Arrogance is Most Displeasing in the Sight of Allah

the highest order. The Holy Prophetsa had this quality more than anyone else. One of his servants was asked as to how he was treated. He replied that the truth was that he was served by the Holy Prophetsa more than he served him.78

(Malfuzat, new edition, vol. 4, pp. 437–438)

Again, the Promised Messiahas says: …I admonish my Jama‘at to shun arrogance because arrogance is most loathsome to Allah, the Lord of Glory. You may not perhaps fully realise what arrogance is. So learn it from me because I speak with the spirit of Allah.

Everyone who looks down upon his brother because he considers himself to be more learned, wise, or more accomplished is arrogant. He is arrogant because, instead of considering God to be the Fountainhead of all wisdom and knowledge, he considers himself to be something. Does God not have the power to derange him mentally and instead grant superior knowledge, wisdom, and dexterity to his brother whom he considers inferior? Likewise he too is arrogant who thinks of his wealth or high status and looks down upon his brother. He is arrogant because he has ignored the fact that it is God who has bestowed this status and grandeur

78.Bless O Allah Muhammad and his people and grant them

Thy bounties and peace.

on him. He is blind and does not realise that God has power to afflict him with such misfortune as would all of a sudden cast him to the lowest of the low; and again, He has the power to bestow greater wealth and prosperity upon that brother of his whom he considers small. Yet again, that person is arrogant who is proud of his superior bodily health, or of his handsomeness, or good looks, or strength, or prowess, and scornfully makes fun of his brother and teases him and addresses him with derisive names, not satisfied with this he advertises his physical defects. It is so because he is unaware of the existence of a God Who possesses power to suddenly afflict him with such bodily defects as may leave him much worse than his brother.

Similarly, the person who relies on his own strength, and neglects to supplicate to God, is arrogant. This is because he has not recognised divine strengths and powers and instead considers himself to be something. Therefore, O dear ones, remember all this lest you are deemed arrogant in the sight of Allah in some manner and you are unaware of it. A person who corrects a wrong word of his brother with arrogance has also partaken in arrogance. A person who does not wish to listen to what his brother has to say with civility and turns his face away has also partaken of arrogance. He who feels disgust for a poor and needy brother who sits next to him has also partaken of arrogance. A person who looks with derision and ridicule at one who prays has also partaken from arrogance. One who does not wish to be completely obedient to God’s appointee and Prophet also partakes of arrogance. One who does not listen attentively to God’s appointee and Prophet and does not read his writings with care also partakes

of arrogance. Therefore, try to rid yourselves of any portion of arrogance in you lest you be destroyed and so that you, along with your family, attain salvation. Turn to God, love Him as much as it is possible to love someone in this life and fear your God as much as one may fear someone in this world. Be of pure heart and pure intention and meek, submissive and harmless so that you may be shown mercy. (Nazul-ul-Masih, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 402–403)

The other part that has been stated in this condition is that one shall spend his life in lowliness, humbleness, cheerfulness, forbearance and meekness. As I mentioned earlier, if you try to free your heart and mind of arrogance, manage to free it, then most necessarily you would have to inculcate a higher quality, a higher characteristic, a higher attribute in you or else Satan would repeat his onslaught, for it is his task not to leave you alone. That quality is of humility and meekness. It is not possible for arrogance and meekness to co-exist. Arrogant people are always deriding and mocking humble people who are servants of the Gracious God. When confronted with such people you are not to adopt their attitude; rather, you are to abide by this commandment of Allah the Almighty:79

And the servants of the Gracious God are those who walk on the earth in a dignified manner, and when the ignorant address them, they say, ‘Peace!’

79.(al-Furqan, 25:64)

Hadrat Abu Sa‘id Khudrira narrates that the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Anyone who adopts a degree of humility, Allah will elevate his status to a degree so much so that he will be granted a place in ‘Iliyyin [i.e., the highest of the high]. And the one who shows arrogance in front of Allah and adopts a degree of vanity, Allah will lower his spiritual status to such a degree so much so that He will make him reach Asfal-usSafilin [the lowest of the low].’ (Musnadu Ahmadabni Hanbal, Baqi Musnadil Mukthirina minas-Sahabah, Musnadu Abi Sa‘id al-Khudri)

Your safety is to leave the company of such persons by saying ‘salam ’ to them. It is better for you because your spiritual levels will be raised, and the opponents will be falling among the lowest of the low.

Again, it is narrated in hadith:

Hadrat Abu Hurairahra narrated that the Holy Prophetsa said,

‘Your wealth does not decrease by giving sadaqah [charity].

And the more a person forgives others, the more Allah grants him honour; the more a person adopts humility and humbleness, the more Allah raises his status.’ (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-

Birri was-Silah, Babu Istihbabil ‘Afwi Wat-Tawadu‘i)

‘Iyad Bin Himar al-Mujashi‘ira narrated that the Holy

Prophetsa said, ‘Allah has revealed to me that you should adopt humbleness to the extent that no one shows his pride to the others and no one commits any act of aggression against another.’ (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Jannati wa Sifati Na‘imiha

Wa Ahliha, Babus-Sifatillati yo‘arafu biha fid-Dunya Ahlul-

Jannati Wa Ahlun-Nar, Hadith No. 7210)