One of our brothers/sisters has asked this Question:
Can you please let me know where arrogance stands in Islam. For eg. some people are arrogant because they are wealthy, some are arrogant because they might be good looking and some people are arrogant even if they have nothing to be arrogant about .....
Answer:
Arrogance in Islam
Arrogance has absolutely no place in Islam. One of the attributes of Allah is that He is the Al-Mutakabbir (The Arrogant) and Allah Alone deserves to be! He is the Creator, Sustainer, Cherisher, Provider, Protector and Maintainer of the heavens and the earth, and everything in between. No one else has a right to be arrogant, other than Allah Subhanah.
The Messenger of Allah (saws) said in an authentic narration, that arrogance is denial of the ‘haqq’ (truth), and not to look down upon people.
An arrogant person is one who denies Allah, His Messengers and His Book as the Truth, and lives life according to his own whims and fancies. He has no respect for Allah and His guidance and does not show any need for it. He thinks his wealth, his life, his power, his authority, his health, his position, will last with him forever. And thus in his arrogance, he looks down upon other people who have less than him and thinks unjustly that he gained all his wealth and position with his intelligence and hard work, and despises the people below him and thinks of them as useless and unworthy of his attention. Arrogance is an attitude, and Allah has promised Hell Fire for the one who is arrogant. Humility is the cloak of the people of Paradise and arrogance is the cloak of the people of Hell Fire.
A person can be riding a donkey or a cycle and be arrogant, and a person sitting in a Rolls Royce could be humble. It all depends on the attitude of the person. But most times a person is arrogant because of his wealth and the status Allah has granted him in this world, but little does he realize that the One who has given this honor, is Able and Capable of taking it away in a millisecond. Instead of being grateful to Allah for the favors, he credits his wealth and his position to himself and his intelligence and hard work, and becomes one of the arrogant and ungrateful in the sight of Allah.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 40 Surah Gafir verse 75-76: It will be said to the disbelievers: “You have met this fate because you rejoiced on the earth in things other than the Truth, and then exulted in it. Enter now the gates of Hell to live therein forever. What an evil abode for the arrogant!”
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verse 59-60: “Why not? My Revelations did come to you, then you denied them, and showed arrogance, and you were among the disbelievers.” You will see that on the Day of Resurrection, the faces of those who have invented falsehoods against Allah will be blackened. Is there not enough room in Hell for the arrogant?
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 22-23: Your God is One Allah, but the hearts of those, who do not believe in the Hereafter, are given to denial and they are puffed up with pride. Surely Allah has full knowledge of all their deeds, both secret and open. Verily, Allah does not love the arrogant.
It has been reported in an authentic narration that the Prophet (saws) said: "May I tell you of the people of Paradise? He is a very weak, poor and obscure person whom the people look down upon, but his oath is fulfilled by Allah when he takes an oath to do something. And may I inform you of the people of the Hell-Fire? They are all those violent, arrogant and stubborn people."
The Prophet (saws) said: A person who persistently keeps himself aloof from people and behaves insolently, so much so that his name is counted among the arrogant, he is meted out the same punishment which is earmarked for insolent persons.
The Prophet (saws) said, "Whoever drags his clothes (on the ground) out of pride and arrogance, Allah will not look at him on the Day of Resurrection."
Thus it is clear from the above aayahs of the Holy Quran and the narrations of the Prophet (saws), how much Allah Subhanah despises the attitude of arrogance.
May Allah guide us to be His humble slaves and servants. May Allah guide us to the Siraat ul Mustaqeem.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
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