Author: Sayyed Musleh Uddin
The Fate of Scientific Arrogance (Part 15)
The Fate of the Arrogates
The Holy Qur’an describes two fates for the arrogant:
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Deprivation of Divine Love and Special Mercy
Allah’s mercy is vast and encompasses all, but arrogance causes one to be deprived of His special mercy and to be cast away from His presence. Just as Satan, due to the grave sin of arrogance, was cast out from nearness to God, cursed, and fell from his exalted rank. The earth or the fire of Hell becomes the place of residence for arrogant sinners. The arrogance of Iblis was considered base and contemptible in the sight of God and His close servants: قَالَ فَأَهْبِطْ مِنْهَا فَمَا يَكُونُ لَكَ أَن تَتَكَبَّرَ فِيهَا فَاخْرُجْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ Translation: [Allah] said, “So get down from it! It is not for you to be arrogant therein. So, get out; you are truly one of the disgraced.” [1]
The arrogant are also deprived of God’s special love. As the Qur’an says: “إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالًا فَخُورًا” Translation: Indeed, Allah does not love the arrogant and boastful. [2]
This is because the heart of an arrogant person is not attached to God—it is attached to wealth and worldly possessions and is filled with love for worldly affairs.
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Humiliation in This World and Punishment in the Hereafter
The Holy Qur’an states that the arrogant will gain nothing in this world but disgrace, and in the hereafter, they will be subject to torment: “لَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌّ وَنُذِيقُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ” Translation: He will suffer disgrace in this world, and on the Day of Judgment, we will make him taste the torment of the blazing Fire. [3]
Prophetic Hadiths also clearly state that whoever acts arrogantly will be brought low and humiliated. The disgrace of the arrogant in others’ eyes is natural—it is a reaction to their arrogance. The same ego that leads one to act arrogantly exists in others too, and no one likes to be treated with arrogance or to be belittled.
From the Qur’an, we learn that even the people of Thamud, despite their corruption, disliked arrogance. They thought of Prophet Salih as a deceitful, arrogant man trying to gain superiority through his claim to prophethood: “أَؤُلْقِيَ الذِّكْرُ عَلَيْهِ مِن بَيْنِنَا بَلْ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٌ” Translation: “Was the message revealed to him out of all of us? In fact, he is a boastful liar!” [4]
But God knows who is truly arrogant and deceitful: “سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَدًا مَنِ الْكَذَّابُ الْأَشِرُ” Translation: They will soon know who the boastful liar is! [5]
In the hereafter, arrogant people will face fire: “وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تَرَى الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ وُجُوهُهُمْ مُسْوَدَّةٌ أَلَيْسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِّلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ” Translation: On the Day of Judgment, you will see the faces of those who lied about Allah blackened. Is there not in Hell a home for the arrogant? [6]
“قِيلَ ادْخُلُوا أَبْوَابَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ” Translation: It will be said, “Enter the gates of Hell, to remain there forever. How evil is the home of the arrogant!” [7]
“وَيَوْمَ الْقِيامَةِ تَرَى الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ وُجُوهُهُمْ مُسْوَدَّةٌ أَلَيْسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ” [8]
Paradise is reserved only for those who do not seek arrogance or corruption on earth: “تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا ۚ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ” [9]
In one narration, it is mentioned: “Whoever has even a mustard seed’s weight of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise.” It is also not befitting for a scholar to view themselves as superior because of their knowledge, for in doing so, they are deprived in two ways:
Deprivation of God’s mercy, especially the mercy reserved for scholars.
They will face humiliation in this world and punishment in the next.
Pride Leads to Failure
Translation of Persian Poem:
Beware! Do not be proud of your actions.
Beware! Do not be pleased with your own condition.
These acts of worship will not be accepted
Until you know what your final end will be.
Pride prevents a person from reaching noble and human goals, as it stops one from seeking advice or help from others. If a person has true trust in the Source of existence, they will realize that everything they possess in life is a gift from God. Then what reason is there for pride? Jobs, status, fame, wealth, spouse, children—even love, affection, beauty, intellect, and knowledge—all are blessings from God entrusted to us temporarily. Whenever He wills, He can take them back.
So, when we are not the true owners of anything, being boastful about borrowed blessings is meaningless.
As Khayyam of Nishapur said:
No one ever conquered the heavens above,
And no man was ever filled by the food of the earth.
You, who are arrogant and haven’t yet been eaten by death,
Be patient—for death will soon devour you as well. [10]
Once, Jesus’ son of Mary (peace be upon him) passed through a desert and came upon a hermitage. Inside lived an elderly pious man devoted to worship. Jesus began conversing with him. Just then, a young man, known for his immoral behavior, passed by.
When the young man noticed Jesus and the worshipper, he froze in shame and said to himself, “O God, I’m ashamed of my actions. If Your prophet rebukes me, what will I do? Forgive me, O God, and do not disgrace me.”
The pious man, upon seeing the youth, looked to the sky and said, “O Lord, do not resurrect me with this sinner on the Day of Judgment!”
God then revealed to Jesus: “Tell this worshipper: we have answered your prayer—we shall not raise you with him, for he is among the people of Paradise because of his repentance, and you are among the people of Hell because of your arrogance.”
This story shows the importance of fair judgment toward others and never considering them inferior. Pride and envy lead one astray. Judgment belongs to God. Others should judge our actions—not we ourselves. We should walk our path with humility.
The first signs of arrogance appeared in Satan. When God said, “What prevented you from prostrating to Adam when I commanded you?” Satan proudly replied, “I am better than him; You created me from fire and him from clay.”
Continues…
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References:
[1] ـ Surah Al-A’raf, verse: 13.
[2] ـ Surah An-Nisa, verse: 36.
[3] ـ Surah Al-Hajj, verse: 9.
[4] ـ Surah Al-Qamar, verse: 25.
[5] ـ Surah Al-Qamar, verse: 25.
[6] ـ Surah Az-Zumar, verse: 6.
[7] ـ Surah Ghafir, verse: 76.
[8] ـ Surah Az-Zumar, verse: 6.
[9] ـ Surah Al-Qasas, verse: 83.
[10] ـ Rubaiyat of Khayyam, Rubai number: 68.
