Chapter on Kibr That Arises from 'Ujb
than clay, and fire is stronger than clay."
He said that out of ignorance of God, Mighty and Glorious, because fire consumes clay. So He brought forth pride (kibr) over Adam, peace be upon him, and disdain toward Adam.
That he objected against the Lord, Mighty and Glorious, and so he disbelieved thereby, and He made him accursed in meaning. All of that is gathered by the saying of the Chosen One ﷺ when Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas asked him, saying: "O Messenger of God, I am a man who has been given love of beauty as you see. Is that pride?" He said:
"No. Rather, pride is disdaining the truth and looking down upon people."
Meaning: he despised and looked down upon people. So whoever is filled with self-aggrandizement and disdains accepting from God, Mighty and Glorious, His command, and that he should be humbled and abased, or rejects the truth while knowing it, and considers himself better than his brother out of contempt for him and looking down upon him, then pride has gathered between him and the servants. So the root of pride is self-aggrandizement, and its reality is disdain and looking down upon the servants, and rejecting the truth after it has become clear to him. That, then, is the sum of pride.
Chapter on Pride That Arises from Self-Admiration (ʿujb)
The Explanation of Pride by Means of Knowledge
I said: What is the pride that arises from self-admiration?
He said: The pride that arises from self-admiration in religion is through knowledge and through deeds.
If it is from the side of knowledge, then the knowledgeable person, when he admires his own knowledge, his self-admiration leads him to pride — aggrandizing himself over the servants, and so he is arrogant over the common people, even if some of them are more God-fearing before God, Mighty and Glorious, than he is.
And that is what ʿUmar, may God be pleased with him, feared regarding the scholars, when he said: "And do not be among the tyrants of the scholars, such that your knowledge does not stand up before God against your ignorance" — meaning: God does not approve when you act arrogantly.
So when the scholar (ʿālim) grows arrogant through his knowledge, he belittles those beneath him among the scholars, disdains them, treats them as subordinate, dominates them, and exploits them in what they do not owe him. He aggrandizes himself over the common people and breaks his commitments to them, and mocks them. "Let them greet him first with the salām," and that his needs be fulfilled by them out of arrogance, because he considers that he deserves that from them, and that this is an obligation upon them — a binding duty — due to the greatness of his own worth in his own estimation.
And if one of them disputes or argues with him, he responds harshly, and if he admonishes, he admonishes harshly — out of self-aggrandizement and haughtiness.
Likewise it is narrated from Muʿādh, from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said: "And among the scholars are those who, if they admonish, admonish harshly."
And it was described in this hadith that the scholars are of seven ranks, because he refuses to accept from them if they commanded him, or taught him, or admonished him. He disdains to be gentle with them, if their knowledge is [less than his]. He disdains that those in his estimation who are not his equals should [advise him], and he despises those beneath him.
because they are the most knowledgeable of God, exalted is He, among them, because they are the most fearful of God, exalted is He, among them, because they look upon Him with veneration while He looks upon them with contempt — and so he is the lowly one, yet they are the elevated, the humble ones, for God, mighty and glorious, abases and humbles the one who is arrogant, and elevates the one who is humble before Him.
So he is arrogant over them out of contempt for them, boasting over them with his knowledge, reproaching them for their ignorance, squandering their rights. He is their despiser, reminding them of his favors over them — even if they possess knowledge — so he is a tyrant in his knowledge, not humble before God, mighty and glorious.
Among them are those who guard against some of these traits yet are arrogant through others.
Whoever is given something of knowledge, the impulse of self-aggrandizement over those beneath him may arise in him. Among them are those who are arrogant in the utmost degree regarding their knowledge. Among them are those who are humble toward one type of people yet arrogant toward another, according to the measure of his intellect regarding his Lord, mighty and glorious, and according to the measure of his knowledge of God's proof (hujja) against him, mighty and glorious, concerning his knowledge.
I say: knowledge should increase the servant in humility; yet knowledge has increased him in arrogance and ignorance.
He said: Knowledge is as Wahb said — like rain that descends from the sky, sweet and pure, and the trees absorb it through their roots and transform it according to the measure of their fruits: the bitter increases in bitterness and the sweet increases in sweetness, its water increasing in sweetness and the water of the bitter increasing in bitterness.
Likewise is knowledge: men memorize it and transform it according to the measure of their aspirations and their desires. So the arrogant one increases in arrogance, because the one whose aspiration is arrogance is ignorant, and when he memorizes knowledge he finds in it that by which to be arrogant, and so he increases in arrogance.
But when a man is ignorant yet fears God, mighty and glorious, and knows that the proof of God, exalted is He, is binding upon him even though he was ignorant — when he memorizes knowledge and comprehends it, he increases in fear and anguish, as Mu'adh said:
"Whoever increases in knowledge increases in anguish."
When he increases in anguish due to the enormity of the proof against him — for what God, mighty and glorious, has taught him — he increases in lowliness, humility, compassion, and khawf (fear).
And when his concern is the desires of this world and its aggrandizement, he increases in knowledge with arrogance, disdain, and contempt for others.
[damaged]
I said: So nothing presents itself to the worker, whether he was a scholar or was not a scholar?
If he was more ignorant than him, he said within himself: "An ignorant person who has passed away." [TN: i.e., spiritually lost]
And if he was more knowledgeable than him, he said within himself: "The proof against him is tremendous," while he himself is one who squanders works.
And he despises those beneath him among the workers and looks upon them with contempt, and he aggrandizes himself over them and withdraws from them, so that they greet him first with salām while he does not initiate greeting them, and they visit him while he does not visit them, and they inquire after him while he does not inquire after them, and they visit him when sick while he does not visit them when sick. He desires to seize upon his superiority over them. He rebukes those he mingles with, and he exploits them, and he mocks them, and he disdains if they admonish him, because he is above them in works while they are squanderers and wasters.
If he initiates greeting one of them with salām, or responds to him, or stands for him, or enters upon him, or answers his invitation, or shows any care toward them, he considers that he has done for them what they do not deserve from the likes of him. Rather, he does that only because of his sense of his own superiority over them, and he has thereby claimed superiority over them.
And he fears for them more than he fears for himself. Indeed, when he sees them or remembers them, he hardly remembers fear for himself, and he mentions nothing but fear for them. He considers that they are doomed, as though [damaged]
Do you not see the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: "When you hear a man say, 'People are all ruined,' he is the most ruined of them" — reported by Abu Hurayra, and he confirmed it — because he is arrogant, boastful, disdaining creation, secure from God Almighty, without fear. So his kibr (pride) and his contempt led him to these blameworthy character traits in the sight of God, Mighty and Glorious.
Likewise the Prophet ﷺ said: "It is enough evil for a man that he despises his Muslim brother," because contempt has led him to all of this and to other things besides, too lengthy to mention.
When he looks upon them with belittlement, and goes against them in what he most fears for himself, and hopes for himself more than what they hope — while they look upon him with veneration, and upon themselves with belittlement, and fear for themselves what they most fear — nay, they suppose that he is saved and that they are perishing, and they fear for him what they fear for themselves, and hope for him more than what they hope for themselves.
So he has exposed himself to the loathing of God, Mighty and Glorious, and the voiding of reward in the Hereafter, and he deserves that God, Mighty and Glorious, strip from him that which he used to boast of over them in deeds.
And they have exposed themselves to the mercy of God, Mighty and Glorious, through their humility toward him, their love for him, their belittlement of themselves, and their veneration of him — because he disdains sitting with them and being in their company, while they draw near to God and approach closeness to Him.
Were it not for the love of God, Mighty and Glorious, and His veneration, they would not have loved him nor venerated him; rather they venerated him and loved him out of love — under His saying, Most High: «Every man among them on that Day shall have a concern to suffice him» [80:37].
...the hope of drawing near to God, Exalted and Glorious, and of God, Exalted and Glorious, and that God, Exalted and Glorious, would transfer them to His station in worship, «so you have exposed yourselves to mercy and forgiveness». And it may be that one has delayed in what God, Exalted and Glorious, had made incumbent upon him of works, and its manifestations and directions, and he despised His servants and disdained them, and was deluded by God, Exalted and Glorious, and made fear from him upon them, while he forgot his own nafs (soul) — that he should be more fearful and more anxious about it.
So [if this is not guarded against], that will be held against him on the Day, as was narrated from al-Sha'bi, and also narrated from Abu al-Jalad ibn Ayyub:
A man among the Children of Israel was called the Intimate (khalīl) of the Children of Israel. The Intimate passed by a worshipper, and upon his head was a cloud shading him. The Intimate said to himself: "I am the Intimate of the Children of Israel, and this is the worshipper of the Children of Israel. If I were to sit beside him, perhaps God would deem it fitting to have mercy on him." So he sat beside him. The worshipper said to himself: "I am the worshipper of the Children of Israel, and this is the Intimate of the Children of Israel — he sits beside me?" And he disdained him and said: "Get away from me."
So God, Exalted and Glorious, revealed to the prophet of that time:
"Let them both begin their works anew, for I have forgiven the Intimate and I have nullified the worshipper's works."
And in another narration:
"The cloud shifted to above the Intimate's head."
Indeed, God, Exalted and Glorious, intends from His servants their hearts, and their limbs follow their hearts. So when the scholar or the common person is arrogant and disdains the worshipper, and the ignorant one or the sinner is humble, and the awe of God, Exalted and Glorious, is abased, and they fear Him — then he is more obedient to God, Exalted and Glorious, than the worshipper.
The scholar senses that meaning in his qalb (heart). Among such narrations is that a man from the Children of Israel came to a worshipper from the Children of Israel and stepped on his neck while he was prostrating. He said: "Raise your head." The worshipper said to him: "By God, God will not forgive you!" So God revealed to him:
"O you who presume upon Me — rather it is you whom God will not forgive."
Because he had indeed presumed upon God, Exalted and Glorious, that He would not forgive him, due to the greatness of his own worth in his own estimation, and because the offense against him was, in the sight of God, Exalted and Glorious, enormous — yet God would forgive it on account of his worship and prostration. For in his own estimation he was of great worth in the sight of God, Exalted and Glorious, so he combined self-admiration, arrogance, and delusion with God, Exalted and Glorious.
He mentioned that the arrogant one who scorns the worshippers is likewise as though he sees himself as the one saved from among them, shrinking away from them in disgust because of his sense of superiority over them, as though he disdains them through his deeds.
It is narrated that he [the Prophet] came one day, and they said: "O Messenger of God, this one whom we have mentioned to you — I see in his face a mark from Satan." He greeted them and stood before the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions. The Prophet ﷺ said to him: "I ask you by God — has your soul told you that there is no one among these people better than you?" He said: "Indeed, yes."
So he would see himself as the one saved from among them, shrinking away from them in disgust because of his sense of superiority over them, as though he disdains them through his deeds.
Al-Harith ibn Jarir al-Zubayri, the companion of the Prophet ﷺ, said: "Among the reciters, every cheerful, smiling one who meets you with gladness pleases me. As for the one who meets you with a frown and reminds you of his favor over you through his deeds — may God not increase the likes of this among the Muslims."
And if God, Exalted and Glorious, were pleased with this from anyone, He would not have said to His Prophet ﷺ: «And lower your wing to the believers» [15:88] .
And the Most High said: «Had you been harsh, hard of qalb (heart), they would have dispersed from around you» [3:159] .
And He described His friends (awliyā') whom He loves and who love Him, saying: «humble toward the believers, mighty against the disbelievers» [5:54] .
There is no worth before God, Exalted and Glorious, for one who is arrogant over His servants, whether he be a worshipper or a scholar.
Among the worshippers are a people of misguidance who have returned to the greatest misguidance. They do not consider that anyone speaks the truth about God, Exalted and Glorious, other than themselves, and that no one on earth is rightly guided except them. They are those who say the Qur'an is created, and those who speak of suspension , and those who speak of the utterance , and those who deny al-qadar (divine decree), and those who deny that God, Exalted and Glorious, will be seen in the Hereafter, and those who tamper with the scales,
Among them are the Rafida (Rejecters), the Murji'a (Postponers), and the Haruriyya (Kharijites), and «those who deny the intercession» [TN: likely reference to a Quranic or theological concept], and those who revile the Mother of the Believers, 'A'isha — she who was exonerated from the slander (al-ifk) — may God have mercy on her — and they revile the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, through her.
"There shall be a people who recite the Quran, but it will not pass beyond their throats. They will read the Quran" — "So whoever among you recites it — and who knows better? And when?" — so I related it to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and he turned to his Companions and said: "Those among you are this community" — «those are the fuel of the Fire.»
What blameworthy deeds give rise to
I said: What about what arises from it concerning riya' (ostentation)?
He said: One who refutes the truth against the one who looks at him or commands him, even if the other person is, in his own estimation, beneath him or equal to him. He disdains to accept the truth out of pride, lest his standing be diminished by an error, or lest it be said: "So-and-so defeated him," or "exposed his mistake," or "overpowered him." Thus ostentation leads him to the characteristics of kibr (arrogance), even though in his heart the one who looks at him or commands him is better than he. However, the disdain and self-aggrandizement that appear are ostentation from his heart, not arrogance.
He said: What is the hiqd (rancorous hatred) that leads to kibr (arrogance)?
He said: He disdains to seek reconciliation from one against whom he harbors rancor — if that person wronged him, or reviled him, or cut him off — he is too proud to initiate the greeting of peace.
And were it not that enmity and rancorous hatred cooled the truth upon him, and carried him to employ arrogance in rejecting the truth or (in refusing) to fulfill another's right, when he sees that the other accepted from him, or anyone else sees that from him.
So what arises from ostentation and rancorous hatred — one may indeed adopt the mannerisms of arrogance while imagining that he is beneath those who show off before him, and beneath those against whom he harbors rancor and whom he treats with enmity.
Except that the self-admiring one (mu'jab) — his arrogance resides in the heart, and he disdains and considers himself better than those who were not given the like of what he was given, and he looks down upon them.
And this encompasses both religion and worldly matters, in terms of knowledge and deeds. So whenever he is favored with a blessing over others, he becomes self-admiring on account of it and grows arrogant — out of ignorance and squandering of gratitude. The one who doubts this should not feel secure against it regarding themselves, for arrogance only assails a person on account of blessings. The more blessings increase and grow immense, the swifter self-admiration and arrogance hasten toward them — especially whatever distinguishes one above the common people, whether a blessing or a deed; arrogance hastens toward it more swiftly.
Do you not consider what Ibn Burayda reported from Ibn ʿAbbās that ʿUmar said: "Ṭalḥa has never ceased being known for haughtiness ever since his finger was struck on the Day of Uḥud alongside the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace." And al-bāʾwāʾ among the Arabs is arrogance.
And likewise, Ibn ʿAbbās related — from the ḥadīth of Ḥumayd ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, from Ibn ʿAbbās — that ʿUmar, may God be pleased with him, said — and Ibn ʿAbbās said to him: "Where do you stand regarding Ṭalḥa?" He said: "That is a man possessed of haughtiness." Then he enumerated them one by one, and that was because on the Day of Uḥud, Ṭalḥa distinguished himself among the Companions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, when he shielded the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace.
Then «his finger was placed beneath his chin and lifted» «so that he would desist from» striking his palm against himself .
After that, ʿUmar informed him that she had recognized in him [that quality]. Then [this was reported] to the Messenger of God, peace be upon him.
What has reached us is that this led him out to a state of contemptible self-effacement, rightly recognizing it, but the reports were such that they would not be stripped of it.
We are most entitled to be wary of it in every state, lest we be among the destroyed, since the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"No one shall enter Paradise who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of kibr (arrogance)."
Likewise with what is manifest in clothing: if a man wears wool and then acts arrogantly by it over those beneath him in dress—do you not see the saying of al-Ḥasan: "Indeed the wearer of wool (in his wool) may be more severely arrogant than the wearer of the khazz-silk mantle (in his khazz-silk)."
For one may be arrogant in khazz-silk over those beneath him among the people of this world, while humbling himself before the people of religion. And the one who wears wool for the sake of religion may act arrogantly over the wearer of khazz-silk. And the wearer of khazz-silk, when he sees him, acknowledges his superiority and humbles himself inwardly before him, because of what he sees upon him of the garb of the righteous. So self-admiration (ʿujb) and arrogance (kibr)—no rational person is safe from them in any state. And everything by which a servant is distinguished over others, the temptation toward it is swifter.
Among such [examples] is that al-Dārī sought permission from ʿUmar for storytelling, but he refused to grant him permission and said to him: "It is the slaughter." And a man who was the imam of his people sought his permission—for when he prayed and concluded his prayer, he would mention them and invoke supplications, and they would invoke supplications. But he refused to grant him permission and said: "I fear that you will swell up until you reach the Pleiades," fearing kibr over him.
And Ḥudhayfa led his people in prayer, and when he concluded, he said: "You should seek an imam other than me, or pray individually." And it was said regarding this: "This is not from Ṭalḥa, may God be pleased with him, the reality of arrogance, but rather it is zuhd (renunciation) regarding a mighty deed that few would perform the like of."
Would that we renounced the like of these rare, heroic deeds! But rather, we renounce the trivial matters of speech and action.
He said: Indeed, I saw within myself that I am not the most virtuous among the people. And another said: How few are those who are singled out with a blessing by which they are distinguished over others, without kibr (pride) overcoming them — except those whom God, Exalted and Glorious, has strengthened and guided. And with God, Exalted and Glorious, is the seeking of protection.
Chapter on Pride through Worldly Things
I said: You have described pride through religion, so what is pride through worldly things?
He said: Pride through worldly things is: pride through lineage, beauty, strength, wealth, and abundance of numbers.
As for pride through lineage, when one's lineage is exalted, he despises those below him in lineage, even if they are more virtuous than him in knowledge. Pride may even reach the point where he sees the common people around him as like slaves, and he disdains to mix with them, and boasts over them, and taunts them when angry. This may also afflict the righteous man when he is of noble lineage, at the moment of his anger. Among evidence of that is what is narrated from Abu Dharr, who said: "I quarreled with a man in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ." The Prophet ﷺ said:
"O Abu Dharr, did you taunt him by his mother?"
He said: So I said to him: "O son of a black woman!"
"O Abu Dharr! Half a sa', half a sa'! A son of a white woman has no superiority over a son of a black woman."
And that is because he saw that he was better than him, since his mother was black, while Abu Dharr's mother was white. And the Prophet's ﷺ saying: "A son of a white woman has no superiority over a son of a black woman" indicates that he saw himself as better than him, so he was exalting himself over him. Abu Dharr said: So I lay down prostrate and said to the man: "Stand and step on my cheek," in order to humble himself in compensation for what he had said to him.
So this may afflict the righteous man at the moment of his anger and his heedlessness, toward one who is below him in lineage.
His degradation and diminishment of him: such as the man saying, "So-and-so is disgraced by that," "he is diminished by that," "he is demeaned by that," mentioning him with what he dislikes about his lineage, backbiting him, and he may reproach him with that and boast over him along with the reproach, saying: "I am better than you and more noble in origin, I am the son of so-and-so, the son of so-and-so, and from the offspring of so-and-so. Who are you and who is your father? You are such-and-such and such-and-such," and saying, "I do not see fit that you should speak to me. Does the likes of you even dare to look? Or does the likes of you place himself alongside me?"
Among that is what is narrated: that two men boasted before the Prophet ﷺ, and one of them said to the other: "I am so-and-so the son of so-and-so," until he counted nine. "And who are you — you have no mother!" The Prophet ﷺ said:
Two men boasted before Moses, peace be upon him, and one of them said: "I am so-and-so the son of so-and-so," until he counted nine. Then God, Exalted and Glorious, revealed to Moses: "Say to the one who boasted of his forefathers: nine of them are among the people of the Fire, and you are their tenth."
And among that is the Prophet's ﷺ saying:
"Let a people cease boasting of their forefathers who have already become embers in Hell — those beetles (ju'lān) that roll dung with their noses — or they shall be more contemptible before God, Exalted and Glorious, than the dung beetle."
And among that is his ﷺ saying:
"Indeed God, Exalted and Glorious, has removed from you the disgrace of the Age of Ignorance (jāhiliyya), so do not boast."
Likewise is arrogance (al-takabbur) toward men by despising those beneath him, reproaching him and deeming him ugly, boasting over him and finding fault with him on account of his appearance. Among that is what is narrated that the Mother of the Believers Aisha, may God be pleased with her, said: "A woman entered upon the Prophet ﷺ, and I gestured with my hand like this. The Prophet ﷺ said to me: 'You have backbitten her.'"
So he finds fault with those beneath him in [outward] beauty, and mocks him and imitates him , and in that are various forms of belittlement. This type of kibr (pride/arrogance) is most prevalent among women.
Looking at the Arabic source and the footnote definitions, I need to find where should be placed.
The footnote says "Its source has been previously cited" and corresponds to the Arabic marker (٤) which appears after a phrase. Looking at the Arabic, the marker (٤) appears near the hadith reference area.
In the English text, I can see that `` is already present after "peace be upon him" — so it's already correctly placed. Let me re-read the instructions more carefully.
Wait — let me recheck. The text says "peace be upon him:" — yes, is already there. Let me check all footnotes:
- : present at end of last paragraph ✓
- : appears twice ✓
- : appears once ✓
- : appears once after "peace be upon him" ✓
Actually, looking more carefully at the Arabic source, I see there are two markers in the English but the Arabic has markers (۲) and (r) which seem to correspond to verses 79 and 82 of Surat al-Qasas. The second footnote reference currently marked should actually be , and what's currently should be something else...
Let me re-examine. The footnote definitions are:
- : verse 79
- : verse 82
The first quote «So he went out before his people in his adornment» = verse 79 → ✓
The second quote «Would that we had the like of what Qarun has been given» is also from around verse 79 area, but then "up to His saying... «Indeed God extends provision for whomever»" = verse 82 →
So the second should be , and the current is wrong? Actually no — looking at the Arabic again, the second quote ends with "Qarun" and has a marker, and then "up to His saying" leads to verse 82. The second should remain as is because both quotes are from verse 79, and marks verse 82. That all checks out.
So actually all markers appear to be correctly placed already. The text is complete as-is. Let me return it unchanged:
And likewise strength — he is arrogant by it, and he despises the weak, and he taunts him with his weakness, and he boasts over him with his strength, and he overshadows him.
And likewise wealth — he domineers by it, and he boasts of it, and he is deluded by it, and he struts about in adornment in his clothing out of insolence, and with kibr (arrogance) and merriment on account of the abundance of his wealth and his clothing.
Among that is what God, Exalted and Glorious, described concerning Qarun [Korah], for He, Exalted and Glorious, said: «So he went out before his people in his adornment». His people said: «Would that we had the like of what Qarun has been given» — up to His saying, Exalted: «Indeed God extends provision for whomever».
He is arrogant by means of them, and he domineers by means of them, and he despises those of his clan, or those fewer than him in clientage, or his servants. And all of that is reprehensible, for its origin is ʿujb (self-admiration).
I said: I see you calling kibr (arrogance) by a term that you also call ʿujb (self-admiration). So what is the difference between them in religion and worldly life?
He said: As for in religion, he admires his works, and so his soul praises itself for them, and he forgets his Lord thereby, yet he does not show arrogance over anyone. And perhaps self-admiration leads him to consider that he is better than others, so he despises them and looks down upon them, and he then becomes both self-admiring and arrogant.
As for in worldly matters, he may admire his beauty, or his wealth, or his lineage, or his strength, and he does not boast. Do you not see that self-admiration in worldly matters can exist independently without leading its possessor to arrogance? — and how rarely that is! The proof of this is the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him:
While a man was strutting in two garments of his, his self having admired him.
So he described him with self-admiration in his strutting and his vanity.
The arrogant person in both religion and worldly life combines traits that God, Exalted and Glorious, detests: love of exaltation and haughtiness, aversion to submitting to the truth, reluctance to accept what is correct from one who is below him, and so he does not esteem anyone below him except with arrogance in speech.