Chapter on Arrogance Through Knowledge and Deeds
no illness befalls him, nor filth overtaking his body, nor death, nor punishment upon him in the Hereafter. This purity and cleanliness would only befit one for whom al-kibr (pride) were fitting. Yet it does not befit him, for he is a slave owned, and the humility of servitude is the opposite of pride. Therefore pride does not befit the slave.
And how so, when he, along with his servitude, is of small worth in origin, afflictions overtaking him in his life, deserving of punishment since he disobeyed his Lord, death being his final destination, the reckoning before him, and punishment his recompense — unless his Master pardons him.
Were the slave to remember these qualities, the fact that his remembering them was that God, exalted and glorified, forbade him from pride, and that He detests it — that would suffice to negate pride. How then when he remembers these qualities along with his fear of God's, exalted and glorified, loathing — that He might look upon his heart while he has resolved upon pride, and so detest him for that.
What shows you that God, exalted and glorified, detests it is the saying of God, exalted and glorified: «Indeed, He does not love the arrogant» [16:23].
And whoever God does not love, He is hateful and loathed by Him.
And the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him:
"No one shall enter Paradise in whose heart is an atom's weight of pride."
God, exalted and glorified, only forbids His neighbor [from entering Paradise] and detests and is wrathful toward the one who has it. So by even one of these qualities, the intelligent slave would negate pride.
Chapter on Pride Concerning Knowledge and Deeds in Particular
I said: You have already made clear through what you have described that it negates pride based on lineage, status, body, wealth, abundance, deeds, and scholars. However, I find that knowledge and deeds have temptations that arise in them, along with the remembrance of one's small worth, which may overcome the knower and the doer until he becomes arrogant. So what is it by which one repels those impulses that incite him to pride?
And among that is what the servants find within themselves, for indeed the scholar and the deed are likewise: because their tribulation is the greatest of tribulations, since their standing in the sight of God, Exalted and Glorious, and in the sight of the servants is greater than the standing of lineage, wealth, and prestige. Rather, lineage has no standing, nor does prestige, nor does the body, in the sight of God, Exalted and Glorious, unless there be deed and knowledge accompanying that.
Likewise the servants: the one who acts and the one who knows hold a greater standing in their hearts than every lineage, every wealth and prestige. And since their standing is immense, their tribulation is immense, both in the sight of God, Exalted and Glorious, and in the sight of the servants. Do you not see the saying of Hudhayfa, may God be pleased with him: "Beware the tribulation of the sinful scholar and the ignorant worshipper, for their tribulation is a tribulation for every one who is beguiled." So because of the greatness of the standing of the scholar and the deed in the sight of the servants, the ignorant one is beguiled, to the point that the people follow the scholar in his slip and the worshipper in his error.
And the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Three are calamities: the slip of the scholar" — then the people are destroyed . And it has been narrated from Umar that he said to Tamim al-Dari: "What is the slip of the scholar?" He said: «When the scholar slips, a multitude of creation slip by his slip.» And he said: «Three things demolish the age, one of them being the slip of a scholar.»
Mu'adh said: «Beware of the slip of the scholar, for his standing in the sight of the people is immense, and they imitate him and follow him in his slip.» And it is narrated from Ka'b that he said: «Knowledge has a tyranny like the tyranny of wealth.»
So how great is his standing in the sight of God, Exalted and Glorious — if he has taqwa (God-consciousness), his standing in the sight of God, Exalted and Glorious, is immense, and likewise if he does not have God-consciousness, his sin in the sight of God, Exalted and Glorious, is immense. For when the one who acts does not have consciousness of God, Exalted and Glorious, and intends by his deeds the servants rather than obedience to God, Exalted and Glorious, then the affliction is greater in the sight of God, Exalted and Glorious, because he does not perform his deed for God, Exalted and Glorious, but rather performs his deed for other than Him. So he shares with the one who wastes in his wastefulness, and he surpasses him in evil through riya' (ostentation), his arrogance, his vanity, and his envy.
Have you not seen the hypocrites — they professed faith as a show for the servants, so He placed them in the lowest depth of the Fire? And likewise the rest of the disbelievers who displayed it — the one who corrupts deeds is worse than the one who merely neglects deeds.
Likewise, the one who bears knowledge yet neglects the command of God, Mighty and Majestic, is more severe in affliction and greater in sin than one who neglects action [without knowledge].
As for the knowledgeable one, likewise the one who bears knowledge yet constricts the command of God, Mighty and Majestic, is more severe in affliction and greater in sin than one who neglects the command of God, Mighty and Majestic, out of ignorance.
Do you not see that Iblīs knew the command of God, Mighty and Majestic, and acknowledged His lordship, then obstinately opposed His command after knowledge and clear evidence, and acknowledged God, Mighty and Majestic, «until the Day of Judgment» [al-Hijr 15:36], yet he was the worst of creatures, and [God] cut off his hope of tawba (repentance) forever.
And do you not see that today the Jews do not claim a son or partners for God, and they, in the view of all the people of Islam, are worse than the Christians who claim a son and a partner for Him? That is because God, Mighty and Majestic, described their knowledge as denial after recognition. God, Exalted, said of them:
«They recognize it as they recognize their own sons» [al-Baqara 2:146].
And God, Mighty and Majestic, said: «They know that it is the truth from their Lord» [al-Baqara 2:144].
And the Most High said: «They conceal the truth while they know» [al-Baqara 2:146].
So in His sight they were the most severe in affliction, since they denied the truth after knowledge and recognition, as God, Mighty and Majestic, said: «And when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it» [al-Baqara 2:89].
So fear the punishment of God, Mighty and Majestic, O ignorant one, yet more so, O knowledgeable one who recognizes His command. Do you not see the parables that He struck for the knowledgeable one who recognizes His command?
«They are but like cattle» [al-Furqan 25:44].
And He struck a parable of one to whom knowledge came and who recognized the truth, then turned away from it after knowledge and recognition. And He struck the parable of a donkey, and the parable of a dog. He said: «The likeness of those who were entrusted with the Torah then did not carry it is like the likeness of a donkey» [al-Jumu'a 62:5].
And regarding Bal'am ibn Bā'ūrā', He said:
«And recite to them the news of him to whom We gave Our signs» [7:175]—He mentions that He had given him His signs until he reached [a high station], «but he detached himself from them, so Satan pursued him, and he became of those who went astray» [7:175]. «So his example is like that of a dog: if you burden it, it pants, or if you leave it, it pants» [7:176]. It was said in the interpretation: if you strike the dog with a staff, it pants, and if you leave it, it pants—meaning that it pants in every state.
So He struck a parable for the scholar who was given knowledge but squandered the command of God, exalted and glorified.
Al-Aswad said: "Bal'am ibn Barq." And Ibn 'Abbās said: "Bal'am ibn Bā'ūrā'."
«But he clung to the earth» [7:176]—to the desires of the earth—«and had We willed, We could have raised him thereby» [7:176]. He said: "by his knowledge."
And Ibn 'Abbās said in a ḥadīth: "This is the likeness of one who strives"—he recites the Book but does not act by what is in it.
'Ikrima said about «he clung»: he inclined to the desires of the earth, its pleasures, and its wealth, and did not benefit from that which came to him from the Book.
And regarding the saying of God, exalted and glorified: «if you burden it, it pants, or if you leave it, it pants» [7:176], it was said: Qushāsh said: God, exalted and glorified, says: it is the same for this servant—whether he is given wisdom or not—the dog is a parable for him.
Then the Prophet ﷺ said, informing that the scholar who is punished with a punishment from the people of Hell—[this is] out of magnifying the gravity [of his sin], because his punishment is more severe than theirs. Usāma ibn Zayd said: I heard him ﷺ saying:
"The scholar will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and cast into the Fire, and his entrails will spill out, and he will revolve around them as the donkey revolves around the millstone. The people of the Fire will gather around him and say: 'What is the matter with you?' He will say: 'I used to command the good but not do it, and forbid evil but commit it.'"
It is narrated from Abu al-Darda' that he said: "Woe to one who does not know, and were he to know, woe to him! Woe to the scholar seven times over."
So when ostentation presents itself to the worker or the scholar through remembrance of the greatness of destiny and pride, he repels it from himself [by reflecting] "that he is in danger that his standing before God, Mighty and Glorious, and before His creation would be lesser in rank than one who squanders his deeds." This is the gravest tribulation. When he then returns to himself, he [says]: "If you have been exposed to the greatest of reward and the greatest of standing, then likewise you have been exposed to the greatest of sin and the least of standing. O soul, if you are proud, you will be lesser in standing than the ignorant one and the squanderer of deeds."
He is like a man to whom it is said: "You have a standing only so long as you do not see standing for yourself; if you see standing for them, then you have no standing before God, Mighty and Glorious." And that is so, because God, Mighty and Glorious, abases and humbles him. When he understands from God, Mighty and Glorious, the general [principle] that if one is proud, his standing is diminished, and if one negates pride and humbles himself, his standing is elevated — and when the servant makes his heart (qalb) adhere to that, pride is dispelled from him, whether he be a scholar or a devotee, because the danger of both together is tremendous.
As for the worshipper, his afflictions are many. And likewise the scholars — their errors in their knowledge are many, and that is the gravest and most dangerous and most severe of tribulations.
Do you not see what is narrated from Abu Dharr, that his master began asking him about knowledge, and Abu Dharr said to him: "You do not ask me about anything except that God increases you in tribulation through it."
He spoke truly, may God's mercy be upon him: the proof against him before God, Mighty and Glorious, is magnified, sin is made graver on his part, and his afflictions are magnified. Yet despite the magnitude of the proof and the abundance of afflictions, he is only rewarded when he acts upon it with the intention of the heart (qalb) or deed. Do you not see the saying of Mu'adh ibn Jabal: "Learn whatever you wish to learn, but God, Mighty and Glorious, will not
...and he does not reward you for a year until you have acted." And by his knowledge of the enormity of the danger, he is broken and humbled, and his intention to act upon it when seeking to act [is purified], and by his knowledge of the enormity of the proof (hujja) against him, kibr (pride) is removed from him — that he should be arrogant over those beneath him — even if the danger were not so enormous. And if he became certain that God, exalted and glorified, had elevated him by his knowledge above those beneath him, it would be fitting — if he truly held God, exalted and glorified, in high regard — that he not be arrogant over those beneath him, lest he fall from his station, and that he humble himself from his elevation, since he knew that God, exalted and glorified, abases with pride whoever is arrogant over those beneath him.
I have only repeated this upon you so that you may understand it, and so that you know that pride is not fitting, not proper, and not appropriate for anyone other than God, exalted and glorified, since everything besides Him is a possessed servant, abased before his Lord, exalted and glorified. As it is narrated from Abu Hurayra that there was a man whom none could oppose, and he would ride past on his mount without looking at anyone. Abu Hurayra intercepted him, seized his bridle, and said to him: "What is your opinion of something that is fitting only for God, exalted and glorified — that you claim it for yourself?" He said: The man was broken, and nothing was seen from him after that except goodness and humility.
I said: So when you remember this and reflect upon it — and [reflect upon] its consequences — until his qalb (heart) is bound to this knowledge, his nafs (self/soul) becomes lowly due to the smallness of its worth in his estimation, and pride is removed from his heart. He truly does not see himself as better than anyone beneath him, so he does not despise them nor disdain them. So is that sufficient for him regarding this?
He said: No, because the self may give the resolve for humility (tawadu') and the abandonment of pride, in submission to the truth, since its knowledge has dazzled it. So the servant knows the smallness of his self's worth, and when he knows the smallness of his self's worth, he is humbled and submits. The self then gives action at the point of this knowledge, but then becomes heedless or negligent in other than that.
And among the salaf (predecessors) who followed these ways were al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibrahim ibn Adham, Sufyan al-Thawri, and Malik ibn Dinar. They all were known for nothing other than the practical aspect, but later people deviated and measured the scales of the exalted by accumulation and amassing.
So you become arrogant and proud, and you break what you were given of resolutions, and you change from your state, and the time passes."
Chapter on the Servant Claiming that He Has Already Abandoned Kibr (Pride) Based on Sidq (truthfulness), Without Any Self-Deception in That
I said: How then does one discern this?
He said: By examining it at the moment of the impulse from the heart toward pride, and at the point of the actions from which the proud ones recoil and consider themselves too great for.
As for the impulse from the heart toward pride, the example of the passing thought is like a stirring that calls the servant, through self-admiration (i'jab bi'l-nafs), to believe that he is better than his Muslim brother, and to look upon him with the eye of contempt and condescension. So at the moment of the passing thought that calls to that, he should be vigilant, alert, repelling what has occurred in his heart of that. If his soul refuses that, he should remind it of its small measure, what is incumbent upon it, the seal of its life, and what it fears of an evil outcome in the Hereafter, and that he deserves that.
As for the outward limbs: if someone commands him, or forbids him, or debates with him in discussion, and it becomes clear to him that the truth is in what the one who commanded him, or forbade him, or debated him said, he should restrain his soul from rejecting his words and compel it to accept his statement and to submit to the truth, since it has become clear to him.
Likewise, if he disdains earning lawful livelihood through lowly means, he should compel himself to that. And if [damaged] he should endure what I have described to you of patience with that. Likewise, if his soul refuses most of what benefits it from that which the proud ones disdain to undertake — like something that would [otherwise] befit him.
its magnitude upon its resolution, and mentioning its smallness «for himself or for his family».
And responding to the invitation of a Muslim man, even if he be a slave, or poor, or of lowly lineage. Likewise, walking with him for his need, or to visit him, or to check on him, or to deal with him, whether he was near to him or far —
when that was beneficial to him in religion or worldly life. Likewise, learning the truth, or asking it of one who is below him. And that is among the things whose abandonment wara' (scrupulous piety) has already necessitated, for pride may lead one to affiliate himself to other than his origin, or to be called to other than his mawālī (patrons), out of disdain and arrogance against his patrons and his origin. And that, in the sight of God — Mighty and Majestic — is grave.
It is narrated from Sa'd, from the Prophet ﷺ, that he said: "Whoever claims affiliation to other than his patrons, then Paradise is forbidden to him."
And Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq — may God be pleased with him — said: "Sufficient as a sin before God is disavowing a lineage, even if it be lowly."
Likewise, if you are one who wears fine worldly clothing, and then neglects what is obligated upon him — such as prayer and other things, and the fulfillment of a right owed to relatives or others. It has been narrated that Abū Mūsā — may God have mercy upon him — was told: "There are people who absent themselves from the Friday prayer because of their clothes." So he put on a coarse cloak and led the people in prayer in it.
This entire chapter may encompass pride along with riyā' (ostentation) within it. By this, one realizes the totality of what he has resolved upon of negating pride. Do you not see what is narrated from the Prophet ﷺ? He said: "Whoever tends a goat and wears wool, he is indeed free of pride."
And he said: "I am only a servant: I eat upon the ground, and I wear wool, and I tend the goat."
'Uthmān — may God be pleased with him — was seen carrying a bundle of firewood. When he was asked about that, he said: "I wanted to compel my soul."
«So whoever turns away from My remembrance» and «I answer the supplication of the owned one» and «I answer the supplication of the one who calls upon Me with his fingers».
And the hadith is from Abu Sinan: that a man said to him, "Come, let me carry this meat from you." He said: No. Then he recited: «He does not love the arrogant ones» [al-Nahl:23].
The people of knowledge and maʿrifa (spiritual cognition) are not satisfied with what their souls have committed to of abandoning kibr (pride) without testing and trying it before the exalted ones, waiting to see whether they fulfill that or violate it. Among that is what is narrated: that ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām carried a bundle of firewood, and it was said to him, "O Abū Yūsuf, you have among your servants and your sons those who would suffice you for this." He said: "Indeed, but I wanted to see whether my soul is truthful in that or whether it is lying."
And kibr (pride) may arise for the servant in all such matters along with riyāʾ (ostentation), combining the two together.
This is what I informed you of at the beginning of my answer to your question: that pride may arise from what arises of ostentation. So ostentation along with pride arises in disdaining — out of arrogance — that people should say he is poor, or lowly, or destitute, and look at him with the eye of contempt; or disdaining menial earning, or accompanying a lowly man, or visiting him out of kinship or otherwise; or accepting the truth from someone other than himself, so that it is said, "So-and-so corrected him" or "taught him," or he says to himself, the one who overcame him corrected him or taught him.
So when ostentation arises along with pride, let him draw near through reflection between the smallness of one's worth and what punishment is incumbent upon him, and the abhorrence of ostentation which nullifies his deeds on the day of his poverty and need, toward the pure good deeds by which he may be saved from the torment of his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, and by which he may deserve His reward and His good pleasure. So let him remember the smallness of his worth and what torment is incumbent upon him, and let him remember his destination toward death and the reckoning.
And by invoking the judgment of recompense, one negates pride, and by abhorrence of ostentation, one negates ostentation — because pride may negate
When the nafs (self) presents to him deeds that draw one nearer to God, Exalted and Glorious, yet he regards them with contempt due to the lowliness of their means , and he looks upon them with disdain, then he is lowly in his own estimation, yet alongside that he does not wish to be so in the eyes of people.
What indicates this to you is that it may occur from some of creation that a servant lays claim to a noble lineage — such as his claiming to be from the House of Prophethood, or from Quraysh, or from the Arabs — while it is commonly known that his origin is other than that. He is lowly in his own estimation, of base origin, yet he loves that people look upon him with the eye of veneration, and he detests that they learn of his true origin and look upon him with disdain.
Likewise, one who displays that he is wealthy while he is poor — the humiliation of poverty being in his qalb (heart) — his knowledge being that he possesses no wealth, yet he loves that people look upon him as wealthy, and he detests being seen in poverty.
Likewise, one who gives the servants the impression that he possesses fine knowledge that he does not actually possess, and he detests that they discern this about him and thus despise him, while he loves that they look upon him with the esteem of knowledge. In his own estimation he is of lowly standing, paltry lineage, ignorant — yet he gives the servants the impression that he is otherwise, out of love of praise and hatred of blame.
Likewise this one whom arrogance together with riya' (ostentation) has beset — he may negate arrogance while employing ostentation. Arrogance has presented itself to him, and he may have negated ostentation, so he considers himself sincere and humble, while in the sight of God, Exalted and Glorious, he is a dissembling show-off. Perhaps his self then whispers to him that his refraining from that was out of shame before God, and that he left it for the sake of modesty, not because he forsook it for the sake of arrogance or ostentation.
Likewise, riyā' (ostentation) may issue a ruling for the servant, and he becomes heedless that «their deeds rejected» [TN: likely reference to Quran], for «their rejection avails him not» [TN: possible Quranic fragment], and his soul refuses to do anything of that,
considering himself too great within himself,
and that such a thing is not fitting for the likes of him, even if people were to elevate him thereby.
And we have seen those who are arrogant on account of lineage together with religion — such as one who is from the People of the Prophetic House, or from Quraysh — who raises himself above praying behind the common people, and abandons the congregational prayer out of disdain and pride. The people continue to censure him, and he knows that from them; it reaches him from some of them and he hears it from others, yet his soul refuses anything but arrogance, and that it is not fitting for him. It is within his capacity to come without pride, yet pride has attached itself to his heart along with his knowledge that this increases for him the common people's limit [of censure], and he is one who is arrogant — he is a murā'ī (one showing off) by that.
Likewise, he does not frequent the jurists, the hadith scholars, and the scholars out of disdain and pride, [believing] that he is more deserving than to learn from them, and that knowledge came from his origin and his forefathers, when perhaps he is ignorant, unable to properly perform his prayer or some of his obligatory duties.
It has thus become clear by this that when riyā' is conjoined with kibr (pride), the servant may negate pride and hold firm to ostentation, or he may negate ostentation and hold firm to pride. When the two are conjoined, negating one of them does not save him while the other remains — by which he is given a ruling — unless the servant is strong and fearful, remembering the awareness of God, Exalted and Glorious, of what is in his qalb (heart), and so he turns away from them. And that is when he was knowledgeable of them and of what becomes clear before the occurrence [of the temptation].
As for one who does not know that which would suffice him — having no sufficiency through it from knowing that at the time of [its occurrence] —