| Friday Supplement - Pride (Kibr)
By Muhammad Tejani - Dubai The deadliest of all sins is kibr (arrogance). It has been called ummul-amradh or the root of all sickness of the heart.
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) warned that a person having even an iota of it in his heart will never enter paradise. No one likes arrogance. We never like a person who is over- bearing, proud and condescending. We detest a person who belittle us and has huge ego.
Ego is nothing but pride in its inflated form. For example, an arrogant man is unduly or excessive proud of his wealth, status, learning etc. He shows ego in the spirit of conduct. He is unwarrantably overbearing and haughty. His head is swollen like the swelling caused by dropsy. He thinks very high of himself and poorly of others.
It is narrated that Hazarat Moosa (a) asked exalted Allah (s.w.t.), "O My Lord! Who is the most deserving of your wrath and displeasure?" Allah told him, "It is he whose heart is filled with pride and his tongue is filthy (abusive), his eyes are devoid of shame, his hands are miserly and he is of bad conduct and character."
"Hypocrisy, pride self-conceit, wrath, arrogance belong to him who is born to the heritage of the demons." (The Gita, xvi.4)
Contrary to that we love people who are humble, polite and friendly to talk to. To respect and honor others is a sublime virtue. The principal of treating others the way we like to be treated as the key to the solution of basic social problems. Treating arrogance hence requires serious thought.
However it is possible to have manners without morals. The first concern itself with how a person deals with others. The second is related with what a person thinks of himself. Imam Ali (a.s) says, "The one thing that is better not expressed, even if it is true is a man's praise of himself."
People show humility in their dealings in two cases – either out of generosity or after becoming genuinely convinced that he is not superior or better than the person standing opposite him. "The humility of a man in a position of high rank protects him from malice of others when he falls. (Imam Ali a.s)". Therefore be nice to people as you go up, because you may meet them as you go down. The sense of feeling equal leads to a quality of being free from arrogance.
Real greatness belong to Almighty Allah, our Lord, Creator and Master. Human beings are just a creation of His and a very small creation in comparison to the unimaginable vast universe. Anyone who understands this will realize that our proper status is only as servants of Almighty Allah (s.w.t.)
For a Muslim the real human model is none other the the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) who is the greatest of all human beings. His greatness lies in being the humblest of all the servants of Allah (s.w.t.) it is impossible for any person who has this consciousness to entertain any notion of his own greatness.
This leads us to a definition of 'kibr' (arrogance) in a famous hadith. Kibr is to knowingly reject truth and to belittle other people. This hadith exposes two strains of this aliment, both dealing with our exaggerated ideas of self-importance. The first suggest that one considers himself to be more important than the truth, if he is arrogant. The second suggest that he considers himself to be more important than other people, if he is arrogant.
Islam's teaching is that one should never consider oneself greater than the others, because that judgment can also come from Almighty Allah on the Day of Judgment. Pride impedes progress and mars greatness. (Imam Ali a.s.)
A person who appears to be nobody here may end up in eternal bliss because of his goodness that only Almighty Allah knows. Meanwhile a person who considers himself a big shot here may end up among the sinners and shall be punished because only Allah knows his evils and hidden follies. And he who tries to be higher than others Allah will rub his nose in dust (that lower him) "O respected and hounarable, test the punishment." (Q. 44:49), this refers to the aristocrats who considered themselves as such.
"Today you shall be rewarded with the punishment of abasement because you were unjustly proud in the land and because you transgressed." (Q. 46.20)
To take pride over our fleeting and our material superiority is the business of those who lives in a fool's paradise. Almighty Allah has created all human beings as equals, regardless of cast, creeds or religion. Men and women cannot impose superiority of upon themselves."O you men!, We have created you of a male and a female and made you tribes and families that you may know each other; surley the most honourable of you with Allah is the one among you most careful (of his duty), surley Allah is Knowing and Aware." (Q.49.13)
Islam expects us to stick to reality, pragmatism and moderation. Rather it asks to take deeper look at reality and not be misleading by superficial perception of it.
The simple realities that are evident in the form of our health, wealth, talents and power are not our creation. These are gifts from Almighty Allah to us and He can take them back from us when He wishes."You exalt who you like and abase who you like." (Q. 3:25) Those who are conscious of this reality bow before Allah in gratitude and only those who are oblivious of this fact fall prey to pride and arrogance.
Wassalaam,
|
No comments:
Post a Comment