Sometimes he is conceited in both of these categories because he possesses these things and is their place of manifestation. This is pure ignorance because the place is subservient and cannot be part of bringing-into-existence. How then can he be conceited about something which is not his? On the other hand, he may be conceited because the ‘ibada has been obtained by his own power which is in-time. This is also pure ignorance. He must then consider his power and all the causes by which he has it. He acts as if it belonged to him. However, it is all God’s blessing to him and he has no inherent right to it. He ought to be delighted about the generosity of God Most High since He showered Him with what he did not deserve and bestowed it on him, preferring him above others without any prior reason or any device on his part. The truth is that you, your movements, and all of your attributes are part of God’s creation and invention. You did not act when you acted, and you did not pray when you prayed, and “you did not throw when you threw. Allah threw” (Q 17:82). Therefore, the worshipper’s conceit about his ‘ibada has no meaning. It is the same with the beautiful person’s conceit about his beauty, and the conceit of the wealthy man about his riches and liberality. You suppose that the action is achieved by your own power, but where does your power come from? Action is only possible by your existence and by the existence of your knowledge, will, power, and the rest of the causes of your actions. All that is from God, not from you because He is the One who created power and then gave power to the will, set causes in motion, distributed obstacles, and facilitated action. One of the marvels is that you can be conceited about yourself, and yet you do not wonder at the generosity of God. You should be constantly concerned about yourself and your opinion because He is not impressed by opinion unless there is evidence for it, and it is conclusively contained in the Book of God or in the sunna of God’s Messenger, or by an intellectual proof. This makes clear the cure of conceit.
The purification of the heart from pride (kibr)
Pride is one of the blameworthy qualities and it is forbidden to have it. God Most High said, “I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant in the earth without right” (Q 7:146).
As far as its reality is concerned, you should know that pride is divided into inward and outward pride. Inward pride is a quality within the self, and outward pride is action which appears through the limbs. The name pride (kibr) is more appropriate for the inward quality. As for action, it is the result of that quality, and you must know that the quality of pride demands action. When it appears on the limbs, it is called arrogance (takabbur), and when it does not manifest itself, it is called pride (kibr). Its root is the quality in the self which is satisfaction and confidence at seeing the self above anyone towards whom he is overbearing. Mere self-exaltation does not make someone arrogant. He might well exalt himself while seeing that another person is greater than him or his equal. In this case, he is not overbearing toward him. It is not enough merely to disdain others. In spite of his disdain, a person might see himself as more despicable and therefore, he would not be considered arrogant. If someone sees the other as his equal, he is not considered arrogant. He must see that he has a rank and someone else has a rank, and then see his rank as above the other’s rank. When he exalts his own value in relationship to someone else, he despises the one below him and puts himself above the other’s company and confidence. If it is very extreme, he may spurn the other’s service and not consider him worthy to stand in his presence. If it is less extreme, he may reject his basic equality, and put himself above this other in assemblies, wait for him to begin the greeting, think that it is unlikely that he will be able to fulfil his demands and be amazed at him. If he objects, the proud man scorns to answer him. If he warns him, he refuses to accept it. If he answers him back, he is angry. When the proud man teaches, he is not courteous to his students. He looks down upon them and rebuffs them. He is very condescending toward them and exploits them. He looks at the common people as if he were looking at asses. He thinks that they are ignorant and despicable.
There are many actions which come from the quality of pride. They are too many to be numbered. This is the reality of pride.
The harm it does is immense. The “‘ulama’” [community of Islamic scholars] can help you but little against it, let alone the common people. How could its harm be other than great when it comes between a man and all the qualities of the believers? Those qualities are the doors of the Garden. Pride locks all those doors because it is impossible for him to want for the believers what he wants for himself while there is anything of self-importance in him. It is impossible for him to have humility—and humility is the beginning of the qualities of those who guard themselves out of fear of God—while there is any self-importance in him. It is impossible for him to remain truthful while there is self-importance in him. It is impossible for him to abandon envy while there is self-importance in him. It is impossible for him to abandon anger while there is self-importance in him. It is impossible for him to contain rancour while there is self-importance in him. It is impossible for him to offer friendly good counsel while there is self-importance in him. It is impossible for him to accept good counsel while there is self-importance in him. He is not safe from the contempt and slander of others while there is self-importance. There is no praiseworthy quality but that he is incapable of it from the fear that his self-importance will slip away from him.
As far as its cure is concerned, there are two parts: the knowledge-cure and the action-cure. The remedy can only be effected by joining the two of them. The knowledge-cure is to know and recognize yourself and to know and recognize your Lord. That will be enough to remove your pride. Whoever knows and recognizes his own self as it should be known and recognized, knows that it is not worthy of greatness, and that true greatness and pride are only for God. As for gnosis of his Lord and His glory, it is too lengthy a subject for us to discuss here, and it is the goal of the knowledge of unveiling.
Self-recognition is also a lengthy subject. However, we will mention what will help you towards humility and submissiveness. It is enough for you to recognize one verse (aya) of the Book of God. The knowledge of the first and the last is in the Qur’an for whoever has his inner eye open. God Most High said, “Perish man! How thankless he is! Of what did He create him? Of a sperm-drop. He created him, and determined him, and then made the way easy for him. Then He makes him die, buries him, and then, when He wills, raises him” (Q 80:17–22).
This verse points to the beginning of man’s creation, his end, and his middle. Let a man look at that if he desires to understand its meaning.
As for the beginning of man, he was “a thing unremembered.” He was concealed in non-existence. Non-existence has no beginning. What is lower and meaner than obliteration and non-existence? He was in non-existence. Then God created him from the basest of things, and then from the most unclean thing. He created him from earth and then from a sperm-drop, then a blood-clot, then a lump of flesh. Then He made the flesh bones, and then clothed the bones in flesh. This was the beginning of his existence and then he became a thing remembered. He was a thing unremembered by reason of having the lowest of qualities and attributes since at his beginning, he was not created perfect. He was created inanimate, dead. He neither heard, saw, felt, moved, spoke, touched, perceived, or knew. He began by his death before his life, by weakness before strength, by ignorance before knowledge, by blindness before sight, by deafness before hearing, by dumbness before speech, by misguidance before guidance, by poverty before wealth, and by incapacity before capacity.
This is the meaning of His word, “From what did He create him? And determined him” (Q 80:18), and the meaning of His word, “Has there come upon man a period of time when he was a thing unremembered? We created him of a sperm-drop, a mingling, trying him. We made him hearing, seeing. We guided him upon the way, whether he is thankful or unthankful” (Q 76:1–3).
He created him like that at the beginning. Then He was gracious to him and said, “We made the way easy for him.” This indicates what He wills for him during the period from