Is feeling proud a sin?
Asalamoalaikum all. My question is regarding the sharia related to being arrogant and proud in ones mind alone. I cannot resist these feelings of pride in my mind, be they over wealth, education or anything. I try my best to rid myself of these but controlling your thoughts is a near impossible task. I am by no means arrogant. In fact, many around me even tell me that I am one of the most humble people they've ever met. I've never let my thoughts manifest themselves into my actions, but am i still held sinful for feeling proud? Thank u
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Assalaamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabrakaatu.
Pride is an attribute that is not befitting for anyone except Allaah. Whoever seeks to compete with Allaah in that, Allaah will destroy him.
It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri and Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (S) said: “Might is His garment and pride is His cloak; whoever seeks to compete with Me concerning them, I will punish him.” (Muslim).
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one who has an atom’s-weight of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise.” A man said, “O Messenger of Allaah, what if a man likes his clothes and his shoes to look good?” He said, “Allaah is Beautiful and loves beauty. Arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Arrogance is of several types, including the following:
1 – When a person does not accept the truth and produces false arguments against it, as it is mentioned in the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood, “Arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people.”
2 – When a person admires himself for his beauty or handsomeness, or the fineness of his food or clothing, so he feels proud and arrogant and feels superior to people.
Pride is an inner bad moral that makes the afflicted with it see himself "above" the others due to the perfect qualities and attributes that he "believes" to have.
This is a very dangerous flaw that afflicts so many people, even some ascetics, scholars, and worshipers of Allah. Surely it is so dangerous because the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) stated that he who has in his heart the weight of an atom of pride will not enter Paradise.
Pride deprives the prideful person from paradise because it prevents him from acquiring the qualities of the believers, for he cannot like for the believers that which he likes for himself, nor can he be humble, or avoid animosity, envy, or wrath, or restrain his anger, or accept good advice, or refrain from despising and backbiting people. In short, he is subject to all blameworthy morals.
Among the worst forms of pride is that which prevents man from benefiting from knowledge, accepting the truth and complying with it.
As far as pride is concerned, scholars and worshipers of Allah are of three degrees:
The first degree is that pride is inculcated in the heart of any of them, so he sees himself better than the others, but he tries to rectify himself and act humbly.
The second degree is that any prideful person among them shows pride and arrogance in public sittings through such acts as proving how he is more excellent than his counterparts and devaluating whoever does not show him respect.
The third degree is that he shows pride and arrogance through words; for example, he may show how proud he is of himself, his accomplishments, his lineage, etc., aiming to show how he is better and more significant than the others or than a certain person.
Jazakallahu khairun kaseeran!
Even i had the first degree pride but alhamdulliah.
I am reformed.
Wa ʾantum fa-jazākumu-llāhu khayran : )