Getting Rid of Pride and Arrogance

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Pride and arrogance may be the cause of a person being deprived of Paradise and may mean that the Lord of Glory will not even look at the person.

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "The haughty, even with pride equal to a mustard seed in his heart, will not enter Jannah." A man inquired: "What about that a person likes fine dress and fine shoes?" He said: "Allah is Beautiful and likes beauty. Pride amounts to disclaiming truth out of self- esteem, and looking down on people." [Muslim]

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: “Whoever lets his garment drag along the ground out of pride, Allah will not look at him on the Day of Resurrection.” Abu Bakr said: “Sometimes my garment slips down on one side, unless I pay attention to it.” The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, “You are not doing that out of pride.” [Bukhari]

Arrogance is of several types, including the following:

1. When a person does not accept the truth and produces false arguments against it.

2. When a person admires himself for his beauty or handsomeness, or the fineness of his food or clothing, so he feels proud and arrogant and feels superior to people.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said said: “Whilst a man was walking, dragging his garment with pride, with his hair nicely combed, Allah caused the earth to swallow him and he will go on sinking in it until the Day of Resurrection.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

A similar case is the story of the friend of the man whose companion spoke to him arrogantly. Allah Most High says,

وَكَانَ لَهُۥ ثَمَرٌ‌ۭ فَقَالَ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُ‌هُۥٓ أَنَا۠ أَكْثَرُ‌ مِنكَ مَالًا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرً‌ۭا ﴿٣٤

..."I am greater than you in wealth and mightier in [numbers of] men." (34) [Qur'an, al-Kahf 18:34]

It may be that he was boasting about his tribe and linage.

Signs of arrogance in a person:

He doesn’t like others to have what he has
He cannot avoid anger
He cannot avoid being jealous of others
He doesn’t accept advice from others
He doesn’t want to listen or accept advice from a learned person or even attend lessons
When advising people, he always puts them down
When speaking, he will say good remarks about himself
When he speaks he speaks with pride to let people know he has knowledge
He deals with people in bad way
He walks in bad way
He looks down at people because he is wealthier, or has a better appearance.

The cure for arrogance involves knowledge and action which involves the following remedies:

First, you should know and recognize your Lord and know and recognize your own self as you should be recognized, and that you are not worthy of greatness and that true greatness and pride are only for Allah.

You should think of yourself as being just like other people and realize that they are like you, they were born from a mother and a father just as you were, and that taqwa (piety, fear of Allah) is the true criterion of superiority.

Allah Most High says,

ـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ‌ۢ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَ‌فُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَ‌مَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ‌ۭ ﴿١٣

O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. (13) [Qur'an, al-Hujurat 49:13]

You should realize that no matter what he achieves, he is still too weak to attain a stature like the mountains in height or rend nor penetrate the earth.

وَلَا تَمْشِ فِى ٱلْأَرْ‌ضِ مَرَ‌حًا ۖ إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِ‌قَ ٱلْأَرْ‌ضَ وَلَن تَبْلُغَ ٱلْجِبَالَ طُولًا ﴿٣٧

And do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth [apart], and you will never reach the mountains in height. (37) [Qur'an, al-Isra’ 17:37]

وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ‌ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِى ٱلْأَرْ‌ضِ مَرَ‌حًا ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ‌ۢ ﴿١٨﴾ وَٱقْصِدْ فِى مَشْيِكَ وَٱغْضُضْ مِن صَوْتِكَ ۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ‌ ٱلْأَصْوَ‌ٰتِ لَصَوْتُ ٱلْحَمِيرِ‌ ﴿١٩

And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful. (18) And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; indeed, the most disagreeable of sounds is the voice of donkeys." (19) [Qur'an, Luqmaan 31:18-19]

Al-Qurtubi said:

The sentence “do not walk through the earth exultantly” is a prohibition of arrogance and is enjoining humility. 'Maraha' (translated here as exultantly) is excessive joy, or it was said that it means being arrogant in walking, or thinking too highly of oneself.

Qutaadah said: it means showing off in walking; or it was said that it means vanity.

All of these suggestions are close in meaning, but they may be divided into two categories: those which are blameworthy and those which are praiseworthy.

Arrogance, vanity, showing off and thinking too highly of oneself are blameworthy; joy and energy are praiseworthy.

Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 10/260.

Another remedy for arrogance is for a person to realize that on the Day of Resurrection he will be gathered in a small form like an ant which will be trampled underfoot. Arrogant people are hated by other people just as they are hated by Allah; people love humble, tolerant and gentle people, and they hate those who are harsh and cruel to people.

Another remedy is to remember that we and urine came out of the same place; that we began as a despised drop of sperm and we will end up as a rotten corpse, and that in between us is a vessel for feces. So who are we, what do we he have, to feel proud and arrogant about?!

May Allah rid us all of arrogance and other blameworthy traits, and make us humble. Ameen.

And Allah knows best and He alone grant tawfiq.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

Wassalaam

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