Pride
Pride
Pride is when a person thinks that he/she is superior better than others. A proud person looks down upon people who may be rich, good looking or clever like him/her. Allah dislikes proud people.
The Arabic word for pride is Takabbur.
Some possible reasons why people have pride.
1) If a person is the son or daughter of an important person.
2) If a person is rich and has many things like a beautiful home, fancy or big cars, many toys, etc.
3) If a person is very handsome or beautiful.
4) If a person is intelligent and learned.
The show-off or proud person always likes to be noticed and be given much attention.
Some examples of the behaviour of proud people
A proud person:
1) Does not smile in a hurry and is not friendly.
2) When speaking, either he/she has a haughty (high and mighty) tone or is full of self-praise.
3) Walks with his/her head held high and acts as if nobody is like him/her.
4) Will not like a poor or disabled person to sit next to him/her.
5) Thinks that it is below his status to help with household chores, carry parcels, etc.
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6) Refuses to apologise (say sorry) when he/she is wrong.
7) Will not visit or attend functions when invited by poor friends or relatives.
8) Will not seek the advice of learned people in order to improve because he/she thinks that he/she knows everything.
Let us now learn what the Holy Quraan and hadith teaches us about pride
1) Allah tells us in the holy Quran in Surah Luqmaan, surah 31 verse 18, that he does not love a proud person.
2) In his Farewell Sermon Our Beloved Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has stated:
3) All men are equal.
4) All Muslims are brothers.
5) Birth, colour, race or nationality does not make one man better than the other.
6) Allah has made Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, the perfect example of this. During Hajj all people dress alike, and there is no distinction (difference) between the rich and the poor, the white or the black, the boss or the worker.
How to avoid pride
Remember:
1) Always be Allah Conscious (fearing).
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2) Allah has created us all out of clay and we are all the children of Sayyidina Sayyidina Adam and Sayyida Hawwa.
3) No matter who we are, king or slave, when we die we will all be buried in the soil, and our shroud (burial cloth-kaffan) will be the same.
4) Health, wealth, strength and beauty can be taken away at any time from us.
5) Never think or feel that we are better in any way than the next person.
Therefore, always be grateful to Allah for whatever we have.
How our beloved Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) lived
Our beloved Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) lived in a room attached to Masjidun Nabawi in Madinah. It was built of mud bricks. The roof was made of palm tree branches. The floor was made of ordinary sand.
One day Sayyidina Umar sat on the floor. He noticed that there was no bed in the room. The straw mat on which our beloved Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was lying, was so small that part of his body was on the floor. Furthermore, it left marks on his body. His clothes were made out of rough cloth. His pillow was filled with leaves of palm tree.
Tears began to roll down Sayyidina Umar’s face. Our beloved Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) asked him why he was crying. Sayyidina Umar answered in a sobbing voice, “why should I not cry, O Prophet of Allah? I see your bedding and the marks from the mat on your back, I see your belongings which 4 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk
amount to nothing, and yet you are the Prophet of Allah and his chosen Messenger!”
“The emperors of Byzantine and the Persian Empires are living in luxury and comfort. Their thrones are made of gold and their clothing and bedding are made of the finest silks and this is all you have-this is your treasure?”
Our beloved Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) smiled and looking kindly at Sayyidina Umar and said, “Are you not happy, O Umar that we shall receive our riches, treasures and comfort in the Hereafter. The kings of this world have received their full share here (in this world).
This share is going to be of no use to them when they die. Our share, which we will receive in the hereafter, will remain forever.”
This story teaches us that we must not be proud about who we are and what we have. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) could have asked for anything that he wanted, yet he remained plain and simple, and contented (satisfied).
Our beloved Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “A man with an atom (smallest amount) of pride in him shall not enter Paradise.” (Hadith)
EXAMPLES OF HOW ALLAH PUNISHED THOSE WHO HAD PRIDE
Iblis (shaitaan)
Pride is one of the first sins committed against Allah. Iblis had so much pride that he refused to obey Allah’s command to prostrate to Sayyidina Adam. He felt that he was better than Sayyidina Adam because Sayyidina Adam was made from clay and he was made from fire. Because of his pride, Allah removed Iblis from the lofty (high) place that he was in. 5 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk
The Pharaoh of Egypt
It was also because of pride that Pharaoh of Egypt was destroyed. The Pharaoh refused to accept that Allah alone should be worshipped. Allah saved Sayyidina Musa and his people and punished the Pharaoh by drowning him and his soldiers.
The Quraish
The Quraish were proud of their wealth and power. Allah caused them to be defeated by our beloved Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the Battle of Badr.
The proverb (saying) “Pride comes before a fall” is a warning that if we see ourselves as better than others we may suddenly suffer a misfortunate/mishap, because of which we may become worse off than others. Then, just as we looked down upon them, they will look down upon us.