The Evil of Arrogance and Self-Admiration
Volume 3: Things That Destroy
The source text addresses the concepts of kibr (arrogance, claiming greatness) and ucb (self-admiration), the two greatest obstacles before a person's spiritual development. These two traits are not merely moral faults; they are also defined as "lethal diseases" (muhlikāt) that drive a person toward eternal ruin. Kibr arises when a person sees himself as superior to others; ucb is when a person attributes his own merits to himself rather than seeing them as blessings from Allah. The document shows that these diseases stem from seven fundamental causes (knowledge, deeds, lineage, beauty, wealth, strength, multitude of followers). Treatment is possible only through the combination of "intellectual" methods (knowing oneself and one's Lord) and "practical" methods (personally practicing humble acts).
Summary
The source text addresses the concepts of kibr (arrogance, claiming greatness) and ucb (self-admiration), the two greatest obstacles before a person's spiritual development.
Sections
1. The Reality and Degrees of Kibr
Kibr is a person's seeing himself as superior to another and acting arrogantly toward him. According to the text, kibr has three main degrees:
- Kibr toward Allah: The gravest; it reaches as far as claiming lordship, as in the examples of Nimrod and Pharaoh.
- Kibr toward the Prophets: It arises from the soul's inability to accept obeying a human being.
- Kibr toward Servants: It is looking down on others, refusing equality with them, and not accepting the truth.
2. Ucb (Self-Admiration) and Idlāl
Ucb is the foundation of kibr. It is a person's magnifying his own perfection and not fearing that this blessing may be taken from his hand.
- The Difference between Ucb and Kibr: Ucb does not require another person; a person may fall into ucb even on a deserted island. Kibr, by contrast, exists only in relation to someone else.
- Idlāl (Presumption): An advanced stage of ucb. The person imagines he has a right with Allah because of his acts of worship and is astonished when his prayer is not answered (the delusion of putting Allah under obligation).
3. Seven Causes That Lead to Kibr
Kibr is nourished by seven different supposed "perfections" a person possesses:
| Cause | Explanation | | :--- | :--- | | Knowledge | The greatest affliction of scholars; it leads them to look at people as "animals." | | Deeds and Worship | Worshippers seeing people as "ruined" while seeing themselves as "saved." | | Lineage and Nobility | Boasting of one's ancestry and demeaning others as "slaves" or "foreigners." | | Beauty | Common especially among women; a state that drives one to search out others' faults. | | Wealth | The rich looking down on the poor and acting with the arrogance of "I can buy you." | | Strength | Bullying the weak through physical power or authority. | | Followers and Supporters | Boasting in the multitude of servants, students, or relatives. |
Action-Oriented Insights: Methods of Combating Kibr
The source text presents a concrete roadmap for treating kibr and ucb:
Intellectual Treatment (The Way of Thought)
- Reflecting on One's Origin: Remembering that man was created from a drop of impure fluid (semen), and that he came into being through Allah's grace while deaf and blind.
- Reflecting on One's End: Confronting the reality that every human being will one day become a foul corpse, be eaten by worms in the grave, and ultimately become dust.
- Recognizing Allah's Majesty: Realizing that greatness belongs only to the Creator, while man is a helpless being condemned to hunger, thirst, and illness.
Practical Treatment (The Way of Action)
The following practical exercises are recommended to force the soul toward the opposite of kibr: 1. Serving Others: Doing one's own shopping personally, carrying one's belongings on one's back (the example of ʿAbd Allāh b. Salām). 2. Dressing Modestly: Preferring simple clothing that does not awaken pride in the heart, rather than ostentatious garments. 3. Sitting with Servants: Eating at the same table with everyone, whether slave, poor, or servant. 4. Accepting the Truth: When rightness appears in someone else in a dispute (even a child or an ignorant person), immediately admitting it and giving thanks.
Five Tests to Probe the Soul
A person should test whether hidden kibr exists within him in the following situations:
- Dispute: When the truth comes from someone else's mouth, does he feel joy or heaviness?
- Gatherings: Does sitting behind his peers or walking behind them feel burdensome to him?
- Invitations: Does he avoid accepting a poor person's invitation?
- Market/Bazaar: Can he personally carry his family's needs from the market?
- Clothing: Is he ashamed to appear among people in worn-out clothing?
Conclusion: Kibr and ucb are a fire that burns a person's deeds. The only way to escape these afflictions is for a person to know his own reality (nothingness and helplessness) and to see every kind of success as nothing but a blessing from Allah and to give thanks to Him.
Key concepts
- Kibr
- A person's seeing himself as superior to another and looking down on him. Kibr always requires the presence of someone else.
- Ucb (Self-Admiration)
- A person's rejoicing in and trusting in a perfection he possesses (knowledge, worship, beauty, etc.) by attributing it directly to himself, rather than seeing it as a blessing from Allah. Ucb does not require the presence of another; a person may fall into ucb even if he were alone in the world.
- Idlāl (Presumption)
- An advanced stage of ucb. The person thinks that because of his deeds he has a right with Allah and that the rejection of his prayer is impossible.
- Tevazu (Humility)
- The middle path between kibr and abjectness (the feeling of being lowly). It is the balanced state praised in religion.
Study questions
According to the text, what are the three ruinous traits?
Obeyed miserliness, pursued caprice of the soul, and a person's admiration of his own soul (ucb).
What do the "outward" and "inward" parts of kibr signify?
Inward kibr is a settled character trait in the soul; outward kibr is the movements in which this character is reflected in the limbs.
What is the name of the prison into which the arrogant are said to be cast on the Day of Resurrection, and what will they be made to drink there?
They will be cast into a prison called Buleş, and they will be made to drink "Habel mud" (yellow water) flowing from the corpses of the people of Hell.
What is the most "evil" kind of kibr?
The kibr that prevents a person from benefiting from knowledge, accepting the truth, and obeying what is right.
What is the fundamental thought that caused Iblis's kibr?
Saying "I am better than him (Adam)" and taking pride in lineage and the substance of creation (fire/clay).
What is "Hebheb" mentioned in the text?
A special valley in Hell where the arrogant (the proud) will be settled.
What is the "final outcome" reflection that keeps a scholar from falling into ucb toward someone less knowledgeable than himself?
That outcomes (the final breath) are hidden; the ignorant will be questioned through his ignorance and the scholar through his knowledge, and Allah's proof against the scholar will be stronger.