بَابُ الْغَضَبِ وَالْكِبَرِAnger and Arrogance

¹ His statement: “When they do this, etc.”: The essence is that this virtue, which is better, transforms enmity into love and removes blameworthy traits such as resentment, envy, backbiting, and the like. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “Indeed, a man loves that his clothes be fine and his shoes be fine, etc.”: This means without regard for people’s opinions or what results from it, such as arrogance, pride, or seeking reputation and ostentation. A sign of sincerity is that he desires this even in private. Al-Tayyibi mentioned that the reason for the question was that the man observed that arrogant people often wear fine clothes and the like, so he asked what he asked. (As stated in Al-Mirqat) In Arf ash-Shadhi, Al-Ghazali said in Al-Ihya: Claiming something unique to oneself is not arrogance; rather, arrogance is inflating oneself, deeming others insignificant. In Fath al-Qadir, it is said: Beauty is among good character, while adornment is among the devil’s traits. It is narrated from Abu Hanifah that arrogance and oppression are punished in this world and the Hereafter, and a believer must choose a moderate state, neither standing out for adornment nor ugliness.

¹ His statement: “No one who has an atom’s weight of faith in his heart will enter the Fire, etc.”: This refers to its fruits, which are the inner and outer qualities stemming from the light of faith and certainty. The reality of faith, affirmation, is not subject to increase or decrease. Al-Tayyibi’s statement that this implies faith can increase or decrease stems from a lack of understanding of the reality of certainty and precision, as faith does not divide except in terms of the multiplicity of what is believed in. There is no doubt that partial belief is not complete faith. Indeed, faith has many branches outside its essence, such as prayer, zakat, and other apparent Islamic rulings, as well as humility, mercy, and other radiant inner qualities. This is indicated by the Hadith: “Faith has over seventy branches.” It is also supported by the statement: “Modesty is a branch of faith,” as there is consensus that it is not part of the concept of faith. This is further supported by its contrast with: “No one who has an atom’s weight of arrogance will enter Paradise,” as there is no dispute that mere arrogance is not disbelief, though arrogance in rejecting the truth is unanimously disbelief. Indeed, disbelief is subject to increase and decrease, as is evident. Allah says: “Allah is the ally of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into the light” (Al-Baqarah: 257), meaning from the various darknesses of disbelief and ingratitude to the light of monotheism and faith. The meaning of the Hadith is that one does not enter Paradise with arrogance but is purified of it and all blameworthy traits, either through punishment or Allah’s forgiveness, before entering Paradise. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “Every weak and humble”: With the ‘ayn’ vowelized as fatha or kasra, it is for emphasis, like “soldiers mobilized.” It indicates that one who is exceedingly humble with believers attains the highest ranks of nearness to Allah, while one who is exceedingly arrogant and tyrannical is among the lowest of the low. An-Nawawi said: It is recorded with fatha and kasra, with fatha being more common, meaning people despise and belittle him, and prevail over him due to his weak worldly state. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “Contemptible”: This refers to one falsely ascribed to a lineage, attached to a people while not truly one of them, likened to the “zanmah,” a piece cut from a sheep’s ear and left hanging, as mentioned by Al-Tayyibi. This suits the verse about Al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah and his ilk. In the Hadith, it may be interpreted more broadly as one known for vileness or evil. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “Grandeur is My cloak and majesty is My lower garment”: Imam Fakhruddin ar-Razi said: Grandeur is likened to a cloak, and majesty to a lower garment. Since the cloak is of a higher status than the lower garment, the attribute of grandeur is loftier than majesty. It seems that one is arrogant in essence, whether others deem him so or not, or whether this attribute is known or not. Majesty, however, is being deemed great by others. Thus, the first is an essential attribute, and the second is relational, with the essential being higher. The meaning is that whoever is arrogant toward Allah and His creation, Allah afflicts him with humiliation in this world and casts him into the lowest depths of the Fire in the Hereafter. Whoever humbles himself with Allah and creation, Allah raises his rank in this world and the Hereafter. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “The arrogant are resurrected like ants, etc.”: The reality is that Allah restores them upon their emergence from graves in their most complete forms, gathering their disintegrated parts to fulfill the description of perfect restoration. Then, in the place of recompense, He makes them in the described form, meaning their appearance is human, but their bodies are as small as ants, as a humiliation and debasement, a fitting recompense. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “The fire of Al-Anyar”: Al-Qadi said: The attribution of fire to it is for emphasis, as if this fire, due to its intense burning and heat, does to other fires what fire does to other things. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

³ His statement: “The filth of Al-Khabal”: This is an explanation of the previous, being the name of the pus of the people of the Fire. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “Exalt himself”: The “ba” is for causation, meaning he elevates and exalts himself, distancing himself from people in rank, believing himself to be of great status. The essence is that he continues to raise himself beyond his rank to a higher one. “Befalls him” is in the accusative, though some say nominative, meaning the man receives the calamities of this world and punishments of the Hereafter that befall tyrants like Pharaoh, Haman, and Qarun. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “Arrogant”: Meaning prideful. “Struts pridefully” means swaggering and showing off due to arrogance, pride in status, beauty, knowledge, deeds, or states, imagining perfection. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “Heedless and distracted”: These should be written with an alif, as they derive from “sahw” (heedlessness) and “lahw” (distraction), though in many manuscripts they are with a ya, likely for rhyming purposes in the prose. “Heedless” means being oblivious to truth and obedience, though all prophets and most righteous people have moments of heedlessness. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

³ His statement: “Deceives the world with religion”: Meaning he seeks the world through acts of the Hereafter, from “khatl” meaning deception. (As stated in An-Nihayah) The meaning is deceiving worldly people with righteous acts to gain their trust, wealth, or status, like a wolf deceiving prey. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

⁴ His statement: “Corrupts religion with doubts”: Meaning he ruins it. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

⁵ His statement: “Greed leads him”: Among the remarkable sayings is that of Sayyid ash-Shadhili, may his secret be sanctified, when asked about alchemy: “It is two words: Cast people’s opinions from your sight, and cut your greed from hoping Allah gives you beyond what He has apportioned.” (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

⁶ His statement: “Ambition”: Meaning worldly ambition. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)