On Arrogance & the Student of Sacred Knowledge 

Purifying one’s heart is a critically important matter for all believers, as the Qur’an and teachings of our Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) emphasize, but for one traveling the path of sacred knowledge it is an even more crucial endeavor.  This is because the state of one’s heart has a very real effect on how one perceives knowledge and how it manifests in one’s deeds.  When one’s heart is sound, knowledge can be absorbed and understood properly and enlighten and illuminate one’s inner state.  It then has a positive and meaningful effect on one’s intellect and limbs, such that it can bring benefit to oneself and others.  This is perhaps one of the reasons why everything on earth—even the ants in their hills and the fish in the sea—prays for the religious scholar, as a prophetic tradition teaches ((Tirmidhi)) .  The benefit of their knowledge has far-reaching effects and touches them all.

On the other hand, when one’s heart is not sound and is plagued by spiritual ailments, the knowledge one attains can actually bring about serious harm.  It can become an obstacle that blocks and impedes one’s path to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) in various ways, and can hurt others if that knowledge is misinterpreted, misapplied or misused.  These abuses of knowledge are often done on an unconscious level, the spiritual causes of which—related to the heart—are often overlooked.

The spiritual heart has been likened to a mirror.  If a mirror has not been polished and contains certain blemishes and distortions, it will reflect objects in a faulty and distorted way.  The reflection will be in accordance to the state of the mirror, and not the reality of the object itself.  In the same way, spiritual ailments and contaminants that plague and darken the heart, disconnecting it from Allah (swt) and occupying it with negative characteristics, can mar and distort one’s perceptions of knowledge and one’s ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood, good and bad, and beauty and ugliness.

It is for this reason that one must couple one’s devotion to the Islamic sciences with a deep commitment to the spiritual purification and nourishment of one’s heart.  Imam Nawawi advised, “Purify your hearts (for knowledge) the way land is purified for cultivation.”  And the great scholar and tabi`i (follower) Uways al-Qarni said succinctly, “Keep watch over your heart.” (“Alayka bi qalbik.”)

On Arrogance & Pride

One of the most common spiritual ailments of the student of sacred knowledge is arrogance and blameworthy pride.  Such pride does not necessarily consist of dressing or acting in a dignified manner, but as a tradition of the Prophet ﷺ   teaches, it is “to reject the truth and to have contempt for people.” ((Sahih Muslim))

One may wonder how a student of sacred knowledge—who has dedicated him or herself to understanding and learning the truth—could reject or disdain that truth.  Such a distaste or dislike may come to one’s heart when the truth contradicts one’s own understanding or one’s deeds.  It is at the moment when we are confronted with our own errors, failings or missteps that we may feel a hostility or resentment towards truth.  We may dislike being corrected, or turn a blind eye to the soundness of another opinion in order to defend our own position or that of the group to which we ascribe.  Confident in our own understanding, beliefs or actions, we may work to manipulate or alter the truth to suit our own interests and desires, instead of seeking to submit to and accept it.

If one feels anger or resentment when one is corrected or shown the truth of another opinion, this is a sign of blameworthy pride.  If one feels an inner resistance to accepting the truth at the expense of one’s own ego, reputation, or image, this is a sure sign of misplaced priorities and a prideful heart.  One should remind oneself of the serious danger of pride—an atom’s weight of which will bar one from Paradise, as we learn from a prophetic tradition ((Sahih Muslim)) —and about which Allah (swt) says in a sobering warning in the Qur’an, “I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right.” (7:146)

If one is unable to accept criticism or advice from others, or is overly sensitive to the way one is given advice, this too is a sign of pride that needs to be remedied.  One’s focus should be on one’s own self and not on the one correcting and advising.  One should actually feel relief and happiness when shown one’s mistakes and given the opportunity to rectify them.  Imam Al-Ghazali likened a companion who points out one’s mistakes to kibreet al-ahmar, a very rare natural material, while the noble companion `Umar said, “May Allah have mercy on the one who gives me the gift of showing me my defects and weaknesses!”

The second element of arrogance the Prophet ﷺ mentioned is having contempt for others.  A student dedicated to the study of the sacred sciences and who is often immersed in high-level discourse and ideas may begin to feel a sense of superiority over others, and consider them and their concerns lowly, unimportant or irrelevant.  One may also feel a sense of self-righteousness when considering others who are sinful or evidently heedless of religious practice.  The fact that one may be shown a level of respect and deference due to one’s knowledge may also feed into this feeling of being better than others.

One of the biggest pitfalls arrogance causes a student of knowledge to fall into is a feeling of entitlement.  One may begin to see their knowledge or accumulation of good deeds as a result of their own abilities, and as a guarantee to Paradise, an immediate access to gnosis of Allah Most High, or a legitimate license for contempt and disdain of others.  This folly is what a person of wisdom alluded to in their statement that sometimes “the thickest veils between man and Allah are the wise man’s wisdom, the worshiper’s worship, and the devotion of the devout.” ((A statement attributed to Bayazid al-Bistami))

The great 18^th century scholar Uthman dan Fodio stated that self-recognition is one of the most important keys to curing arrogance.  One should contemplate on the fact that one came into being from non-existence—a state of complete insignificance, ‘a thing unremembered’—and was then created from something base and lowly (earth) and then a thing unclean (a drop of sperm).  This is our origin, until Allah (swt) granted us faculties and senses, and brought us from a state of death to life, incapacity to capacity, and from ignorance into awareness and knowledge.  Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an,

“And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and intellect, that perhaps you would be grateful.” (16:78)

One must remember that any good deed one has been able to perform, any knowledge one has been able to attain, is from the grace and tawfeeq (facilitation) of Allah (swt) alone and not from our own selves.  Deep consideration of our humble origins and the reality of the Source of our knowledge can help us overcome our arrogance.

In this spirit of self-realization, one should also call to mind one’s sins and realize that one holds an honorable position among people only because Allah (swt), from His compassion, has concealed one’s sins and misdeeds.  Being able to deliver a heart-moving lecture, masterfully quote prophetic narrations or recite Qur’an in a beautiful voice may inspire the admiration of people, but it is Allah (swt) who knows whether one’s own heart has actually been moved, whether one abides by those narrations in solitude and if those sacred words have gone ‘past the throat’ and have had a meaningful effect on one’s limbs.  There is no place for arrogance or pretences when one considers their true state before Allah (swt), and contemplates deeply on the bare and exposed state one will find themselves in on the Day of Judgment.

One must further realize that it is not knowledge in and of itself that grants a person a high rank with Allah (swt), but deeds that are pleasing to Him both in their outward form and their inner reality.  Namely, it is the sincerity and mindfulness with which an act is done that can make ‘a small deed great and a great deed small.’  We should therefore be wary of underestimating the deeds of others and exaggerating our own self-worth.  In addition, we do not know people’s ends, and it may very well be that one who is now a sinner will develop a deep sense of remorse and impoverishment before Allah (swt), and die in a state of sincere repentance, while one seemingly headed for Paradise will misstep and end up far distant from Him.

Hassan al-Basri used to say, “I will not leave a room until I feel I’m the worst person in it.”   We too should make this our attitude and mindset when we deal with others, and remember often our true state.

Finally, an important way of counterbalancing pride in one’s heart is to lower oneself to the very people one feels arrogance over, and to seek out tasks which help break one’s ego and increase one in humbleness and humility.

Some examples of such deeds could be:

• Initiating the greeting of salaam (peace), especially when one feels that they should be greeted first.
• Giving gifts and supplicating for those who point out one’s defects and faults.
• Being generous with one’s knowledge and teaching others, even in subjects that seem simplistic or below one’s level.  Once, a scholar of great learning passed away and was seen in a dream by one of his students radiant and happy, wearing the garments of Paradise.  The student asked him, “What deed raised your rank in Paradise?  Was it your mastery of a particular science or understanding of a certain high-level principle?” He responded, “I used to go to the village and sit with some elderly illiterate women and teach them al-Fatiha.  It was this deed that raised my rank in God’s sight.”
• Physically serving others, especially the elderly and the poor, in tasks that are humbling to one’s ego.  Some examples could be bending down to give someone their shoes, cleaning a public or shared area for which one is not usually responsible, cooking and serving a meal to another, helping an elderly person wash or change their clothing, or any other deed to which the ego may feel an aversion.
• One notable shaykh (scholar), who would often sit with many powerful and influential people, was absent from his class one day and his students found him cleaning the bathrooms of the masjid.  He told them, “This is so that my ego remembers who it is.”
• Seeking to be in a state of Allah’s remembrance constantly, and supplicating frequently for His refuge and protection from arrogance and other spiritual ailments.
• Spending time in honest introspection and contemplation on one’s inner state, thoughts, and deeds, and consciously renewing one’s intentions.  Imam al-Jurjani said, “Intentions are a spring the well of which is sidq (a state of truthfulness and candor between oneself and Allah, free of artifice and self-delusion) and only from it does sincerity emerge.”

Conclusion

The great scholar and jurist Imam Shafi’i said, “None of you will seek this knowledge with a domineering attitude and exaggerated self worth and succeed. However, one who seeks this knowledge, struggles with his/her soul, [enduring] strained provision and [struggles in the] service to the scholars is successful.” ((This and several other quotes from this article have been taken from various classes with Imam Suhaib Webb, and from an excellent article of his that can be found here.))

We ask Allah (swt), the Controller of hearts, to help us be in His constant remembrance and to uproot arrogance, pride, and other spiritual ailments from our hearts.  O Allah, do not let us be of those who are turned away from Your signs due to our arrogance.  O Allah, make any increase in knowledge we attain a means for us to draw closer to You and refine our character and our hearts.  O Allah, let us be of those who come to You on the Day of Judgment—the Day when neither wealth nor children will avail us—with sound, pure and enlivened hearts.  Ameen.

One of the trials that workers are often afflicted with is thinking that they are more important than they are. We work hard, we struggle, we have a few successes, and then we think that we have done something. We allow these successes to cloud our brains and our hearts, and we get fooled into thinking we are irreplaceable. We think that the work will not continue without us or that our opinion is more important than someone else’s. This is the beginning of a massive heart attack. It is the seed of arrogance. When this seed is left unchecked, we start disrespecting others when they disagree with us, we marginalize others in our decision-making processes, and develop incorrect perceptions of who we really are and what this is really all about. We lose focus.

In order to regain focus we must come back to the basics and ask ourselves: How can I combat this onslaught of arrogance? The first step is to look at the definition of arrogance given by the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him).

When asked about it, he defined it as two things: Rejecting the truth and looking down on people. The two questions that should come as a result of that definition are:

1. How do I know the truth?
2. How do I build the spiritual capacity that will prevent me from looking down on others?

These are heavy questions and questions around which revolve the sincere search for truth and beauty through submission and worship.

As to the first, there is no solution other than to study. In the modern world we often think of this as reading books. This was never the way that Muslims studied throughout history. They read, yes, but they never read by themselves without tutelage and rigor. It is disturbing to me when I give a sermon on Culture and Islam and people think that they have understood the topic afterward. It is a sermon. There has been no elaboration, no discussion, no application, no analysis, nothing. This is a huge topic. You have not yet understood. The scholars always say:

“Never take Qu’ran from someone who studied it through the mushaf (its written form) (and not through a teacher). And never take knowledge from someone who only studied it through books (and not with a teacher).”

This is truth, and it requires rigor, humility, and patience. It is only through such dedicated study that one can develop one’s understanding of Islam to the point that one feels JUSTIFIABLY comfortable in what one understands to be the truth. It is also through such study that one truly begins to realize how little one knows, which is one of the most important lessons one can learn in life. However, simply learning is not enough. To practice it requires another element, which relates to the second issue.

The second issue is our spiritual development. To not look down upon others requires us to have a true and honest understanding of ourselves. We have to know and recognize our shortcomings and be in a constant state of struggling to align ourselves to the teachings of Islam. This is what submission is about. The key to this path is adab (courtesy/etiquette). Without it the seeker is lost in his or her journey and will never reach their goal. It begins in adab with Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He), and manifests itself in the way we treat others. This is one of the fruits of sound spiritual development. It is reported that some of the sufis used to say that the one who is better than you in adab is better than you in Sufism. Ibn al-Qayyim, radi Allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him), commented on this and said:

“Nay, rather the deen (religion) itself is adab, so the one who is better than you in adab is better than you in the deen itself.”

This is not about sloganeering or intellectual prowess. We are not competing for votes or trying to win popularity contests. This is about a sincere and humble dedication to the truth. Only with such effort can one begin to protect themselves from the disease of looking down upon others.

It is with these reflections that we turn to the verse which inspired this lesson. God (swt) says in Surah Muhammad:

“Here you are—those invited to spend in the cause of Allah—but among you are those who withhold [out of greed]. And whoever withholds only withholds [benefit] from himself; and Allah is the Free of need, while you are the needy. And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people; then they will not be the likes of you,” (Qu’ran, 47:38).

This is a severe reminder for all those who seek to serve Allah (swt) in their lives. It is great that you are serving the community and working for the betterment of people, but do not ever forget that this benefits you more than it benefits anyone else. It is something that you have been called to do by the demands of your faith, and it is an honor and responsibility to answer that call. It is we who are in need of the mercy and love of Allah (swt). He is not in need of us. If we turn away, not only physically but also spiritually, by abandoning the path of deliberate self-criticism and reproach then He will replace us with others. You are great in potential, doing good things, but you are replaceable. Humble yourself.

This is the reminder that we take from this verse and the reminder that should cause us to reignite our commitment to the two pillars of learning and spiritual development.

By

“I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay,” (Qur’an, 7:12).

Among the most intriguing aspects about the Qur’an is that it constantly urges the reader to reflect, understand and remember aspects about the reality of life. In the aforementioned verse, the reader is reminded of the source of envy.

“I am better than him!” That was Iblis’s answer when he was asked why he disobeyed the order of God. He envied. Envy is the root of many conflicts we see around us all the time; whether between family members, at work places or between friends.

The problem is that this state of envy results in one’s inability to see things as they are. Iblis saw the external being of Adam, alayhi as-salaam—peace be upon him, but he didn’t see the internal. He saw Adam (as) made of clay. He didn’t see the heart of Adam (as) that surrenders to His Creator, subhanahu wa ta`ala – exalted is He, with utmost love and humility.

Observe what Adam (as) said upon disappointing God (swt): “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers,“ (Qur’an, 7:23).

When Adam (as) made a mistake, he immediately repented out of fear of losing the connection and love of his Beloved (swt).  But when Iblis made a mistake, he became arrogant and argumentative, unable to see the wisdom beyond.  Similarly, when people are hateful and envious, they judge others by their external appearances, unable to look beyond.

“I’m better. I deserve this more. We are right, they are wrong…” This is what one thinks in moments of arrogance and envy forgetting that by doing so, they’re trading the beautiful qualities of humility and trust in God (swt) that characterizes the sons of Adam (as) with the heated envious qualities of the one who was made of fire!

Humility, patience, softness and trust in God (swt)—this is the beauty of the state of Islam (surrendering with peace). Envy; however, fills a person with explosive negative energy and may force him/her to focus on revenge rather than productivity and moving on with life.  Why waste one’s time on that?

So, whenever you’re in a situation in which you’re tempted to become envious, remember:

1. Both the good and the bad are a test from God (swt). “[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed – and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving,” (Qur’an, 67:2).
2. You may hate that something happened or didn’t happen: “But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not,” (Qur’an, 2:216).
3. If you sincerely deserve something, put your trust in God (swt), He will definitely reward you: “And be patient, for indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good,” (Qur’an, 11:115).
4. Remember the reality of this life. “And whatever thing you [people] have been given – it is [only for] the enjoyment of worldly life and its adornment. And what is with Allah is better and more lasting; so will you not use reason?”  (Qur’an, 28:60).

There is beauty and wisdom in that the Qur’anic revelation that begins with this verse: “Recite in the name of your Rabb who created (96.1).” Rabb comes from the same root as tarbiya’ which refers to educating. This invites the human being to read life, read reality and read the self through its Creator, the Supreme Educator, the All-Knowing (swt). To put matters in perspective, read and understand life through His Wisdom and with His Help (swt).

So find comfort in approaching Allah (swt) with love and humility. Find comfort in remembering and reciting His words in prayers and asking of His (swt) ease, mercy and blessings after prayers. Find comfort in the company and remembrance of Allah (swt): “Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured, ” (Qur’an, 13:28).

May Allah (swt) remove any irritating envy from our hearts, may He place the coolness of His sakeena (rest and serenity) upon everyone’s hearts and may He keep us focused on and reminded of our destination. We belong to Allah (swt), and to Him we shall return.

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, to be humble is to not be proud, arrogant, or assertive.  In Arabic, tawaada (humility) literally means to lower one’s self or to submit.  Taking these definitions together and adding the characteristic of humility as relayed in Qur’anic verses and Prophetic examples, we begin to have a richer understanding of its importance and practical applications.

Three Degrees of Humility

Humility can be understood in relation to three important entities:

1) Humility before Allah – Exalted is He.

2) Humility in relation to the deen (religion).

3) Humility with Allah’s creation.

When analyzed in terms of these relations, we can begin to implement the characteristic of humility in all aspects of our lives: in our worship, in our understanding and attitude towards our deen, and in our interactions with Allah’s creation (such as people, animals and the earth).

Humility with Allah – Exalted is He

When we are humble in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), we understand that He is our Creator, the One who supplies all of our sustenance with no might or effort from His creation.  It is only when we submit ourselves to the Might and Glory of Allah that we are able to understand how to be humble.  This cyclical process helps us to perpetuate the feeling of humility.

Ponder for a moment the blessings in your life: family, guidance from Allah, wealth, talents, health, etc.  If one is disillusioned by his own personal efforts made towards attaining any of his blessings, how can he attain humility before Allah? Take for example one who is wealthy.  He may attribute his hard work in school, his long hours at the start of his business, and his proficient networking skills to his success.  Yet, he forgot that Allah (swt) gave him the opportunity to attend a good school, facilitated for him the ability to study, gave his family patience while he was busy with his business, and finally bestowed him with the gift of persuasive communication.

And what if that same businessman refused to give zakat (alms tax) because he felt that others should work as hard as he did so that they wouldn’t need zakat? Regardless of our level of wealth, we must remember the saying of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as narrated by Abu Hurairah: “Wealth does not decrease due to charity, and Allah increases His slave in honor when he forgives others.  And no one humbles himself before Allah but Allah will raise him in status.”

This act of humility in front of our Creator necessitates our complete submission to Him.  To follow His commandments and avoid His prohibitions requires us to understand our lower position of weakness and helplessness in relation to our Lord.

Humility in Relation to the Deen

Fully appreciating and understanding our deen (way of life), obliges us to be humble.  When we come across a commandment of Allah, Qur’anic verse, or valid saying of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that we do not understand, we should be conscientious of our reactions.  Let us replace thoughts of, “Well, that doesn’t make sense,” with “I wonder what this means.”  We are encouraged  to question so as to understand our religion, not to negate every aspect of our deen that does not align with our whims.  We should also be wary of those who come up with their own interpretation of the Qur’an with no reference to its context or without any scholarly research to say, “This is what this ayah (verse) means to me.”  To do so would be to follow the zaygh (perversion in our heart), as mentioned in the following ayat:

He is the One Who has revealed to you the Book. Some of its verses are decisive – they are the foundation of the Book – while others are allegorical. Those whose hearts are infected with perversion follow the allegorical part to mislead others and to give it their own interpretation, seeking for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. Those who are well grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in it; it is all from our Lord.” None will take heed except the people of understanding.(Qur’an 3:7)

Remember what Moses said to his people: “O my people! Why do you vex me while you know that I am the apostle of Allah sent to you?” Then when they adopted perverseness, Allah let their hearts be perverted. Allah does not guide those who are transgressors.” (Qur’an 61:5)

Humility in understanding the deen compels us to see a gap in our understanding when we approach a matter we are not “comfortable” with, as opposed to a fault in the way of life as Allah (swt) has prescribed for us.

Humility with Allah’s Creation

Applying the principle of humility with Allah’s creation would have profound effects on the way the world operated if we all adopted this characteristic.  Imagine if we did not judge others, we felt compassion towards humanity, and we helped all of those around us (our parents, spouses, children, community, etc).  We could achieve these admirable feats if we were to contemplate and exhibit humility.  Not only would we treat others with respect, but we would also treat animals kindly and give them their due rights whether they are a work animal, a stray, or a pet.  Furthermore, if we humbled ourself and understood that this world does not belong to us, then we would be more conscientious about water conservation, recycling, and pollution reduction efforts.

Unfortunately, the tendency to develop the very opposite characteristic, arrogance, occurs for many reasons.  Perhaps we are more beautiful, intelligent, or have some position of power or authority, for example.  If we were to reflect on the first type of humility with Allah (swt), we would remember that these gifts are only possible by the Mercy of The Creator.  Imagine one who has studied Islam and has received many certifications and degrees in the field.  When she sees others, does she look down on them since they do not possess the same level of knowledge in that area? Or does she instead, look to her own faults and sees others for the qualities they possess that are greater than hers?  Allah tells us to take the second course of action:

And do not turn your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah does not like any arrogant boaster. (Qur’an 31:18)

We are also reminded in the Qur’an that what Allah cares for most, above social status, power, beauty, or wealth, is taqwa (God-consciousness):

Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. (Qur’an 49:13)

We should reflect on our inner thoughts and align them with teachings of humility in Islam so that we may be successful in the eyes of Allah (swt). May Allah make us humble and may He be pleased with us.  Ameen.

Two Hundred Word Tidbits: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V

The great scholar Sufyan ath-Thawri (may God be pleased with him) is reported to have said, 

“Knowledge is three hand-spans: the first breeds arrogance, the second breeds humility, and in the third, you realize you know nothing.”

When one first embarks on religious studies, one may feel a heady sense of confidence at gaining proficiency in the Islamic sciences that may lead one to arrogance. With further study and time, however, one may begin to realize that issues that once seemed so clear-cut are actually more complex than one initially believed, and that there is great depth in matters one first perceived as shallow. This is the second “hand-span” that Sufyan ath-Thawri refers to which engenders a sense of humility in a person and reverence for others of more knowledge.

As one continues one their path of study, one may realize that no matter how deeply one delves into knowledge and how much expertise one attains, one is limited in one’s abilities, and it is only Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) who has full and all-encompassing knowledge.  Any number divided by the infinite is zero; in the same way, any knowledge we have attained, in comparison to Allah’s perfect and complete knowledge, is in reality nothing. Realizing one’s own deficiencies in light of Allah’s perfection and His infinite knowledge brings one’s heart to a beautiful state of intense humbleness and devotion. This is the third “hand-span” and the state in which one has truly internalized what Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an in Surah Yusuf:

(نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَاتٍ مِّن نَّشَاء وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ) 

“We raise in degrees (of knowledge) whom We will, but over every possessor of knowledge is One [more] Knowing.” (12:76)

Surat Al-Fatiha Series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII | Part XIII | Part XIV| Part XV | Part XVI | Part XVII | Part XVIII | Part XIX | Part XX | Part XXI | Part XXII | Part XXIII | Part XXIV | Part XXV

The fourth one is ar-riya’ bil ‘amal: riya’ (arrogance) through one’s actions. This means you do certain actions – like salah (prayer)–only in front of other people. In a story about a man who wants to get married, the man says to himself, “You know, I’m going to go to the masjid of some religious people, and I’m going to pray for a long time. I’m sure that those guys have some daughters. When they see me praying they’ll think, ‘Masha’Allah (what God wills), what a dazzling young man!’”

So the man went to the masjid to complete his mission. As he was concentrating hard, there were some old men in the back observing: “Masha’Allah, look at this young man. Masha’Allah he’s so amazing, and so great. Look how long he’s been praying.”

Surat Al-Fatiha Series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII | Part XIII | Part XIV | Part XV | Part XVI | Part XVII | Part XVIII | Part XIX | Part XX | Part XXI | Part XXII | Part XXIII | Part XXIV | Part XXV

We should note the types of riya’ (arrogance) so that we can protect ourselves from it. It is very important that we know how riya’ can come into our hearts and mess with us, especially those of us who might be leaders in the community or might be giving speeches. People may come up to us and say, “Oh sister, you are so pious. You are like the Zainab Ghazali of Berkeley!” Or they say, “Brother, masha’ Allah (what God wills), I can see the light protruding from your forehead!”

You know what happened to me? I’ll tell you a funny story. I believe humor is an important way to teach. One time about four years ago, the first time I came to MCA, I gave the khutbah (Friday sermon). Afterwards this old man came to me and said, “Brother, wallahi (I swear by Allah)! I have never in my life heard such a magnificent khutbah! Believe me, my heart is bleeding with your words.” I was listening to him and, since I’d never been approached and praised like this before, my nafs (self) was just soaring. It felt good that he was praising me. He was saying, “Masha’ Allah, brother, you are so amazing, wallahi!” And I was becoming drunk with his praises, starting to fall off the minbar (pulpit). Then you know, it got to me and I started to think, “Yeah he’s right. I’ve got it going on. He’s right.”

Then, subhan’Allah (glory be to God), I came back to MCA three years later and gave the khutbah. Afterwards this same guy came to me and started, “Wallahi! I never heard a khutbah like this before!” I was like, “Subhan Allah! Don’t you remember me?” He said, “No.”

Then I realized that Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) was trying to teach me to check myself. The same guy saying the same thing and when I asked him if he wasn’t the same guy from three years ago he said, “I don’t know you, I’ve never heard you before.” I learned a tough lesson.

Subhan’Allah, do you know what the `ulema (scholars) say? They say, “No one knows about riya’ except the one who is sincere. No one knows about hypocrisy except the believer. No one knows about ignorance except the scholar. No one knows about sinning except the obedient one.”

Why do they say this? A person who is sincere knows what riya’ is so that they can protect themselves. It’s like poison. Before the age of ten, if you had a mother like mine, you knew every poison. Don’t eat that, don’t drink that, don’t play with that, don’t touch that, if you touch that call this doctor. Why? To save yourself.  What’s the first thing we think when we’re taking classes on campus? “Who is the best professor, so if I take his class, I’ll become famous and well known?” (This is riya’.) Or do we say, “Who’s the hard professor? I won’t take his class.” And your friends will advise you, “Oh this professor is bad, that professor is hard.” Why? To protect yourself. It’s the same with the mukhlis (the one who is sincere). They know what showing off and seek to guard themselves from it.

What are the types of riya’? Imam Al Ghazali said that there are five kinds. We will talk about each one insha’Allah (God willing).

The first is ar-riya’ fid-deen bil badan: to show off in the matter of religion with your body. For example, you come to a group of people and your eyes look like you’ve got sandbags under them.

The brothers ask you, “What’s wrong?”
You say in an exhausted voice, “Oh, I’m really tired.”
They ask, “Why are you tired?”
“Oh I don’t know.”
“Why are you so tired? Have you been praying qiyam al-layl (late night prayers)?”
“Oh, how did you know?”

That’s showing off with your body. It seems funny but it happens a lot. Another example is if you’re really tired when you’re dealing with people, you’re moving really slowly, and you’re saying:

“Oh I’m so thirsty, I’m so thirsty.”
Then someone offers you a drink and you say, “I can’t drink right now.”
“Why not?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Are you fasting?”
“How did you know I’m fasting?”

This is ar-riya’ fid deen bil badan. To carry yourself in a way that people can tell that you’re doing something religious. It might seem funny but it is very dangerous, because inside you’re thinking, “I hope they know. I hope they find out that I’m doing this religious act. Then they’re going to think I’m good.”

Maybe someone asks, “I have roommates, and I fast Mondays and Thursdays. I love my roommates because they’re my sisters or brothers in Islam, and I want them to fast. Is it riya’ if I told them that tomorrow I’m going to fast and I want them to fast with me?” This is not riya’. This is good. This is advising to truth and advising to patience (Qur’an, 103:3). This comes under the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ where he says, “None of you perfected your belief until you love for your brother what you love for yourself.”

But if I was to go in front of everyone and announce, “You know tomorrow I’m going to fast for the sake of Allah (swt)! And I want all of you to fast with me!” This could be dangerous. Another way to make sure it’s not riya’ is to tell them before you do it. For example, I’ve been fasting for six months and then I go to Abid and say, “Abid, I’ve been fasting for six months, thirty-nine days and twenty-seven minutes. I would like for you to fast with me tomorrow.” This is dangerous. But if I don’t give him any hint that I’ve been fasting before and I just say, “Abid, insha’Allah tomorrow let’s fast together.” This is good. Like memorizing the Qur’an. If you’ve been memorizing the Qur’an and you want your brother or sister to memorize the Qur’an, you can encourage them. This is not riya’. Insha’ Allah this is good.

The second type of riya’ is ar-riya’ bil hayla. Hayla means al-hal, how you carry yourself. Riya’ in the way you carry yourself. This is different than the body. The body means that you’re trying to make your body reflect a religious act that you’re doing. This one is similar but it also involves how you’re walking, how you talk and so forth. For example, in the time of Umar radi allahu `anhu (may Allah be pleased with him) he was walking down the street and he saw a man walking. The man was walking hunched over, muttering, “Istaghfir Allah, istaghfir Allah (I seek refuge in Allah, I seek refuge in Allah).” Umar (ra) went to that man and said, “Fearing Allah and humbleness before Allah is not in your manner of walking, but it is in your heart. Stop walking like that.” Sometimes it’s really bad. Another example would be having a mark on one’s forehead from praying. Imam Maalik, subhan’Allah, he used to try not to have a black mark on his forehead. But in some places people buy onions and rub it on their heads to make this mark. Then when you see them you think, “Subhan’Allah, this guy is a big shaykh (scholar).” In fact that guy might really be nothing. But they do that to impress people.

This is very dangerous. Like the black ant on the black rock in the black night.

The third is ar-riya’ bil qawl: showing off by your words. This is the easiest one. An example of this would be when we hear people talking, we jump in and say, “Oh, I know the answer!” Or “My shaykh said this!” Or “I know this and that!” Then we throw the words out thinking we will dazzle the people, like fireworks, and they’ll think we’re so smart.

It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak if you know about the subject. If you have knowledge, you should speak, but make sure you know why you’re speaking. Hasan al Basri said, “For forty years I made no movement except that I knew why. Even drinking water, I knew why. When I walked I knew why. When I spoke I knew why.” Subhan’Allah, look at the control he had of himself. But this riya’ is very dangerous, especially in the MSA (Muslim Students Association) environment. We’re young, our hormones are hot, and we want to show people, “I’m a shaykh, I studied, I learned, I’m this and that.” Be humble with yourself.

I remember I used to observe this about one of my teachers. Subhan’Allah, this shaykh is really amazing. No one would know he’s a shaykh. He didn’t wear special clothing. But when you spoke with him, you would think, “Wow, this guy knows something.” Once I brought my brother-in-law to see him and my brother-in-law was surprised. He asked me, “That’s the shaykh?” I said, “That’s the shaykh, man.” He said, “That’s really the shaykh?” I replied, “Wallahi that’s the shaykh!” He said, “But he’s like us.” I said, “Yes, he is like us.” It’s because he’s wise. He’s trying to save himself and not show people that he knows something. I used to see him in the masjid (mosque) where we used to study and people would come into the masjid and ask, “Where’s the shaykh?” Then he would answer, “I’m right here.” And they would respond, “Subhan Allah, this is the shaykh?” He would reply, “Well I guess so, that’s what they call me.” Then he would teach them. It’s like when the man came to the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah. He asked, “Where’s Muhammed?” The Prophet ﷺresponded, “I’m here.” And the man immediately took shahada. When people used to come and see Umar (ra) they would find him sleeping under a tree. No security guards. The Romans would come and be shocked, asking, “Is this really Umar?” Yes, that was the leader of the Muslims sitting under a tree. Anyone could go and talk to him, because he was humble.

So, in your words do you try to show people that you know? Or when you speak do you speak for the sake of Allah (swt)?

We live in an iWorld. Surrounded by iPhones, iPads, MYspace, YOUtube, the focus is clear: Me, my, I. One need not look far to see this obsession with the self. In order to sell, advertisers must appeal to the ego. For example, many ads appeal to the part of us that loves power and being in charge. DirectTV tells you: “Don’t watch TV, direct TV!” Yogurtland says: “You rule! Welcome to the land of endless yogurt possibilities, where you rule the portions, the choices and the scene.”

But advertisers aren’t the only ones who appeal to our ego. There is a global phenomenon that provides a breeding ground and platform for that ego. And it’s called Facebook. Now, I’ll be the first to assert that Facebook can be a powerful tool for good. It is, like many other things, what you make of it. A knife can be used to cut food which feeds the hungry, or it can be used to kill someone. Facebook can be used for great good—after all it was Facebook that helped facilitate the toppling of a dictator. Facebook can be used as a powerful tool to organize, call, remind, and unite. Facebook can also be used to strengthen our connection to God and to each other… Or Facebook can be used to strengthen the hold of our nafs (lower self or ego).

The Facebook phenomenon is an interesting one. In each and every one of us is an ego. It is the part of ourselves that must be suppressed (if we are to avoid Anakin’s fate of turning to the dark side, that is). The danger of feeding the ego is that, as the ego is fed, it becomes strong. When it becomes strong, it begins to rule us. Soon we are no longer slaves to God; we become slaves to ourselves.

The ego is the part of us that loves power. It is the part that loves to be seen, recognized, praised, and adored. Facebook provides a powerful platform for this. It provides a platform by which every word, picture, or thought I have can be seen, praised, ‘liked’. As a result, I begin to seek this. But then it doesn’t just stay in the cyber world. I begin even to live my life with this visibility in mind. Suddenly, I live every experience, every photo, every thought, as if it’s being watched, because in the back of my mind I’m thinking, “I’ll put it on Facebook.” This creates a very interesting state of being, almost a constant sense that I am living my life on display. I become ever conscious of being watched, because everything can be put up on Facebook for others to see and comment on.

More importantly, it creates a false sense of self-importance, where every insignificant move I make is of international importance. Soon I become the focus, the one on display. The message is: I am so important. My life is so important. Every move I make is so important. The result becomes an even stronger me-focused world, where I am at the center.

As it turns out, this result is diametrically opposed to the Reality of existence. The goal of this life is to realize the Truth of God’s greatness and my own insignificance and need before Him. The goal is to take myself out of the center and put Him there instead. But Facebook perpetuates the illusion of the exact opposite. It strengthens my belief that because of my own importance, every inconsequential move or thought should be on display. Suddenly what I ate for breakfast or bought at the grocery store is news important enough to publish. When I put up a picture, I wait for compliments; I wait for acknowledgement and recognition. With the number of likes or comments, physical beauty becomes something that can now be quantified. When I put up a post, I wait for it to be ‘liked’. And I am ever conscience of—and even compete in—the number of “friends” I have. (Friends, here, is in quotation marks because no one knows 80% of their “friends” on Facebook.)

This preoccupation and rivalry to acquire more, is mentioned in the Quran. God says:

“The mutual rivalry for piling up (of worldly things) has preoccupied you.”(102:1)

Whether that rivalry is in piling up wealth, or friends and ‘likes’ on Facebook, the result is the same: We have become preoccupied by it.

Facebook also strengthens another dangerous focus: the focus on other people, what they’re doing, what they like. What they think of me. Facebook feeds the preoccupation with others’ assessment of me. Soon, I enter the orbit of the creation. Inside that orbit, my definitions, my pain, my happiness, my self-worth, my success and my failure is determined by the creation. When I live in that orbit, I rise and fall with the creation. When the people are happy with me, I’m up. When they’re not, I fall. Where I stand is defined by people. I’m like a prisoner because I have given up the keys to my happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and disappointment to the people to hold.

Once I enter and live in the orbit of the creation—rather than the orbit of God—I begin to use that currency. See, the currency of God’s orbit is: His pleasure or His displeasure, His reward or His punishment. But, the currency of the orbit of creation is: the praise and criticism of people. So, as I enter deeper and deeper into that orbit, I covet more and more of its currency, and I fear more and more of its loss. While I’m playing Monopoly, for example, I covet more and more of its currency. And it feels great to be ‘rich’ for a moment. But when the game is over, what can I buy in the Real world with Monopoly money?

The human currency of praise is Monopoly money. It feels great for a moment to collect, but when the game is over, it’s worthless. In the Reality of this life and the next, it’s worthless. And yet, I even covet this false currency in my worship. In this way, I fall victim to the hidden shirk: Riyaa (showing off in worship). Riyaa is a consequence of living in the orbit of the creation. The deeper and deeper I enter into that orbit, the more I become consumed with gaining human praise, approval and recognition. The more I enter that orbit, the more I fear loss—loss of face, loss of status, loss of praise, loss of approval.

But the more I fear the people, the more I become enslaved.  True freedom only comes when I let go of the fear of anything and anyone other than God.

In a profound hadith (Prophetic teaching), a man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: “O Messenger of God, direct me to an act, which if I do, God will love me and people will love me.” He ﷺ said: “Detach yourself from the world, and God will love you. Detach yourself from what is with the people, and the people will love you.”  [Ibn Majah]

Ironically, the less we chase after the approval and love of the people, the more we gain it. The less needy we are of others, the more people are drawn to us and seek our company. This hadith teaches us a profound Truth. Only by breaking out of the orbit of the creation, can we succeed with both God and people.

So while Facebook is indeed a powerful tool, let it be a tool of your freedom—not a tool of your servitude to yourself and the assessment of others.

Surat Al-Fatiha Series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX| Part X | Part XI | Part XII | Part XIII |Part XIV | Part XV | Part XVI | Part XVII | Part XVIII | Part XIX | Part XX | Part XXI | Part XXII | Part XXIII | Part XXIV | Part XXV

The last cause of arrogance we discussed is praise. We shouldn’t praise people too much. This doesn’t mean that, for example, if you get a very high score on your GRE or MCAT and you tell your roommate, “Alhamdulillah I got the national high for the GRE!” that he should respond with, “So what?” No, he should be encouraging and say, “Alhamdullilah.” The meaning of alhamdu is that praise goes back to Allah (swt). Praise be to the One Who guided you to this good thing. Sometimes, we don’t like to show emotion; like when someone says, “That’s fine. I’m glad you’ve memorized the Quran.” We should be saying, “Alhamdullilah! Masha’Allah!” Allah (swt) says, “But as for the favor of your Lord, report [it],” (Qur’an, 93:11). The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah (swt) likes to see the effects of His blessings on you. But don’t go crazy. Don’t go to one extreme or the other.

You have to realize that most of the diseases of the heart are solved by “iyaka na`budu (it is You we worship).” (Qur’an, 1:5). When we say “iyaka na`budu” arrogance, for example, is wiped away. Being scared is wiped away. Shirk (associating partners to Allah) is wiped away. Being lazy, misguided, miserly or devious is wiped way. Most of the diseases of the heart are cured by struggling to obey Allah (swt). Sometimes you wonder, “Subhan’Allah how long do I have to keep going through this internally?” Iyaka na`budu. I’m waiting and I’m trusting in You. One day You’re going to fix it for me.

The next disease of the heart is very dangerous; in fact the Prophet ﷺ feared this thing the most for us. The Prophet ﷺ was merciful, loving and good to everyone – but this is the thing he feared for you and me the most. It is so dangerous that the one who feels safe from it is usually the one who’s been entrapped in its tentacles with no way out. It’s so deadly that you can do a lot of good deeds but if you’ve cloaked your good deeds with the dress of this thing, you’ve lost all the rewards. Imagine doing good and getting none of the rewards. You’re doing good deeds but you’re getting nothing: in fact you’re getting punished.

This is the disease of ar-riyaa: to be a show-off. People like me with big mouths who you guys invite to speak everywhere are the ones who have the biggest test of riyaa. It’s very difficult.

Nobody can say, “I’m safe from riyaa.” The one who says this is showing off. The Prophet Muhammed ﷺ warned us about riyaa, but what is the meaning of ar-riyaa?

Imam al Ghazali said in his book Al Ihya that ar-riyaa is to seek stations (i.e. being high in people’s minds and hearts) with actions so that they see you; to seek the praise of the people. There are some signs of the one who has riyaa that we will talk about , as well as their cures as found in Surat al-Fatiha (Qur’an, 1).

Riyaa is so dangerous that the Prophet ﷺ gave it a special name. He said, “Indeed the thing I fear for you the most is the minor shirk (associating partners with Allah).” We have minor shirk and major shirk. Major shirk is something like worshipping a statue or another god with Allah (swt) or to take a legislator other than Allah (swt). But the minor shirk is mentioned in this hadith. And the Prophet ﷺ said that it is the thing he fears for us the most. The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ asked him, “What is minor shirk, ya Rasullah?” He said, “Ar-riyaa. Showing off.” In one hadith the Prophet ﷺ gave the example of someone making the athan (call to prayer) and while making the athan he thinks, “Wow I bet the people think my voice is beautiful.” This is ar-riyaa. In another hadith the Prophet ﷺ said it’s so dangerous that it’s like the black ant on the black rock in the night with no moon. It can sneak up on you like this.

Indeed riyaa is so difficult and dangerous that it can fall into your good actions. The Prophet Muhammed ﷺ said, “The one who prays and wants people to see them has committed shirk. The one who fasted and they want the people to know about their fasting has committed shirk. The one who gave sadaqah (charity) and wants people to know about their charity has committed shirk.” You know how dangerous shaytan is, especially when it comes to sadaqah? For example, maybe Islamic Relief or some charitable organization comes to your campus and they do a fundraiser. You’re not even married and you say, “Subhan’Allah I really need this money but the Prophet ﷺ said wealth does not decrease from giving charity. So I’m going to give and no one will know about it.” So you give the money and then later you get married. Then ten years later you’re sitting with your spouse at home and you say, “You know what I did ten years ago?” You just lost it. This is Shaytan. Don’t think that Shaytan will just mess with you at that moment. We will talk about the attacks of Shaytan later in this series, insha’Allah. One word that Ibn Qayyim used to describe Shaytan is very scary. He said Shaytan is patient. He waits. Then, at a specific moment, he hits you. For ten years you got the hasanat (blessings) of this charity. But what counts is when you die. So after that ten years if you start boasting to someone, then you’ve lost it. You’ve got to start over. This attack is even more dangerous because if Shaytan hits you today with riyaa you still have ten years to make up for it. But if he waits ten years and then gets you then you lost ten years. Shaytan is an enemy to us.

How dangerous is riyaa, the minor shirk? If you read any of the du`a’ that we recite every day after Fajr (predawn prayer) or `Asr (afternoon prayer) we say, “Oh my Lord, I seek refuge in You from associating partners with You knowingly and from associating partners with You unknowingly.”

How subtle is riyaa? Maybe a sister goes to Egypt or Syria for three months to study. She buys a nice jilbab (dress), not the American not-really-quite-there jilbab. She buys the real jilbab. Then she comes back and goes to campus and now she wears jilbab and she thinks to herself proudly, “Oh yes, now I wear jilbab.” Why is she wearing this jilbab? Did she wear this jilbab to please Allah (swt) or did she wear this jilbab so that people would say, “Oh you wear jilbab, you’re a big sheikha!” This is very dangerous.

Maybe a brother got some knowledge and then he comes to the MSA and he starts preaching, “Well Ibn Malik said in the Al-Fiya…” and he reads some poetry that no one in the world can understand except him. Then you say to him, “Subhan’Allah, brother. We’re talking about parking at jum`ah (Friday prayer), and you’re reading the poetry of sarf (Arabic morphology)?” Why did the brother read this poetry? Why did he learn? Why is he increasing himself? This is ar-riyaa.

Many of us might be listening today and think, “Oh well I’m not even a good Muslim. I don’t need to worry about riyaa. I’m doing bad, ain’t no riyaa in doing bad.” Check yourself before you wreck yourself. That’s not the case because you can even have riyaa in doing bad.

You might be doing bad and think, “Yeah them brothers see how I’ve got it going on. They’re going to think I’m all that.” This is riyaa. In fact 99% of hip-hop music is riyaa. “Look at me, I’m the baddest dude on the block, I got more girls than stars in the sky, I can drink more than the Pacific Ocean. It’s because of me that the world’s in motion.” This is riyaa! This is showing-off and exaggeration.

Those of us who feel safe from riyaa, listen to the following statements of one of the great scholars. He said, “The closest to people to falling into showing off are those who feel the most secure from it.” Those people who think, “I don’t have to worry about what he’s talking about. I’m not an active Muslim.” There is only one type of Muslim and that’s an active Muslim. You move, you breathe, right? Your blood is moving in your body. You’re active and you’re a Muslim. Therefore you are an active Muslim.

We should note the types of riyaa so that we can protect ourselves from it.