Fourteenth Ramadan Lecture Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi, 1444 A.H.
Arrogance (1)
its nature, manifestations, evils, and consequences
I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.
O Allah, confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.
O Allah, guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are All-Hearing, All-Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting and the Merciful.
Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
In the previous lectures and in the context of discussing the danger of Shaytan and his enmity towards humanity, among the facts that became clear to us through the verses of Allah (Glory be to Him) and what Allah has revealed in that story is the fact that the primary motive behind Shaytan's disobedience to the commands of Allah (Glory be to Him) and his refusal to prostrate to Adam was arrogance.
Arrogance is one of the greatest and most serious sins and stands among those sins that have a severe negative impact on humans or any accountable creature, such as jinn. Arrogance leads to numerous major, terrible evils, and grave sins. That is why it was the first sin by which Allah was disobeyed, and it was the sin of Iblis, who got into trouble because of it. It was what caused him to lose his status, his faith, and his future with Allah (Glory be to Him).
Allah (the Almighty) says in the Holy Quran, {'And when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam," so they all did—but not Iblîs, who refused and acted arrogantly, becoming unfaithful'}. His disobedience was an act of arrogance, stemming from his inflated sense of self-importance.
The evils of arrogance and the role of the arrogant in hindering people from the path of Allah
- The horrifying evils of the sin of arrogance and pride are extremely dangerous:
- Foremost among them is disbelief. In many cases, what led many nations and powerful individuals into disbelief is their arrogance.
- Another very serious evil of arrogance is turning others away from the path of Allah (Glory be to Him). Many who hinder others from the path of Allah (Glory be to Him) are driven by arrogance. When they argue against the signs of Allah, work against the righteous, and hinder people from following the guidance of Allah and holding onto the truth, their primary motive for doing so is arrogance.
- Another serious evil of arrogance is injustice. Many oppressors—many acts of injustice stem from arrogance.
Thus, various other evils, some of which will be discussed in context, branch out from this sin. When disbelief, hindering from the path of Allah, committing injustice, and being too proud to follow the truth stem from arrogance, how can it not be a great sin? These are its branches, and they are among the major sins!
Throughout history, it was the arrogant, who stood out in opposing the Divine Message. Those who stood out, led the way, and influenced others in denying Allah's message, disbelieving in His messengers, fighting against His prophets, and seeking to distance people from the path and religion of Allah, were the arrogant ones.
Therefore, when shedding light on past nations and their attitudes towards the messengers and prophets and towards the call of Allah and His message, it is of frequent occurrence in the Holy Quran that Allah says, {'The arrogant chiefs of his people said …'}, and then mentions their positions of denial, turning people away from the path of Allah, and inciting others to fight against Allah's message—as they were the ones who took the lead in that—and clarifies that their motive was arrogance: They said, {'You are no more than humans like us'}. That is, how they can follow and believe in men like them! {'The arrogant chiefs of his people said …'}—all of this indicates a state of arrogance.
Another negative example of arrogance and haughtiness is Firaawn, Haman, and the chiefs from Firaawn's people. The people of Firaawn had a long and significant story, and the Holy Quran repeatedly mentioned that story and made it clear in many instances that the main and primary motive, to a large extent, was arrogance: {'They argued, "Will we believe in two humans, like ourselves, whose people are slaves to us?"'}.
Arrogance: its nature, manifestations, evils, and consequences
Arrogance is an extremely serious state, and its definition, as mentioned in the Prophetic narration of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), is 'rejecting the truth and belittling people'. That is when you refuse the truth and disdain accepting it or giving what is due, because you see yourself above that, either in general or with regards to certain matters of truth, including religious matters and the teachings and guidance of Allah. As for 'belittling people', it means looking down upon them and despising them. There is no justification for a person to hold contempt for anyone. The arrogant see themselves as too superior and important to accept any aspect of the truth (either in general or specific aspects) or to acknowledge the truth against themselves. Also, in their dealings and perception of people, they hold them in contempt and scorn. Their disdain and contempt for others, and the way they deal with them, all stem from arrogance (We seek refuge in Allah from that).
One of the most important aspects mentioned in the Holy Quran that illustrate the danger of arrogance, is a person's attitude towards the guidance of Allah. When someone does not accept the guidance of Allah, it is a state of arrogance, since it is the right of Allah upon you to accept His guidance: You are His servant; He is your Lord and your God. So when you do not accept His signs and His teachings, when you reject them and refuse to accept them after being reminded of them, this is a state of arrogance.
That is why Allah says in the Holy Quran about those who exhibit such behaviour, {'Whenever Our revelations are recited to them, they turn away in arrogance as if they did not hear them, as if there is deafness in their ears. So give them good news of a painful punishment'}. When you are reminded of the signs of Allah regarding any matter—either something you should do, but you are neglectful of it or falling short in fulfilling it, or something you should accept as you are reminded of what is right through the signs of Allah so that you may accept that matter, or to abstain from a sinful act or wrongdoing, as you are reminded of the signs of Allah to convince you, to alert you, and to remind you regarding that matter—but you do not show any acceptance, attention, or response and turned away in rejection and resistance, this state is indeed a state of arrogance. That is because it is the right of Allah upon you—as He is your Lord, your Magnificent God, the One who has bestowed countless blessings upon you, your Creator, the Sovereign of the heavens and the earth—to accept His guidance, to accept His instructions, to align yourself with His commands, and to refrain from what He has forbidden.
So how can it be when you are reminded of His signs, His words, His guidance, and you do not accept them?! It is a grave state to act as mentioned in the blessed verse: {'as if they did not hear them'}—as if you have not heard that verse that was mentioned to you, in what it contains, in what Allah invites you towards, and in what it prohibits you from. You are the one who did not accept, who was not affected, and who remained adamant in your ways, whether it is engaging in forbidden actions or neglecting what Allah has commanded. This state is a dangerous manifestation of arrogance towards the signs of Allah and towards accepting the truth from Allah or fulfilling the rights that are upon you. It is an extremely serious state!
One of the manifestations of arrogance is the kind of arrogance that is evident in a person's behaviour, interactions, movements in life, and his conduct that display through his mannerisms and approach a sense of disdain towards others or a sense of superiority towards the truth. It is when someone deals negatively with others, as warned in the Holy Quran: {'And do not turn your cheek away from people, and do not walk on the earth haughtily. Indeed, Allah does not like whoever is conceited and boastful'}. {'And do not turn your cheek away from people'} means do not turn your face away from them, looking down upon them with arrogance and disdain. This is one of the behaviours that reflects arrogance. When you do not pay attention or turn to the person you are addressing (for example you do not look at him) or when you refuse to give an ear to those who address you or pay attention to them due to your disdain for them, this is a state of arrogance.
There are numerous behaviours that are recognized as expressing a state of arrogance and contempt towards others. It can be observed in the way a person addresses others, his tone of voice, and his choice of words. There are phrases that reflect a state of arrogance, disdain, or condescension towards those who interact with you. This is an extremely dangerous state for a person to be in.
In Surah Al-Isra, Allah says, {'And do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth , and you will never reach the mountains in height'}. Even in your way of walking, do not be arrogant, conceited, or boastful. You are a human being; you are small and insignificant. When you compare yourself to a mountain, what is your size? How do you measure up? Therefore, recognize your true worth, your limitations, weaknesses, etc.
Some people, for example, disregard the traffic rules while driving: They don't stop at the designated places and instead stop where they shouldn't; they ignore traffic signals and violate the established rules of traffic that are for organizing traffic in cities and crowded areas. That is because they believe themselves to be above adhering to these rules with others. This is a state of arrogance and swagger in their movement: {'And do not walk upon the earth exultantly.'} They see themselves as different from others and so assume the right to be exempt from the obligations that apply to others. Moreover, this behaviour can lead to complications in people's lives, causing accidents, casualties, and negative consequences. Some even exhibit this negative attitude in their speed of movement.
Therefore, one should keep away from all manifestations of arrogance in his behaviour, actions, attituds, and dealings with others. He must be mindful of all forms of arrogance, as it is an extremely serious state to be in.
Some of the consequences and negative effects of arrogance
One of the consequences and negative effects of arrogance is being deprived of divine support. When a person becomes arrogant towards the truth—he disdains accepting it in any matter or subject, rejects acknowledging the truth, refuses to give the right that is due upon him, and is unwilling to follow the path of truth because he is not ready to follow the people of truth as he sees himself above that—this is an extremely dangerous state that can lead to being forsaken by Allah (We seek refuge in Him from such a state). Allah (Glory be to Him) says: {'I will turn away from My signs those who act unjustly with arrogance in the land. And even if they were to see every sign, they still would not believe in them. If they see the right path, they will not take it. But if they see a crooked path, they will follow it'}. They stubbornly oppose the truth, driven by their arrogance, and this is an immensely dreadful state to be in.
When a person is immersed in a state of arrogance, it becomes a real barrier between him and being guided by the guidance of Allah, and between him and following the path of truth. Even if arrogance exists to a certain extent, it can be tremendously dangerous for a person. Even the weight of a mustard seed of arrogance can affect you in a particular situation, towards a specific issue, or in relation to a certain position or commitment of faith. Therefore, it is mentioned in a hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&F) that 'Whoever has a mustard seed's weight of arrogance in his heart will not enter Jannah.' This is because even that small proportion can have an impact on you in a specific situation, position, or issue. Arrogance is an extremely serious state for a person to be in.
This is well-known in the reality of life. Some people deviate from the path of truth at a certain stage due to arrogance. Arrogance blinds them, making them believe they are superior to accepting the truth in a particular matter or issue. Consequently, this leads to deviation (We seek refuge in Allah).
The believers and their quality of keeping away from arrogance
Therefore, with regard to the faith-based aspect (faith in the signs of Allah), Allah says in the Holy Quran, {'The only people who (truly) believe in Our signs are those who, when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrating and highly exalt their Lord with praise, and they are not arrogant'}—all the three states (fall down prostrating, highly exalt their Lord with praise, and are not arrogant) keep one away from the state of arrogance. When one is completely submissive to Allah (Glory be to Him) and obedient to all His commands and instructions and devotes himself to obeying Allah without any exceptions, conditions, or considerations, this brings him into the state of complete servitude to Allah, making him accept His commands and instructions without restrictions or without being arrogant towards any of them. So complete submission to Allah keeps one away from the state of arrogance. Glorifying, praising, and sanctifying Allah is of great importance in driving you away from arrogance, for the arrogant person exalts himself and glorifies himself with praise. He always glorifies himself with praise and magnifies himself; if he achieves a certain thing or has been given a certain thing by Allah, he glorifies himself more and more. Instead of glorifying Allah, he does glorify himself due to what Allah has given him at the immaterial level or at the material level (rank or position), the achievements he has gained, works or tasks he has fulfilled, etc. He magnifies and glorifies himself with praise. As for the believer, he is the one who exalts Allah with praise. It is Allah, not his self, that is magnified within himself. Whenever Allah grants him a favour or success or whenever Allah makes him gain any achievement or gives him , he exalts Allah with praise and glorifies Him in himself more and more—it is not his self that is magnified in himself.
{'And they are not arrogant.'} They are completely far away from arrogance, never exhibiting it towards any aspect of the truth or any religious commitment. In any situation or task that they are required to undertake, there are no specific tasks that they reject performing as long as such tasks are acts of obedience to Allah and called to by Allah or fall within their religious obligations. They do not view themselves as too important to accept those tasks or think that if they were to accept the truth or perform those tasks, it would lower their status from the position they perceive for themselves. {'And they are not arrogant.'} That is why they accept the truth and follow the path of righteousness without any arrogance or disdain, whether it comes from a specific action, a particular person, a specific position, or a particular situation. They completely submit to the command of Allah (Glory be to Him). This is the state of the true believers.
Even regarding angels, prophets, and messengers, Allah states, {'The Messiah would never be too proud to be a servant of Allah, nor would the angels nearest to Allah'}—the close angels willingly and wholeheartedly worship Him, the Almighty. {'Those who are too proud and arrogant to worship Him will be brought before Him all together'}. They will be gathered to Allah for judgment, accountability, and recompense.
The state of arrogance is highly dangerous for a person, whether it is towards the truth or towards people, as to look down on them and be arrogant in dealing with them. There is no justification for being arrogant towards others, belittling and despising them, treating them based on such attitudes, or refusing to accept any truth or signs of Allah that are presented. There is no justification for such behaviour.
Regarding one's stance towards the enemies of Allah, the criminals, oppressors, and evildoers, it is not considered forbidden arrogance. It is a rightful stance. Taking a stance against their injustice, evil, tyranny, crimes, deviation from the path of Allah, and acts of corruption doesn't go beyond what is right or reflect arrogance. Therefore, it is outside the context of arrogance.
Avoiding the company of foolish and bad people, those who engage in vain talk, bad speech, evil deeds, vices, and misconduct, is also in accordance with Allah's saying, {'And when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity'}. It means they do not descend to the level of the impolite people in their bad speech or ill behaviour. This is a separate matter as well, and it is not a form of arrogance.
Those who praise themselves in comparison to those who praise Allah
Arrogance is often a byproduct of vanity and self-admiration. That is when a person becomes deluded by himself and his perceived abilities or qualities bestowed upon him by Allah. It may be in regard to what he falsely believes or expects to possess. Driven by what he sees in himself or what Allah bestowed upon him (talents, material or immaterial possessions, status, authority, or achievements he has attained), he falls into a state of self-admiration, and then believes that all of that is by his own work. So he becomes arrogant and excessively proud of himself, and perceives himself as important and significant, instead of magnifying Allah in his heart. This is a serious and terrible state. Therefore, Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {'Indeed, Allah does not like whoever is conceited and boastful'}. A 'conceited' person is this person who is proud and infatuated with himself. Such a person is detested by Allah because he fails to recognize that his blessings come from Allah (Glory be to Him) and to see what Allah bestowed upon him. Instead of expressing gratitude and praise to Allah, he admires himself and becomes deceived by his own self, as if he were the source and foundation of his achievements. However, his perception of himself may be an illusion or an inflated sense of self-importance that does not align with reality.
In addition, Allah states, {'Allah does not like whoever is conceited and boastful'}, and {'Indeed, Allah does not like those who are conceited and boastful'}. In three instances in the Holy Quran, He emphasizes this point. {'Boastful'}—someone who excessively boasts about himself, constantly talking about himself, 'I did this and have achieved that.' He is the kind of person who continues glorifying, praising, and magnifying himself and talking proudly about himself.
The correct state for believing individuals is that when Allah bestows upon them success, moral or material blessings is this:
- they perceive the favour of Allah, express gratitude to Him, and praise and glorify Him (the Almighty);
- they magnify Allah in themselves and turn to Him with gratitude;
- they realize that what Allah has given them entails responsibilities and obligations in reality;
- they devote themselves to accept truth, grant rights, be just, and never feel arrogant, look down upon anyone, or disdain anyone, neither in their self-perception nor in the way they deal with others;
- they also avoid behaviours, conducts, or deeds that display a state of arrogance (frivolity, ingratitude, or vanity), which goes beyond the limit of veneration and humility—they become alert of that even in their dealings and behaviours;
- and still they perceive themselves (no matter what they do, what status they reach, or what accomplishments they achieve) as lacking and imperfect—they acknowledge that they still have shortcomings and imperfections.
This is the state of true faith and realistic understanding for a human being, as mentioned in the Prophetic hadith: 'Every son of Adam is prone to error.' All humans, regardless of their accomplishments or deeds, have shortcomings. No matter how high one reaches or how much he achieves, no matter what his status or accomplishments might be, every human will always have imperfections and shortcomings. Humans will never reach a stage where no shortcomings can be seen, making it acceptable for them to become arrogant and conceited.
The state of arrogance is extremely dangerous, and its evil outcomes are tremendous. No matter how much a believing individual accomplishes, he still recognizes the great right of Allah upon him and realizes that his deeds are insignificant compared to the great right of Allah upon him. Furthermore, he acknowledges that he still has shortcomings and imperfections.
Allah has provided us with a profound lesson in the Quran regarding His prophets and righteous servants and their feelings of shortcomings, no matter what their achievements and accomplishments might be. Allah says to His Prophet and the leader of all messengers, Muhammad (PBUH&F), {'When there comes Allah's support and the victory, and you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes, then glorify the praises of your Lord and seek His forgiveness, for certainly He is ever Accepting of Repentance'}. This was so even at the pinnacle of achievement that was second to none, the great accomplishment of guiding people to the religion of Allah, bringing them out of darkness into light, saving them from the brink of the Fire, and transforming them from their previous state of evil, polytheism, disbelief, falsehood, and immorality to the honour of Islam, to the blessings of its noble ethics, and to the true elevation and nobility of humanity that individuals strive to attain. It signifies the ultimate level of achievement, the great victory, uprooting polytheism, disbelief, and tyranny—highly significant achievements of immense importance!
So how should one approach such a great achievement? {'Then glorify the praises of your Lord.'} Do not get absorbed in praising yourself, commending yourself, and saying, 'I am the one who achieved, I did this, I worked hard, I, I, I ….' Recognize and attribute the credit to its rightful owner, Allah (Glory be to Him), and express gratitude to Him. {'And seek His forgiveness,'} because you are still imperfect and your shortcomings continue to have an impact on the level of the achievement or delay that achievement, among other things.
This is Allah's Messenger (PBUH&F) who reached the highest rank of human perfection and made the most important achievements in the entire human history. So how should you be? One may have nothing but delusion. He may have magnified himself because of delusion, while he have extreme shortcomings. One should be humble, remember that he was created from a sperm-drop and in his march of life that he is powerless and weak in all conditions, and also realize, in terms of moral standards and perfection, the imperfections and shortcomings he has. The same is true for the field of work: One should realize his imperfections and shortcomings, be humble to people, and train himself to accept truth without any sense of superiority. This is a matter of paramount importance.
As for the consequences of arrogance and the arrogant, in this worldly life, the outcome of arrogance is humiliation and disgrace, for it is certain that the arrogant will be inflicted with humiliation and disgrace and that Allah will bring shame upon him, as there are punishments in this life to humiliate them, causing them to live a state of humiliation, disgrace, and shame. Furthermore, in the Hereafter, there will be Jahannam, as Allah says, {'It will be said to them, "Enter the gates of Jahannam, to stay there forever. What an evil home for the arrogant!"'}.
If man did not take away anything of the matter of arrogance except for what happened to Iblis, that would be enough. As a human, you should not do as Iblis did or move in the same direction that he moved in. Do not commit the sin that he committed; do not act like him. Rather, keep away from arrogance and also from self- vanity and admiring that lead to arrogance. Be a realistic person, know your reality, know your limitations, know your weakness, and recognize your shortcomings.
If the evil consequences of arrogance were limited only to obstructing one's growth in faith and perfection, that would be a sufficient deterrent, let alone the great enormities and the terrible, reprehensible, destructive evils that arrogance leads to! (We seek refuge in Allah from all of that.) Arrogance is an extremely serious disease, and all the practices of a person that reflect arrogance are extremely serious. They nullify one's good deeds (We seek refuge in Allah).
That is enough for today.
O Allah, accept our fasting, nights of worship, and good deeds. You are All-Hearing!
We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to grant us success in seeking what pleases Him. O Allah (Glory be to You), have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory, for You are All-Hearing!
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.