Pride: A Serious Disease of the Heart
Pride means to think highly of one’s self. Secondly, pride means to not accept the truth. In other words, it means disregarding others and taking them as insignificant and low. That is to say, belittling others and thinking of yourself as superior to others. Pride is also the first sin that has been mentioned in the Quran. That is to say, Allah talks about Pride as the first sin in the Quran. To clarify, when Shaitan was ordered to prostrate to Adam, he became proud and arrogant and hence disobeyed Allah.
And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam”; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers. (2:34)
Therefore, Shaitan rejects truth and does not accept anyone superior to him.
And [mention] when We said to the angles, “Prostrate to Adam,” and they prostrated, except for Iblees. He said, “Should I prostrate to one You created from clay?” [Iblees] said, “Do You see this one whom You have honored above me? (17:61-62)
Iblis (Satan) was amongst the angelic creations but it is due to his arrogance that he degraded himself and became a transgressor. Therefore we need to learn from this. That is to say, we need to realize whenever we think ill and low of someone, we should think of Shaitan’s pride and the consequences that his pride led him to. That is to say, how angry Allah became due to pride. Shaitan thought that he was better than Adam. Therefore, this was the immoral act that led to his demise.
Pride Infects & Damages the Heart
Feeling of superiority is very damaging for the person. That is to say, people think of themselves as superior. Further, the cause of pride is this world. In other words, we want to exceed others in worldly terms. That is to say, it is the love of this world that pushes us away from the right path. Moreover, pride is this one major sin that counts us amongst the descendants of Shaitan. In short, we strive to be ahead of the people around us. But, what we need to understand is that this world has nothing to give to us. In other words, it does not really matter if we are superior to others in terms of status, beauty, looks, intellect and so on. What matters is that we should be god fearing and pious.
Meaning and Status of Pride in Islam
Generally people misunderstand the meaning of pride and relate it to achieving success. That is to say, being rich and excelling in what you do well does not mean you are proud. In other words, Islam does not stop us from achieving our goals. It encourages people to work towards success. To clarify, desiring for success and to reach goals is supported in Islam. Moreover, Islam motivates us to be passionate about our valid and reasonable goals. However, Islam does not allow us to be vain and think of others as worthless. That is to say, we should have clear and pure intentions while achieving our goals. Further we should have pure intentions for our fellow beings as well. In addition, we also need to be careful about our goals. That is to say, they should not entirely be self-centered. To clarify, they should serve humanity in some way.
Affects of Proude
Pride is the vice that makes people hate us. Further, it also makes people fear us. Moreover, it denies a person the right to enter heaven. It is narrated on the authority of Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) observed:
“He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise.”
–Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 173
That is to say, pride does not let us achieve the status of a believer. Hence, it closes doors of heaven for us. A proud person certainly is not humble. Moreover, such a person does not take valuable advice from others. However, a believer is completely contrary to this. In other words, they are humble and nice to others. To clarify, a believer is thoughtful and mindful of others. Allah says in the Quran,
[To them] it will be said, “Enter the gates of Hell to abide eternally therein, and wretched is the residence of the arrogant. (39:72)
Pride and Arrogance are two very serious matters that Allah has severely disliked. When we say that pride was the first sin committed, we mean that Shaitan was dismissed from his esteemed status due to pride. It is a trait of Shaitan.
How to not let Pride Infect Your Heart
The basic and very simple way to stay away from pride is to remember where we come from and what our end is. That is to say, remember that you are just a human being meant to perish. If we realize this, it is hardly possible that we shall be proud. Further, remembering our end makes us realize what our real purpose in life is. We all have to return to Allah. This belief allows us to be focus on worshipping Allah and being good Muslims. That is to say, we cannot possess such habits that infect our heart and soul.
To clarify, soul has to return back to its Lord. Therefore, how can we afford to infect it and not let it meet its Lord in a purified state? Will we be able to stand the wrath and displeasure of Allah towards us? Therefore we need to think about these unpleasant events that might befall us due to our ill habits, including pride. As a result, it shall greatly help us in not letting pride infect our heart and become a disease for us.
How can QuraOnline help You
Quran is the essence of purifying our heart and soul. In other word, Quran makes us strong internally and hence gives us the power to fight against ill habits that infect the heart and soul. Therefore make it a regular practice to recite and understand Quran. As a result, you will feel strong willed and more powerful to fight against pride.
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