Chapter on What Leads to Self-Knowledge

The Book of Self-Admiration ('ujb)

Chapter on What Knowledge of the Self Leads To, and an Exposition of Self-Admiration and Showing Off Through Deeds

I said: You have already acquainted me with my soul and warned me against it. So inform me of what knowledge of it leads to after having come to know it, for even if I have come to know it, «that will not suffice him at all» [TN: partial Quranic echo], along with your description of ostentation (riya') and its causes. Even if I know my enemy, I do not know his stratagems, nor do I have with me the means to struggle against him. So inform me about self-admiration ('ujb) — what it is, what it consists of, and what wards it off and protects against it.

He said: You have asked about an affliction that is among the greatest upon the servants — their sins are made obscure to them, and their errors and slips are made to appear attractive to them.

This is because self-admiration blinds the qalb (heart), until the one afflicted with self-admiration sees himself as doing good when he is doing evil, and as being saved when he is perishing, and as being correct when he is in error.

It is not long before the one in whom this is firmly established inclines toward delusion (ghurra), so that he belittles what he has committed of sins and slips, and he forgets much of them, and most of them are made obscure to him, until he does not consider them sins at all. Thus he overestimates his deeds, and is deceived by them, so his khawf (fear) diminishes and his delusion regarding God — Mighty and Majestic — intensifies. Rather, it has brought its possessor to the point of lying against God — Mighty and Majestic — while he sees himself as being truthful, and to misguidance while he sees himself as being upon right guidance.

It is through self-admiration that the leaders of misguidance perished. It is through self-admiration that the arrogant grew arrogant, and the boastful boasted, and the deceitful practiced their deceit. And through it shall the last of this umma (community) be destroyed.

What indicates that to you — and he mentioned the last of this umma (community) — is the saying of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, for he said by way of instruction: "When you see niggardliness obeyed, and desires followed, and every possessor of an opinion admiring his own opinion, then you must concern yourself with yourself."

And it is narrated from Abu Hurayra, may God be pleased with him, that he said:

"Three things are destructive: niggardliness that is obeyed, desire that is followed, and a person's self-admiration (ʿujb)."

And ʿUmar, may God be pleased with him, said the like of that. Thus they indicated by that the destruction (halāk) therein, and [they confirmed] the truthfulness of God's warning.

For indeed, when a person is afflicted with self-admiration, he does not perceive his sins, and what he does perceive of them, he belittles them. And what he belittles, he does not see that he ought to repent from it. And what does not alarm him, he does not turn away from it. So he persists in his sins and perishes.

And when he recognizes the abundance of his sins and regards them as grave, then he despairs and does not see that God would accept repentance from him, so he persists upon them. He withholds from working in obedience to God — Mighty and Majestic — and perishes.

Thus Ibn Masʿūd indicated by his saying that self-admiration contains destruction, because when one is afflicted with self-admiration, he praises his own soul (nafs). And when he praises it, he does not suspect it, and the gravity of opposing it does not weigh upon him in any matter he sees, and he supposes that it is saved.

Do you not see the saying of God — Mighty and Majestic: «Do not purify yourselves» [53:32]?

The interpretation is: do not declare it innocent — for it is, in his estimation, innocent. So how can he suspect it when he does not suspect it? And if he does not suspect it, how can he perceive its defects?

Zayd ibn Aslam said: Its meaning is: Did you not purify yourselves, so that you might be absolved of it?

And he said: [damaged]

And he said: [damaged]

Because [damaged] and dislike of it, he was [damaged]

and fear [damaged]

And that leads him to ingratitude and self-aggrandizement over the servants, and he becomes deluded regarding God, Mighty and Glorious, and it emboldens him, and thereupon he is cut off from the protection of God, Mighty and Glorious, and God entrusts him to himself. So he sees himself as being among the muhsinun (those who do good), while before God he is among the wrongdoing transgressors.

Do you not see what is narrated from ʿĀʾisha, may God be pleased with her, that she was asked: When is a man wicked? She said: "When he thinks that he is good."

And she spoke truly, may God be pleased with her. One only considers himself a doer of good when he is impressed by his own deeds.

And self-admiration leads him to mann (reminding others of favors) regarding his acts of kindness and his charity (and all his works), because what he gave in charity or bestowed as a favor became great in his own estimation, and he forgets the favor of God, Mighty and Glorious, upon him, and that he is constrained in his gratitude to Him for it. So from what he considers his act of kindness, his reward is thereby nullified, as God, Mighty and Glorious, said: «Do not invalidate your charities through reminding of favors and through injury», and his Lord's punishment, Mighty and Glorious, becomes incumbent upon him.

The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said:

"Three persons God, Mighty and Glorious, will not speak to on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He look at them, nor will He purify them, and theirs is a painful punishment: one of them is the one who reminds others of his favors."

or [damaged] for inquiry.

Beware, and understand my response to you: present to God, Exalted and Glorious, your resolve in abandoning it after you have asked Him about it and come to know it, so that perhaps God, Exalted and Glorious, may benefit you by His response to you concerning it.

Chapter on Self-Admiration Regarding Religion

Know that self-admiration ('ujb) regarding religion is of four kinds: regarding works, regarding knowledge, regarding correct opinion, and regarding erroneous opinion.

As for knowledge ('ilm), it is what one has memorized and understood from the Book, the Sunna, and the statements of the scholars of the community.

As for correct opinion (al-ra'y al-sawab), it is what one has derived by analogy upon the Book, the Sunna, and consensus (ijma'), drawing resemblance to them.

As for erroneous opinion (al-ra'y al-khata'), it is what comes without derivation from the Book, nor from the Sunna, nor from the consensus of the community. Rather, it is interpretation without truth, claimed falsely, by way of ignorance (jahl), proceeding from the caprice of the soul (hawa al-nafs), accompanied by an intrusion of supposition that it is truth.

As for self-admiration regarding works, knowledge, and correct opinion, they share a single meaning, for all of it is a grace (minna) from God. As for the first stage from which self-admiration arises:

it is regarding works — deeming them abundant, aggrandizing them, and regarding them with approval;

and regarding knowledge and correct opinion — regarding them with approval.

If the servant deems his works abundant and aggrandizes them out of magnifying the blessing, and out of acknowledging God's favor upon him through it, or out of hope for its reward — while recognizing that he does not deserve the reward, and that God was not obligated to bestow favor upon him through it, and that he is not worthy that it be accepted from him —

but rather the blessing upon him from (God Most High) was made great, along with the hope of God's gracious favor in accepting it, for no other reason.

But when he considers his deed to be abundant, and regards it as tremendous, and approves of his own knowledge and opinion concerning it — yet he does not feel self-admiration (ʿujb) [self-conceit] on account of that — but rather he sees the deficiencies [damaged] and the shortcomings — then he has indeed become admired of his deed and his knowledge by that.

So in sum, self-admiration in religion is: praising the nafs (self/soul) for what one has done or learned, and forgetting the blessings of God, Mighty and Majestic, upon you in that. So praising the self and forgetting the blessings — that is self-admiration in religion.

As for the deed which the servant intends to perform but has not yet performed — in that there is an additional meaning, which is reliance upon oneself, and that too is a form of forgetting the blessing, for it is part of tawakkul (trust and reliance) upon God, Mighty and Majestic, because when what is attained through the grace of God, Mighty and Majestic, comes to pass — knowing that none empowers him to it except God, Mighty and Majestic — then it is from God, Mighty and Majestic, bestowing it upon him that he attains it; otherwise he would not attain it.

I said: Must I then be remembering every blessing that God, Mighty and Majestic, bestows upon me in religion? And if I forget any of them, would I be guilty of self-admiration?

He said: No. It is not incumbent upon you as an obligation to remember each blessing as a blessing, so long as you hold as a general article of your faith that all blessings in religion and in worldly life are from God, Mighty and Majestic. And if you remember God at every blessing and know that it is a grace from God, Mighty and Majestic, that would be more meritorious for you with God, Mighty and Majestic, more motivating for you toward shukr (gratitude), and further removing you from self-admiration. But if you forget to remember the blessing and become heedless of it, yet you do not attribute the act to yourself, while maintaining praise for what He has blessed you with of deeds and knowledge — you would not be guilty of self-admiration, even if you were forgetful of those blessings, just as your forgetting of the rest of the blessings outside your deeds. Unless you praise yourself for that while being forgetful of God's blessing, Mighty and Majestic — then at that point you would be guilty of self-admiration.

Chapter on Attributing the Act to the Self

I said: How suffice you that I not attribute the thing to myself, when no one other than me performed that act, and were I not to know that it is I who performed what I did, I would not have counted it as a blessing, nor would I have hoped for its reward from God, exalted and glorified.

Another said:

"So you learned and you knew, but what use is your learning and your knowing?"

The attribution to your self through praise of it and forgetting the grace of the Master in that. But when you know that it was by the blessing of God, exalted and glorified, and that your self, had you left it and abandoned it to itself, would have done the opposite of that—so God, exalted and glorified, is singled out for the blessing in that—then you are not filled with self-admiration (ʿujb).

I said: Distinguish for me between my knowledge that I performed the act and my attributing the act to myself and my praising myself for it.

He said:

Your knowledge that you performed it is a knowledge established in the natural disposition by necessity—you cannot deny that you performed it, and you have no need to recall that, nor to address your self regarding it.

Self-admiration (ʿujb), however, is an agitated recollection by which your self addresses you and by which your enemy assails you—namely, the aggrandizement of your act and deeming it much, such that you say within yourself: "Indeed I was strong, and I was patient, and I was delivered," or "I was generous," or "I struggled," or that there arises in you a joy from your self at its strength, and —

And you may address it with less than that, saying: "I recited such-and-such, I prayed such-and-such, I did not break my fast since such-and-such, I fasted on a day of severe heat"—while forgetting the blessing. That, without doubt, is deeming your act much by your attributing it to yourself.

The crux of that is when there arises in you a joy at your strength over what you performed, and likewise over what you undertook of the act, attributing it to strength and patience (ṣabr), considering that you perform it through people who do not—without looking to the grace of God, exalted and glorified, in that, and without abandoning reliance upon your own strength. For had God, exalted and glorified, not bestowed grace upon you in that [...]

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Do you see that you were saying in your qalb (heart) to yourself: "Were you capable of that? Were you capable of anything of that, having more power and ability in execution than that?"

So this is the distinction between your knowledge of God, Mighty and Glorious, and what He has obligated upon you of deeds, and your self-admiration ('ujb) with yourself through your deeds and your knowledge.

If you said: I find what you mention presenting itself to me, and I find it exceeding mere knowledge through my deeds, for I fear that my self may be ignorant of it being what it has done, while it considers it to be its own doing, while it is other than that —

It was withholding (from action), not stirring to deed, such that you see that if it were praying, it was sleeping, or if it were fasting, it was breaking the fast, and that someone other than it fasted and prayed. So why would it not be permissible that this could be the case with me? For I have known that I did not attain the least of knowing my self in what I was ignorant of. That was indeed self-admiration ('ujb), nothing else, when you attributed that to it with praise, along with forgetting the blessing of God , Mighty and Glorious.

But I also want, along with that, an evidence from common knowledge that this is so, that it may be more helpful to me against my self. If one opposes me with doubt, there is something to counter it, and if one asks me for proof, there is something to adduce. But if one is satisfied from [me] without proof through knowledge, that would be more inviting to acceptance.

He said: Yes. Self-admiration with good only comes from those who are obedient to God, Mighty and Glorious, who desire Him. Among the evidence for that is what Ibn Abi al-Zinad narrates from Musa ibn 'Uqba from Kurayb from Ibn 'Abbas, that he said :

"David did not commit the sin except through a self-admiration that impressed him with himself, for he said: 'O Lord, no night passes except that a person from the family of David is standing in prayer, and no day comes except that a person from the family of David is fasting.'"

a hadith of Hajjaj: «No hour of the night or day passes without a servant of the family of David worshipping You — either praying, or fasting, or remembering You.» So he attributed the deed to the night and the day, and he was the most devoted of them in that, and the most steadfast in it, and the one who called them to it, and their leader upon it. So consider how great that is, for his saying: «No night comes…»

[The reason for] considering that great is that the Arabs in their language do not use the like of this except for the magnification of something from oneself. So he attributed the deed to it and praised it for it, and the words of God, Mighty and Glorious, indicate that.

Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with him, said: God, Mighty and Glorious, revealed to him: «O David, that was only through Me, and were it not for My assistance to you, you would not have had the strength for that, and I shall leave you to yourself.» And in another hadith: «By My might and My majesty, I shall indeed leave you to yourself.» For had he been remembering the blessing [of God] in that, then his remembrance of it would be a remembrance for Him — not that he would then forget Him and [forget] himself. But rather the blessing reminded him of himself, which he had been heedless of.

And He left him to himself — the one to whom he had attributed the deed and for which alone he had praised it — and so it was his self-admiration (ʿujb) with the obedience of God, Mighty and Glorious.

So [when he felt] the obedience of God, he admired himself for it, and the punishment overtook him for that, until he committed a sin that bequeathed him regret and grief for the days of his life, and consequence in the Hereafter, until God, Mighty and Glorious, caused him to repent — on account of Uriah , as it came in the hadith. Thus self-admiration brought about an immense trial and a tremendous affliction through it.

And among that is what God, Mighty and Glorious, said in His Noble Book regarding the Day of Hunayn to the Companions of Muhammad, peace be upon him — and they were the best band upon the face of the earth; nay, a band none other than whom worshipped God, Mighty and Glorious, along with those who followed them, angered for the sake of God, Mighty and Glorious, supporting the religion of God, Mighty and Glorious, assembled for the fight against

God, Exalted and Glorified, said regarding the enemies of God, Exalted and Glorified:

«When your great numbers pleased you, but they availed you nothing, and the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for you, then you turned back in retreat» [9:25].

And that is because the one who said from among them said: "We will not be defeated today due to lack of numbers," and so they were pleased with their great numbers and relied upon their strength, and they forgot.

So that He might make them know that their great numbers availed them nothing, and that God, Exalted and Glorified, is the Helper, the Overcomer — not their numbers, not their might against their enemy. Then God, Exalted and Glorified, turned upon them with victory, as an honoring of His Prophet and a safeguarding of His religion.

Then He sent down Quran concerning that, making known to them what had occurred from them, and what the one among them who spoke had said. And this is al-ʿujb (self-admiration) — that is, admiration at great numbers.

And among such examples also is what [Sufyan] ibn ʿUyayna narrated, that Ayyub (Job), upon him God's blessings, said: "My God, what affliction is this? No matter has ever come upon me except that I preferred Your desire over my desire." So he was called by a voice from a cloud of ten thousand: "O Ayyub, from where is that for you?" — meaning, from where did you get that? He said: So he took a handful of ashes and placed it upon his head, and said: "From You, O Lord."

Do you not see that when he returned to ascribing the blessing of good deeds to his Lord, Exalted and Glorified, having forgotten, he took refuge in remembrance with humility, self-abasement, and acknowledgment of the blessing — that it is from God, Exalted and Glorified — and said: "From You, O Lord."

And between this and the hadith of Dawud (David), upon him be peace, there is a meaning of al-idlāl (presumptuous reliance) on one's deeds, which I shall clarify for you, God willing, Exalted and Glorified, when al-idlāl on deeds is discussed.

I said: Then inform me about al-idlāl — what is it?

He said: Al-idlāl is an intensified meaning within al-ʿujb (self-admiration), and it is that a person admires his deeds or his knowledge and then displays arrogance.

that he has a mighty standing with God, and that he has thereby deserved reward for his deeds. If [this is accompanied by] forgiveness together with khawf (fear), then it is not idlāl (presumptuousness).

But if fear departs from that [and is replaced by] rajāʾ (hope), then it is presumptuousness, as a woman from among the female emigrants said — while she was in the presence of ʿĀʾisha, may God be pleased with her:

"I pledged allegiance to the Messenger of God that I would not associate anything with God, nor steal, nor commit fornication, nor kill my child, nor bring a slander that I fabricate between my hands and feet, nor disobey him in what is right. So I fulfilled my pledge to the Lord, Mighty and Glorious, and He fulfilled His to me — so by God, He shall not punish me!"

She was then visited in her sleep, and it was said to her: "Are you the one who swears oaths upon God that He shall not punish you? How about your saying what does not concern you and your withholding what does not impoverish you?"

And in another hadith it is related:

[That an angel came to her and said to her: "Your speech is excessive, your adornment is ostentatious, your neighbor you harm, your husband you disobey" — then he placed his five fingers and pressed them upon her face, saying: "Five for five, and had you increased, we would have increased."]

He said: She laughed, and the marks of the fingers were on her face. This, then, is al-idlāl (presumptuousness) upon God, Mighty and Glorious — deeming reward obligatory upon Him while being in a state of heedlessness, forgetfulness, and ignorance of Him.

I said: What is the evidence that one considers oneself to have a mighty standing with God, Mighty and Glorious, through that?

He said: The evidence for that is many indicators from one's qalb (heart) and one's tongue.

Among them is that one intimately addresses God, Mighty and Glorious, by glorifying one's own deeds. As David, upon him be peace, said. Or that one considers it too great that a trial should befall him, or that God should reject his supplication, or that He should grant victory over him to someone else from among His enemies — all while he imagines this is because of that deed.

An example of that is what is related concerning Job, prayers of God be upon him, when he said: "O my Lord, You have tested me with this affliction, yet never did a matter come before me except that I preferred Your desire over my desire."

or that his supplication not be accepted, or that he not do what He loves, or «that he be tested» or [face] destruction from his enemy.

If the worker (al-ʿāmil) finds this objectionable, then this one is self-admiring (muʿjab) of his work, beguiled thereby, as though he has a claim upon Him. Were it not that God, exalted and glorious, bestowed His grace upon His creation, He would not have made them scholars. For the work is from Him by His grace and His blessing, and gratitude from the servants is feeble, and gratitude itself is a blessing from God, exalted and glorious, and sins are many.

Do you not see that He, glorious and exalted, says: «Were it not for the grace of God upon you and His mercy, not one of you would ever have been pure» [al-Nūr 24:21]. And he ﷺ said to his Companions — and he was the best of people at that time —: "None of you shall be saved by his deeds." They said: "Not even you, O Messenger of God?" He said: "Not even I, unless God envelops me in His mercy."

And he ﷺ said: "Were God to hold us to account, He would punish us—[even] ʿĪsā ibn Maryam, son of Mary." And his Companions after him, despite their merit and [the greatness of] their deeds, used to wish that they had been created without the creation of a human being, out of the enormity of their fear. Abū Bakr, may God be pleased with him, wished that he were a tree to be cut down. ʿUmar, may God be pleased with him, wished that he had become a blade of straw. And Abū ʿUbayda, and ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn, and others.

To God, exalted and glorious, belongs the conclusive proof (al-ḥujja al-bāligha) against His servants, and to Him belongs the grace, the bounty, and the favor upon them, and there is no obligation upon Him regarding what they are upon, and whatever good they have done is from Him and through Him.

I said: And what is the proof that this is idlāl (presumptuous claim upon God)?

He said: What is narrated from Qatāda regarding the words of God, Exalted and Glorious:

«and do not consider it too much»

He said: meaning your deeds. And there has been disagreement regarding the interpretation of this phrase. Some of them said: Do not consider yourself as having guided to it — except that Qatāda took the view that it is idlāl through one's deeds.

And Ayyūb and Dāwūd, upon them be peace, said in the hadith that is narrated: "The prayer of the presumptuous one is not raised above his head."

So this is self-admiration (ʿujb) combined with idlāl.

As for when self-admiration occurs alone without idlāl mixing with it, then it is what I informed you of regarding the limit of the nafs (self) and forgetfulness of blessings. And Rabāḥ al-Qaysī was asked, and it was said to him: "O Abā Muhājir, what is the most corrupting thing upon deeds?"

He said: The self's sense of entitlement and forgetfulness of blessings.

Chapter on Self-Admiration with Erroneous Opinion

I said: And self-admiration with erroneous opinion — I did not hear you include it in this answer.

As for what pertains to misguidance and innovation, it is an affliction and a humiliation. And as for what pertains to legal rulings, it may be a humiliation and it may be a deficiency in religion short of disbelief.

When the opinion is contrary to the Book, the Sunna, and consensus, then whoever [holds it], self-admiration is what destroyed the generality of worshippers until they went astray, disbelieved, innovated, and erred in the religion of God, Exalted and Glorious.

subtle, and he holds yaqīn (certitude). And he reported that it will overwhelm the latter part of this community, and the Prophet ﷺ condemned them, for they have become deaf and blind and do not benefit from admonition.

I asked the Messenger of God ﷺ about the saying of God, Mighty and Glorious: «Take care of yourselves; he who strays will not harm you if you are rightly guided» [5:105]. He said: "O Abū Tha'laba, enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. But when you see avarice obeyed, desires followed, and every possessor of an opinion impressed with his own opinion, then take care of yourself."

He thus informed that its meaning is: when love of this world overwhelms the people of this world, and self-admiration with their own opinions. And likewise the scholars after them also reported that the Prophet ﷺ condemned self-admiration with one's own opinion, and that perdition lies therein.

Look to what God, Mighty and Glorious, described of those upon whom something other than the truth was said. He said: «Say: Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in respect of deeds? Those who think they are doing well» [18:103–104]. And God, Mighty and Glorious, said: «Is he, then, to whom the evil of his deed is made alluring so that he regards it as good…» [35:8].

He thus informed that the people are impressed with what they profess as religion — of misguidance, disbelief, and lying about God, Mighty and Glorious. And likewise all the people of innovation — were it not that they are impressed with their own opinions, they would not have adopted innovations nor persisted upon them.

The generality of the disbelievers and the people of innovation among the people of Islam perished through self-admiration with erroneous opinion, and those who err in issuing religious verdicts — because they interpreted and then became impressed with their interpretations and supposed that it was the certain truth.