalts himself over people of his learning and gloats to himself about his superiority. The knowledge of such person is of absolutely no benefit to him. Whoever learns sacred knowledge for the sake of the next world is unsettled by his learning, his heart is humbled and his ego lowered. Such a person lies in wait for his selfishness and never gives it free rein. He constantly takes his ego to task and corrects it. Were he to neglect it, it would diverge from the right path and destroy him. The person who seeks knowledge to take pride in it or gain a position of leadership, looking disdainfully at other Muslims, thinking them fools and making light to them all this is the most enormous arrogance and no one with the slightest particle of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise. There is no power nor might save in Allah Most High, Most Glorious.

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