Author: Sayyed Musleh Uddin
The Fate of Scientific Arrogance (Part Three)
Arrogant Behaviors:
Arrogance manifests in various forms—in the way a person walks or in the expression on their face, such as turning away from others in disdain.
The Holy Qur’an relates the wise counsel of Luqman to his son, advising him to abandon such arrogant behavior: “وَلَا تُصَعِرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ” Translation: “Do not turn your face away from people in arrogance, nor walk proudly upon the earth. Indeed, Allah does not like any self-conceited boaster.” [1]
Likewise, the Qur’an points out the reason why humans should not walk arrogantly on earth by reminding them of their weakness: “وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحاً إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ الْأَرْضَ وَلَن تَبْلُغَ الجبال طُولاً” Translation: “Do not walk arrogantly upon the earth. You can never pierce through the earth, nor can your stature reach the mountains in height.” [2]
This verse alludes to human weakness and the dominance of beings more powerful and greater than man. Therefore, the sense of power and greatness that the arrogant person imagines for himself is nothing but an illusion, and there is no justification for his arrogance.
The mention of the two cases above in the explanation of the verse is because people tend to become arrogant when they possess great strength or large stature. The message is that arrogance benefits no one and will never lead a person to their desired outcome—just as one can never split the earth open or reach the height of the mountains. Moreover, the harms of arrogance do not stop at the arrogant person alone; sometimes, they also affect others.
For this reason, when Prophet Musa heard that Pharaoh intended to kill him, he sought refuge from the harm of Pharaoh and from all arrogant individuals who do not believe in the Day of Judgment: “وَقَالَ مُوسَى إِنِّي عُذْتُ بِرَبِّي وَرَبِّكُم مِّن كُلِّ مُتَكَبّرٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُ بِيَوْمِ الْحِسَابِ” Translation: “And Moses said, ‘Indeed, I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant one who does not believe in the Day of Judgment.’” [3]
Arrogance and Conceit in the Qur’an:
“وَلَا تُصَعِرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ” Translation: “Do not turn your face away from people in arrogance, nor walk proudly upon the earth. Indeed, Allah does not like any self-conceited boaster.” [4]
The arrogant are warned in the Qur’an of severe punishment. Allah Almighty says: “سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ ءَايَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ” Translation: “I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right.” [5]
And He says: “كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ جَبَّارٍ” Translation: “Thus does Allah seal the hearts of every arrogant tyrant.” [6]
Allah does not love the arrogant and has made their reward and abode the Fire of Hell: “إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ” Translation: “Indeed, He does not love the arrogant.” [7]
And He says: “أَلَيْسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ” Translation: “Is Hell not the (deserved) abode for the arrogant?” [8]
Arrogance According to Hadith:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) narrated in a Qudsi Hadith: “قال الله تعالى: الْكِبْرِيَاءُ رِدَائِي، وَالْعَظَمَةُ إِزَارِي، فَمَنْ نَازَعَنِي وَاحِدًا مِنْهُمَا، فَذَقْتُهُ فِي النَّارِ” Translation: “Allah Almighty says: ‘Majesty is My cloak, and greatness is My garment. Whoever competes with Me in either of them, I will cast him into the Fire.’” [9]
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) also said: “بِحَسْبِ امْرِئٍ مِنَ الشَّرِّ أَنْ يَحْقِرَ أَخَاهُ الْمُسْلِمَ” Translation: “It is enough evil for a man to look down upon his Muslim brother.” [10]
And he said: “Whoever regards himself as great and walks with arrogance, will meet Allah on the Day of Judgment while He is angry with him.” [11]
“لَا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ كِبْرٍ” Translate: “No one will enter Paradise who has even an atom’s weight of arrogance in his heart.”
“الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْطُ النَّاسِ” Translation: “Arrogance is rejecting the truth and belittling people.” [12]
“يُحْشَرُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ أَمْثَالَ الذَّرِّ فِي صُوَرِ الرِّجَالِ يَغْشَاهُمُ الذُّلُّ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ، فَيُسَاقُونَ إِلَى سِجْنٍ فِي جَهنم يُسَمَّى بُولَسَ تَعْلُوهُمْ نَارُ الْأَنْبَارِ يُسْقَوْنَ مِنْ عُصَارَةِ أهْلِ النَّارِ طِينَةَ الخَبَالِ” Translation: “The arrogant will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment in the form of tiny ants in the shape of men. Humiliation will envelop them from every direction. They will be driven to a prison in Hell called ‘Bulas’, covered by the fire of the blazing inferno, and they will be given a drink made from the pus of the inhabitants of Hell—a fluid called ‘Teenat al-Khabal’.” [13]
Continues…
Previous Part/ Next Part
References
[1] – Surah Luqman, Verse: 18.
[2] – Surah Al-Isra, Verse: 37.
[3] – Surah Ghafir, Verse: 27.
[4] – Surah Luqman, Verse: 18.
[5] – Surah Al-A’raf, Verse: 146.
[6] – Surah Ghafir, Verse: 35.
[7] – Surah An-Nahl, Verse: 23.
[8] – Surah Az-Zumar, Verse: 60.
[9] – Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No: 4090.
[10] – Sahih Bukhari, Hadith No: (6064); Sahih Muslim, Hadith No: (2564) عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تَحَاسَدُوا، وَلَا تَنَاجَشُوا، وَلَا تَبَاغَضُوا، وَلَا تَدَابَرُوا، وَلَا يَبِعْ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَيْعِ بَعْضٍ، وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ إِخْوَانّا الْمُسْلِمُ أَخُو الْمُسْلِمِ، لَا يَظْلِمُهُ وَلَا يَخْذُلُهُ، وَلَا يَحْقِرُه التَّقْوَى هَاهُنَا وَيُشِيرُ إِلَى صَدْرِهِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ بِحَسْبِ امْرِئٍ مِنَ الشَّرِّ أَنْ يَحْقِرَ أَخَاءِ الْمُسْلِمَ كُلُّ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ حَرَامٌ، دَمُهُ، وَمَالُهُ، وَعِرْضُهُ».
[11] – Musnad Imam Ahmad, Vol. 9, p. 425, No: 5645.
[12] – Sahih Muslim, Hadith No: 91.
[13] – Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith No: 2492.
