ON THE DISAPPROVAL OF PRIDE

Because of its misfortune and evil consequences, we relate a little more on what we already related with regard to pride. It was the first act of disobedience committed by Satan. Allâh cursed him and repulsed him from Paradise, whose width is the heavens and the earth, and cast him towards the punishment of the fire.

A Hadîth qudsî states: “Pride is My upper garment and greatness is My lower garment. Whoever tries to compete with Me in any of these two, I shall break him, and I will not bother.”

It is related that the proud people will be resurrected like tiny specks in the form of humans. Disgrace will cover them from all sides and they will be made to drink of the sap of the inmates of Hell.

The Messenger of Allâh said: “There are three people with whom Allâh will not speak on the day of resurrection, He will not look at them and for them is a painful punishment: an old man who commits adultery, a tyrant king, and a poor person who is proud.”

‘Umar recited this verse:

“When he is told: ‘Fear Allâh’, arrogance prompts him to sin.” (Sûrah al-Baqarah, 2: 206)

He then said: “To Allâh we belong and to him is our return. A man stood up commanding good. So he was killed. Another man stood up and said: ‘Are you killing those who command good?’ So in his pride, the proud one killed the person who opposed him and the one who commanded him.”

Ibn Mas‘ûd said: “It is sufficient as a sin that when it is said to a person: ‘Fear Allâh’, he replies: ‘Mind your own business.’”

The Messenger of Allâh said to a man: “Eat with your right hand.” He replied: “I cannot.” The Messenger of Allâh said: “You will never be able to.” Nothing but pride stopped him from eating with his right hand. He was never able to raise his hand thereafter. In other words, his hand became paralysed.

It is related that Thâbit ibn Qays ibn Shammâs said: “O Messenger of Allâh! I am a person who likes beauty, as you can see [from my dress and appearance]. Is this considered to be pride?” The Messenger of Allâh replied: “No. However, pride refers to disregarding the truth and looking down on people, while they are servants of Allâh just like him or better than him.”

Wahb ibn Munabbih rahimahullâh said: “When Mûsâ said to Pharaoh: ‘Believe and you will retain your kingdom,’ he replied: ‘Let me consult Hâmân first.’ He consulted Hâmân. Hâmân said to him: ‘At present you are a lord who is worshipped. If you bring faith, you will become a servant who worships.’ He therefore abstained from worshipping Allâh and from following Mûsâ . Allâh thus drowned him.”

Allâh quotes the following question of the Quraysh:

“They say: ‘Why did this Qur’ân not come down to some great man from the two towns?’” (Sûrah az-Zukhruf, 43: 31)

Qatâdah rahimahullâh said: “The great man from the two towns refers to al-Walîd ibn al-Mughîrah and Abû Mas‘ûd ath-Thaqafî. The Quraysh asked for a person who has greater authority than the Prophet . They said with regard to the Prophet : ‘He is a young orphan. How did Allâh send him to us?’”

Allâh replied to this question of theirs:

“Do they distribute the mercy of your Sustainer?” (Sûrah az-Zukhruf, 43: 32)

Allâh then informs us of their astonishment when they enter the Hell-fire and do not see those whom they looked down upon, like the people of as-Suffah. [100] “They will say: ‘“What has happened that we do not see those men whom we considered to be among the evil ones?’” (Sûrah Sâd, 38: 62) It is said that they are referring to ‘Ammâr , Bilâl , Suhayb and al-Miqdâd .

Wahb rahimahullâh said: “Knowledge is like rain that comes sweet and pure from the skies. The trees drink it with their roots and change it according to their tastes. The bitter trees make the water bitter while the sweet trees make it sweeter. Similar is the case with knowledge. People safeguard it according to their ambitions and desires. The proud person becomes more proud while the humble person becomes more humble. This is because if a person is proud and ignorant at the same time, then when he acquires knowledge, he finds that with which he can be proud of. His pride thus increases. But if a person is fearful, while being ignorant at the same time, and then he acquires knowledge, he realizes that the evidence has been confirmed against him. His fear, awe and humility therefore increase.”

It is for this reason that the Messenger of Allâh said, as narrated by Ibn ‘Abbâs : “There will be some people who recite the Qur’ân. Their recitation does not go beyond their throats. They say: ‘We recited the Qur’ân. Who can recite better than us? And who is more learned than us?’” The Messenger of Allâh then turned to his Companions y and said: “They are from you, O my followers! [In other words, they are Muslims]. They are the fuel of the Hell-fire.”

It is related that a certain person was spoken very highly of to the Prophet . One day, that man happened to come by. The Companions y said: “O Messenger of Allâh! This is the person whom we had spoken to you about.” He said: “I see a dark spot of Satan on him.” The man greeted and stood over the Prophet . The Prophet said to him: “I ask you in the name of Allâh, did you not just think to yourself that there is no one better than you?” He replied: “By Allâh, I did think so.”

Through the light of prophet-hood, the Messenger of Allâh saw that what was in his heart was exposed as a dark spot on his face.

Al-Harth ibn Juz’ az-Zabîdî , a Companion of the Messenger of Allâh said: “From the reciters of the Qur’ân, I like those who are smiling. As for the one whom you meet with a smiling face while he returns your look with a scowl, he is the one who vexing his pride over you on account of his knowledge. May Allâh not allow many people like him to be among the Muslims.”

Abû Dharr relates: “I insulted a person in the presence of the Prophet by saying to him: “O you son of a black woman!” The Prophet said: “All of you are alike. All of you are alike. The son of a white woman has no superiority over the son of a black woman.” Abû Dharr said: “I lied down on the ground and said to the person: ‘You may stand up and trample my cheek.’”

‘Alî said: “He who wants to see a person from the inmates of the Hell-fire should look at a person who is sitting while there are people standing around him.”

Anas said: “There was no person who was more beloved to his Companions than the Messenger of Allâh . Yet, when they saw him, they did not stand up for him because they knew that he disliked it.”

At times the Messenger of Allâh would walk with his Companions y and ask them to walk in front while he would walk behind them, either to teach others or to repulse from himself the whisperings of Satan as regards pride and arrogance.