The Owner Of A Vineyard

In Surat al-Kahf, Allah gives the example of a vineyard-owner who was deceived by his prosperity and achievements. This man exemplifies the type of arrogance that is derived from wealth. The pertinent verses are as follows:

Make an example for them of two men. To one of them We gave two gardens of grape-vines and surrounded them with date-palms, putting between them some cultivated land. Both gardens yielded their crops and did not suffer any loss, and We made a river flow right through the middle of them. He was a man of wealth and property and he said to his companion, debating with him, "I have more wealth than you and more people under me." He entered his garden and wronged himself by saying, "I do not think that this will ever end. I do not think the Hour will ever come. But if I should be sent back to my Lord, I will definitely get something better in return." (Surat al-Kahf: 32-36)

As the verse maintains, in order to test him, Allah granted this vineyard owner abundant wealth. Yet, all this wealth only made him boastful. Instead of feeling grateful towards Allah, asking His forgiveness, and putting his riches to use for the cause of Allah, he spoke proudly and falsely assumed that his wealth was immune to time and disaster.

This is a clear example showing the illogic of arrogant people; although the vineyard-owner claimed that his possessions were eternal, he did not explicitly deny the existence of Allah, and even considered the possibility of his having to return to Him. Interestingly, he falsely maintained that he would not be punished, but rather, would actually be rewarded if this were to really happen.

A similar line of thinking is also common in the arrogant people of today. Although they do not openly deny the morality of religion, they are far from having fear of Allah in their hearts. Still, they falsely assume that they will somehow be saved, even if they are "sent back to their Lord." This example of the vineyard-owner, given in the Qur' an, clearly shows that such people lack wisdom. Such a person' s understanding is blurred by his arrogance, and he is hindered from grasping Allah' s infinite might.

The end met by the vineyard-owner, as Allah relates in the Qur' an, was also a note of caution. He lost all his wealth. He eventually said "if only...," but it was too late to be mindful:

The fruits of his labour were completely destroyed and he woke up wringing his hands in grief, rueing everything that he had spent on it. It was a ruin with all its trellises fallen in. He said, "Oh, if only I had not associated anyone with my Lord!" There was no group to come to his aid, besides Allah, and he was not given any help. (Surat al-Kahf: 42-43)

The Chiefs Of The Nations

From the stories Allah relates in the Qur' an, we understand that those who reject the messengers, harbour profound hostility towards them, and carry on the bitterest struggle against them, are a people who are, according to the language of the Qur' an, called the "the chiefs of the nation." Their most characteristic feature is their arrogance. A number of verses revealing this fact are as follows: The chiefs of his people who were arrogant said to those who were oppressed-those among them who believed-"Do you know that Salih has been sent from his Lord?" They said, "We believe in what he has been sent with." Those who were arrogant said, "We reject Him in whom you believe." (Surat al-A' raf: 75-76) The chiefs of his people who were arrogant said, "We will drive you out of our city, Shu' ayb, you and those who believe along with you, unless you return to our religion." He (Shu' ayb) said, "What, even though we detest it?" (Surat al-A' raf: 88) Some of these people grew so arrogant that they said they would not believe unless they received divine revelations as the prophets did: And likewise in every city We set up its greatest wrongdoers to plot in it. They plot against themselves alone, but they are not aware of it. When a Sign comes to them, they say, "We will not believe until we have been given the same as the Messengers of Allah were given." Allah knows best where to place His Message. Debasement in the sight of Allah and a severe punishment will strike those who did wrong for the plots that they concocted. (Surat al-An' am: 123-124) One of the major reasons behind this mindset is their intolerance for the messengers because they were people chosen by Allah. They found it degrading to their status, reputation, wealth and honour to obey the messengers. This is why, throughout ages, ruling circles of disbelievers had always perceived the messengers as a threat to their established order, status and their image in the eyes of public. The divine message brought by the messengers caused them to reveal their pride and hatred towards them. In all ages, "the chiefs of the nations" have been referred to as the "elites" of societies. As is known, the "elite" is that group of people that enjoys superior social or economic status. As said earlier, such attributes cause pride and arrogance in disbelieving people who fail to employ their wisdom. Deriving power from this prosperity and social status, they exercise authority over the rest of the society. They have such a high opinion of themselves that they revolt against Allah and His messengers. Never do they accept the fact that superiority rests on one' s nearness to Allah rather than his power or prosperity. That is because, the acceptance of this truth would nullify their status. They are haughty, a quality which makes them deny the existence of Allah. Never do they consider that, all people, whether poor or wealthy, will ultimately be wrapped in a few metres of shroud, and that they will be reduced to a skeleton. Their possessions will bring no good to them in the hereafter. In the Qur' an, Allah informs the believers about the main character traits of these chiefs of the nation that result from pride and arrogance-and thus, from disbelief. In this way, believers of all ages can come to know these people, who are apt to hinder them from their noble cause, and thus, they may take the necessary measures to protect themselves from them. Believers are also expected to draw lessons from their stories and to pay meticulous attention not to adopt a disposition similar to theirs. No one can absolve himself from the promises of the Qur' an, seeing himself as self-sufficient; believers must also reflect on the verses about disbelievers, and put forth effort to be purified of the errors peculiar to disbelievers. In the following section, we will consider the major character traits of the "elites" as told in the Qur' an. THEY EXPEND EFFORT TO LEAD PEOPLE ASTRAY The chiefs of the nations do not tolerate their people to have faith in Allah; this being the case, they put forth a continuous effort to lead them astray. The people' s embracing of the faith means to them losing the grounds upon which they exercise their authority. Before all else, faith renders the worldly criteria maintained to presume superiority and false value judgments ineffective. Furthermore, in this manner the society can come to know the weaknesses of those to whom they had attached so much importance. Ultimately, no one will be left to exalt them, nor to submit to them. It is against the interests of the chiefs of the nation to lose the loyalty of their subordinates, those people they tend despise and consider as their inferiors. They want people to follow them, no matter what the consequences may be. Hence, they employ any method, threats, if necessary, to divert them from the morality and the way of living enjoined by the Qur' an. Some of the examples relating to such efforts of the chiefs of the nation are provided by the Qur' an: The chiefs of his people who were disbelievers said, "If you follow Shu' ayb, you will definitely be lost." (Surat al-A' raf: 90) Pharaoh said "Have you believed in him before I authorised you to do so? This is just some plot you have concocted in the city to drive its people from it. But you are going to know." (Surat al-A' raf: 123) IN SPITE OF THEIR KNOWING THE TRUTH, THEY DENY IT What underlies the denial of the chiefs of the nations is their obstinate arrogance, as in the case of Pharaoh, and certainly not their incapability to comprehend. Even if they can grasp the existence of Allah and the hereafter, they strongly resist the idea, being overcome by their pride. Allah makes clear their situation in the Qur' an: "They repudiated them wrongly and haughtily, in spite of their own certainty about them..." (Surat an-Naml: 14) As said earlier, wealth and power is the reason for their haughtiness: We never sent a warner into any city without the affluent people in it saying, "We reject what you have been sent with." They also said, "We have more wealth and children. We are not going to be punished." (Surah Saba' : 34-35) However, wealth, children or possessions bring no benefits to a person unless one seeks the pleasure of Allah. Only if a person puts these blessings into use for the cause of Allah' s religion can he expect rewards in the hereafter: It is not your wealth or your children that will bring you near to Us-only in the case of people who believe and act rightly; such people will have a double recompense for what they did. They will be safe from all harm in the High Halls of Paradise. (Surah Saba' : 37) THEY FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THEIR FOREFATHERS Those who exult in their ostentation make an unjust claim by maintaining that the messengers' mission is to divert them from their forefathers' religion: When Our Clear Signs are recited to them, they say, "This is nothing but a man who wants to debar you from what your fathers used to worship."... (Surah Saba' : 43) Another refrain common to the arrogant is "the religion of fathers." They feel very certain of the righteousness of their fathers and forefathers. This is undoubtedly merely a perversion resulting from arrogance. Considering their ancestry, traditions and cultural heritage superior, they reject submitting to a messenger though he is in all ways wiser. This is a consistent error common to such people: Similarly We never sent any warner before you to any city without the affluent among them saying, "We found our fathers following a religion and we are simply following in their footsteps." Say: "What if I have come with better guidance than what you found your fathers following?" They say, "We reject what you have been sent with." (Surat az-Zukhruf: 23-24) THEY DO NOT COMPLY WITH ALLAH' S BOOK The arrogant are unwilling to comply with Allah' s book. Their unrelenting desire to be superior accounts for this tendency. They are so certain of themselves that they never assume that they may be on the wrong path. They falsely maintain that, if there is a right path, it is the one to which they adhere: Those who are disbelievers say of those who believe, "If there was any good in it, they would not have beaten us to it." And since they have not been guided by it, they are bound to say, "This is an antiquated falsehood." (Surat al-Ahqaf: 11) THEY DO NOT OBEY MESSENGERS The messengers Allah sends to the nations of the world are endowed with moral excellence, intelligence, and insight. They are chosen by Allah and are specially endowed with wisdom. One verse reads: "He gives wisdom to whoever He wills and he who has been given wisdom has been given great good. But no one pays heed but people of intelligence" (Surat al-Baqara: 269) Since these men are superior in faith, knowledge and wisdom, believers hold them in high esteem. Corrupt chiefs of the nations, on the other hand, arrogantly oppose the messengers, though they are the most trustworthy and noteworthy of people. Moreover, they insult them, cast aspersions against their honesty and other praiseworthy qualities, and even lay traps against them and plot to assassinate them. This they perform under the influence of the wicked arrogance festering in their hearts. This pride they harbour hinders them from being submissive to Allah' s messengers and causes them to deny the truth: Has news not reached you of those who came before you, the peoples of Nuh and ' Ad and Thamud, and those who came after them who are known to no one but Allah? Their Messengers came to them with Clear Signs, but they put their hands to their mouths, saying, "We reject what you have been sent with. We have grave doubts about what you are calling us to." (Surah Ibrahim: 9) The Qur' an also reveals how these arrogant and belligerent chiefs of the nations respond to prophets and how perverted are the opinions they form when they are called to the truth: The chiefs of those of his people who were disbelievers said, "This is nothing but a human being like yourselves who simply wants to gain ascendancy over you. If Allah had wanted He would have sent angels down. We never heard of anything like this among our ancestors, the earlier peoples." (Surat al-Mu' minun: 24) The chiefs of his people-those who were disbelievers and denied the encounter of the hereafter and whom We had given opulence in the world-said, "This is nothing but a human being like yourselves who eats what you eat and drinks what you drink." (Surat al-Mu' minun: 33) The chiefs of the nations demanded of the messengers that they perform miracles. The fact that the messengers' represented the chosen of Allah, and their superiority in wisdom, knowledge, morals, virtue, and spirituality, hurt their pride. Since they were not disposed to accept this reality, they accused the messengers of being merely ordinary men and required them to perform miracles to prove otherwise. The Prophets' possessing human traits, that is, eating, drinking and so on, was surprising to them. In addition, they made it a pretext for their disbelief. As a matter of fact, even the performance of miracles would not have helped these obstinate people to believe: They said, "No matter what kind of Sign you bring us to bewitch us, we will not believe in you." (Surat al-A' raf: 132) What really disturbed the chiefs of the people is the fact that, despite their power, esteem and authority, a person, who was not one of them, and more, who denounced their system, had been accepted by the rest of society, by spreading the message of the religion. They took this entirely as a personal attack and could never, therefore, accept the prophets' superiority. This they adopted as a personal cause and persisted in their hostility towards the Prophet (saas), and wished instead for a member of theirs to have been the prophet. They said: "Why was this Qur' an not sent down to one of the great men of the two cities?" (Surat az-Zukhruf: 31) In reply to this wish of the chiefs of the nation, Allah stated the following: Is it, then, they who allocate the mercy of your Lord?... (Surat az-Zukhruf: 32) THROUGH VARIOUS METHODS, THEY STRIVE TO CAUSE HARM TO MESSENGERS The chiefs of Pharaoh' s people said, "This is certainly a skilled magician." (Surat al-A' raf: 109) The chiefs of Pharaoh' s people said, "Are you going to leave Musa and his people to cause corruption in the earth and abandon you and your gods?" He (Pharaoh) said, "We will kill their sons and let their women live. We have absolute power over them!" (Surat al-A' raf: 127) As the verses clearly imply, as was Pharaoh, the chiefs of his people was also insolent. In fact, they were the ones who incited Pharaoh to violence. By forging accusations, such as of sorcery and corruption, they tried to make Pharaoh become even more insolent towards Musa (as) and his followers, and inflict still more cruel policies against them. The chiefs of the disbelievers are known for their insolence towards the messengers, who shattered their false regimes to their very foundations. The attitude they assumed towards the messengers was certainly abusive. A few examples are as follows: The chiefs of his people said, "We see you in flagrant error." (Surat al-A' raf: 60) The chiefs of those of his people who were disbelievers said, "We consider you a fool and think you are a liar." (Surat al-A' raf: 66) Wisdom is the most notable quality of the messengers Allah sends to mankind. Indeed, measuring Allah with a true measure, grasping the essence of religion, and living by it, requires wisdom. Therefore, the accusation of "foolishness" the disbelievers brought against the messengers was merely out of the jealousy they felt towards them, and of the desire to assuage their superiority complex. Another purpose would have been to adversely influence the people who followed them. By acting in this way, however, they have demonstrated that it is they who were the true fools. THEIR EVIL PLOTS ENSNARE BUT THEMSELVES As discussed, the impudence, audacity and insolence of the evil chiefs of disbelievers has been consistent throughout the ages. However, their end corresponded with their evil; the plots hatched by these insolent chiefs of the people always turned ultimately against them. The immutable law which Allah ordained for humanity is described as follows: ...But then when a warner did come to them, it only increased their aversion, shown by their arrogance in the land and evil plotting. But evil plotting envelops only those who do it. Do they expect anything but the pattern of previous peoples? You will not find any changing in the pattern of Allah. You will not find any alteration in the pattern of Allah. (Surah Fatir: 42-43)

Disbelieving Nations

As said earlier, rebellious and malevolent chiefs of disbelievers were found in every society and throughout history. Having grown arrogant, these people rejected Allah' s messengers, who had been sent to summon them to the right path. Nevertheless, before the torment they would eventually suffer in Hell, they encountered severe affliction also in this world.

In this section of the book we will examine such nations as referred to in the Qur' an, and see how they responded to their respective messengers.

PEOPLE OF NUH (AS)

The chiefs of the people of Nuh (as) were excessively proud, as was the case with many other nations in history. When Nuh (as) summoned them to the religion of Allah, very few followed him. Still, Nuh (as) never despaired of saving them from the torment of the afterlife. But, despite all his efforts, his people responded to him in the following manner:

The chiefs of those of his people who were disbelievers said, "We do not see you as anything but a human being like ourselves. We do not see anyone following you but the lowest of us, unthinkingly. We do not see you as superior to us. On the contrary, we consider you to be liars." (Surah Hud: 27)

These people, whose pride showed through in their language, also insulted the believers who followed Nuh (as). Since, according to their errant thinking, superiority rested on one' s wealth, possessions, sons, position and rank, they looked for these qualities in the believers who adhered to Nuh (as). However, they failed to grasp that superiority entailed nearness to Allah and high morals:

They said "Nuh, you have argued with us and argued much so bring us what you have promised us if you are telling the truth." (Surah Hud: 32)

Before them the people of Nuh denied the truth. They denied Our servant, saying, "He is madman," and he was driven away with jeers. (Surat al-Qamar: 9)

Nuh (as) tolerated patiently this terrible behaviour and performed his task of summoning them to the truth with sincerity. Yet, when it became obvious that it was not probable for them to reform, he expressed his feelings in regards to their arrogance to Allah and turned Him for help:

He said, "My Lord, I have called my people night and day but my calling has only made them more evasive. Indeed, every time I called them to Your forgiveness, they put their fingers in their ears, wrapped themselves up in their clothes and were overweeningly arrogant. Then I called them openly. Then I addressed them publicly and addressed them privately." (Surah Nuh: 5-9)

Nuh said, "My Lord, they have disobeyed me and followed those whose wealth and children have only increased them in loss. They have hatched a mighty plot saying, ' Do not abandon your gods. Do not abandon Wadd or Suwa' or Yaghuth or Ya' uq or Nasr.' They have misguided many people. Do not increase the wrongdoers in anything but misguidance!"... Nuh said, "My Lord! do not leave a single one of the disbelievers on earth!" (Surah Nuh: 21-24, 26)

Allah answered Nuh' s prayer; their arrogance and denial cost the people of Nuh their lives in this world. In the hereafter, on the other hand, torment also awaited them:

Because of their errors they were drowned and put into the Fire. They found no one to help them besides Allah. (Surah Nuh: 25)

THE PEOPLE OF ' AD

Allah sent the Prophet Hud as His messenger to the people of ' Ad. He summoned them to Allah' s path but was responded to with abuse. The arrogance of the people of ' Ad is related in the Qur' an as follows:

' Ad were arrogant in the land, without any right, saying, "Who has greater strength than us?" Did they not see that Allah, Who created them, had greater strength than them? But they renounced Our Signs. (Surah Fussilat: 15)

Such pride held before Allah is the utmost extent of perversion; theirs was an audacity that no other being would ever dare. They had such a high opinion of their power that their intelligence was marred; they failed to grasp even the most obvious facts. With the power granted to them by Allah-and thus, which could be taken back whenever He willed-they opposed Allah and His messenger. In return, they were cursed both in this world and on the Day of Rising:

That was ' Ad. They denied the Signs of their Lord and disobeyed His Messengers and followed the command of every obdurate tyrant. They were pursued by a curse in the world and on the Day of Rising. Yes indeed! ' Ad rejected their Lord, so away with ' Ad, the people of Hud! (Surah Hud: 59-60)

THAMUD

Allah sent the Prophet Salih to Thamud as His messenger. Like all other messengers, the Prophet Salih called his people to the truth, and reminded them about the fact that they had been created, so that they could come to know the truth. Yet, his people clung to their old ways. As related in the Qur' an:

Thamud denied the warnings. They said, "Are we to follow a human being, one of us? Then we would truly be misguided, quite insane! Has the Reminder been given to him of all of us? No indeed! He is an impudent liar." (Surat al-Qamar: 23-25)

Obviously, the Prophet' s possession of human qualities was one of the justifications that misled them. Their deficient rationale accepted obedience only to a supernatural being, an angel for instance, or to someone who could bring about miracles. Their overwhelming arrogance prevented them from obeying another human being. This is why they spoke ill of the messengers, and accused them of being liars.

THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

A close read of the Qur' an reveals that the Children of Israel, with their ungratefulness to Allah' s gifts and blessings frequently referred in His Book, have been remembered as the most insolent people in history. Considering what they had gone through in a specific course of time, it is astonishing to see how haughty and obstinate they became, despite all mercy and forgivingness Allah showed them.

As is known, Allah granted the Children of Israel many blessings, and made them superior to other nations. In return, He only asked them to "fulfil His covenant." However, instead of showing sincere loyalty and obedience to Allah, they disobeyed their Lord' s commands, and wronged themselves by overstepping Allah' s limits:

… What has been sent down to you from your Lord increases many of them in insolence and disbelief... (Surat al-Ma' ida: 68)

... We have incited enmity and hatred between them until the Day of Rising. Each time they kindle the fire of war, Allah extinguishes it. They rush about the earth corrupting it. Allah does not love corrupters. (Surat al-Ma' ida: 64)

Allah reveals in the Qur' an that He tested this people many times, with both blessings and difficulties.

As is known, the Children of Israel were a people bound in servitude. Due to the tyrannical rule of Pharaoh, this nation was condemned to centuries of slavery. The governing system of Pharaoh was exceptionally oppressive. The Children of Israel were at the point of despair under the Pharaoh' s regime, who, according to the Qur' an, "let their women live and slaughtered their sons." As a result of these terrible difficulties, Allah sent this enslaved nation the Prophet Musa, who showed them a great miracle by "parting the sea," and rescued them from the cruel authority of Pharaoh:

Tribe of Israel! Remember the blessing I conferred on you and that I preferred you over all other beings.
Remember when We rescued you from the people of Pharaoh. They were inflicting an evil punishment on you-slaughtering your sons and letting your women live. In that there was a terrible trial for you from your Lord.
And when We parted the sea for you and rescued you, and drowned the people of Pharaoh while you watched. (Surat al-Baqara: 47, 49, 50)

This miracle, for which anyone whose heart is not hardened would lead him to glorify Allah, did not inspire the fear of Allah into their hearts or make them humble. Instead of accentuating their faith, they exceeded Allah' s limits when Musa (as) had left them for a while. They even dared to idolize a calf, and thereby, showed extraordinary perversity:

Musa brought you the Clear Signs; then, after he left, you adopted the Calf and were wrongdoers. Remember when We made a covenant with you and lifted up the Mount above your heads: "Take hold vigorously of what We have given you and listen." They said, "We hear and disobey." They were made to drink the Calf into their hearts because of their disbelief. Say, "If you are believers, what an evil thing your faith has made you do." (Surat al-Baqara: 92-93)

The deviance and arrogance these people were guilty of, revealed in the Qur' an as a lesson to mankind, are not limited to this story alone. This nation, which failed to show gratitude for Allah' s forgiveness, were guilty of many other examples of insolence.

For instance, Allah bestowed upon the nation of Israel many blessings so that they would become grateful. In return for these blessings, though, He only wanted them to enter through the gate of a town filled with gifts to them and prostrate in humility. But, they wronged themselves, and rebelled against Allah:

And We shaded you with clouds and sent down manna and quails to you: "Eat of the good things We have provided for you." They did not wrong Us; rather it was themselves they were wronging. Remember when We said, "Go into this town and eat from it wherever you like, freely. Enter the gate prostrating and say, ' Relieve us of our burdens!' Your mistakes will be forgiven. We will grant increase to all good-doers." But those who did wrong substituted words other than those they had been given. So We sent down a plague from heaven on those who did wrong because they were deviators. (Surat al-Baqara: 57-59)

Another example of them given in the Qur' an is their saying that they could not tolerate a single kind of food when they were told to eat and drink Allah' s provision. Their not being contented with what Allah had miraculously provided for them, and asking for other types of food, is a clear evidence that they were far from comprehending the religion that is pleasing Allah. The extent of their lack of gratitude, and how they were repaid in this world for their wrongdoing, are all related in the Qur' an as follows:

And when you said, "Musa, we will not put up with just one kind of food so ask your Lord to supply to us some of what the earth produces-its green vegetables, cucumbers, grains, lentils and onions," he (Musa) said, "Do you want to replace what is better with what is inferior? Go back to Egypt, then you will have what you are asking for." Abasement and destitution were stamped upon them. They brought down anger from Allah upon themselves. That was because they rejected Allah' s Signs and killed the Prophets without any right to do so. That was because they rebelled and went beyond the limits. (Surat al-Baqara: 61)

Another irreverent form of behaviour of the Children of Israel was the manner of responding to the messenger when he told them of Allah' s commands. The answers they offered revealed their pride and impudence:

And when Musa said to his people, "Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow," they said, "What! Are you making a mockery of us?" He said, "I seek refuge with Allah from being one of the ignorant!" (Surat al-Baqara: 67)

"My people! Enter the Holy Land which Allah has ordained for you. Do not turn back in your tracks and so become transformed into losers." (Surat Al-Ma' ida: 21)

They said, "We will never enter it, Musa, as long as they are there. So you and your Lord go and fight. We will stay sitting here." (Surat al-Ma' ida: 24)

Such bold pronouncements, uttered against Allah' s command, are a lesson for the believers. Surely, repayment for the behaviour of the people of Musa (as) will be severe in the hereafter. In the Qur' an, Allah informs us about the punishment they will receive, in return for their perverse behaviour that led them into such serious blasphemy:

What an evil thing they have sold themselves for in rejecting what Allah has sent down, outraged that Allah should send down His favour on whichever of His servants He wills. They have brought down anger upon anger on themselves. The disbelievers will have a humiliating punishment. (Surat al-Baqara: 90)

As the verses make clear, the sole reason underlying their rebelliousness was their arrogance. Out of jealousy, they begrudged the prophets, and were reluctant to acknowledge their authority. In brief, the reason of their obstinacy, resistance and irreverence was their arrogance. Thus, they will be remembered in history as that nation which persistently defied and molested their prophets. Surely, this behaviour of theirs did not remain unanswered; because they deviated from the straight path, they earned eternal punishment:

Remember when Musa said to his people, "My people, why do you mistreat me when you know that I am the Messenger of Allah to you?" So when they deviated, Allah made their hearts deviate. Allah does not guide people who are deviators. (Surat as-Saff: 5)

The Children of Israel did not become arrogant only against the Prophet Musa, but to all messengers Allah had sent to them. As a matter of fact, there were times when their arrogance led them even to kill their messengers:

...Why then, whenever a Messenger came to you with something your lower selves did not desire, did you grow arrogant, and deny some of them and murder others? (Surat al-Baqara: 87)

Maintaining their excessively proud and unruly manner, the Children of Israel opposed also Talut (Saul), a king appointed to them as a leader, just prior to the time of the Prophet Dawud:

Their Prophet said to them, "Allah has appointed Talut to be your king." They said, "How can he have kingship over us when we have much more right to kingship than he does? He has not even got much wealth!" He said, "Allah has chosen him over you and favoured him greatly in knowledge and physical strength. Allah gives kingship to anyone He wills. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." (Surat al-Baqara: 247)

Only one of the miracles witnessed by the Children of Israel would otherwise be sufficient for a person of faith to be guided to the fear of Allah. However, although Allah forgave the Children of Israel and showed them mercy time and time again, they behaved rudely and fomented great corruption on earth. This clearly shows that Allah disarmed the understanding of this nation, blinded their eyes, and deafened their ears, on account of their wrongdoing. The recompense of the Children of Israel, who will be remembered as a disobedient nation, is again stated in the Qur' an. This nation is a lesson to all arrogant people, who became corrupt because of the blessings imparted to them, and who seek to cause corruption on earth.

THE PEOPLE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAAS)

The Prophet Muhammad (saas) also related to his people that he was Allah' s messenger, and that they must obey him:

Say: "Mankind! I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, of Him to Whom the kingdom of the heavens and earth belongs. There is no god but Him. He gives life and causes to die." So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Ummi, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him so that hopefully you will be guided. (Surat al-A' raf: 158)

The Prophet Muhammad (saas) summoned his people to the path of Allah. However, their response was as follows:

Furthermore they say, "A muddled jumble of dreams!' and, "He has invented it!" and, "He is a poet!" and, "Let him bring us a Sign like those sent to previous peoples." (Surat al-Anbiya' : 5)

His people did not offer this reply because they were unable to grasp the message brought by the Prophet. It was, in actuality, a sign of their insolence. Just like the nations before them, they denied the prophet because of their pride and arrogance. Allah relates the comportment of the disbelievers in the Qur' an as follows:

When they were told, "There is no god but Allah," they were arrogant. They said, "Are we to forsake our gods for a mad poet?" (Surat as-Saffat: 35-36)

Just like the nations of the past, the idolaters of Mecca also did not accept Muhammad (saas) as a prophet, out of their conceit and desire for fallacious superiority. They maintained that the Prophet was a poet, although they did not themselves believe it. Furthermore, they alleged that he himself fabricated all the things he told, and thus, accused him of lies.

The similarity of these slanders to the words of the former nations, demonstrates that this is part of Allah' s immutable law. Yet, there is another immutable law of Allah: according to which, both in this world and beyond, Allah humiliates and inflicts punishment upon those who deny His messengers, and become arrogant towards them...

The similarity of the words used by all nations to confront their messengers is quite striking. A time difference of hundreds of years, even cultural and geographical dissimilarities, does not matter. Disbelievers, of all ages, who failed to see or ignored the truth because of their arrogance, shared a common character trait. They all followed the same pattern and adopted the very same tactics. Surely, their ends corresponded to their behaviour, and ultimately, they were repaid with humiliating punishment.

The Qur' an informs us about that many nations have existed, who were also afflicted with anguish before the ultimate torment of Hell. The People of the Thicket, Madyan, al-Hijr, Lut, and the Companions of the Well are only a few of these. And, many other nations, having existed in different times and places, perished for the very same reason:

How many wrongdoing cities We destroyed, and now all their roofs and walls are fallen in; how many abandoned wells and stuccoed palaces! (Surat al-Hajj: 45)

The Modesty Of Believers

As we are to understand from the verse, "The people who truly do believe in Our Signs are those who fall to the ground prostrating when they are reminded of them, and glorify their Lord with praise, and are not arrogant" (Surat as-Sajda: 15), one of the most important conditions of faith is modesty. Therefore, as this verse explains, believers are always modest, being aware that Allah does not love anyone who is vain or boastful (Surat an-Nisa' : 36):

And the servants of (Allah) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, "Peace!" (Surat al-Furqan: 63)

The morality of Islam entails submission to Allah, and submission entails acknowledgement of one' s weaknesses. Believers, who recognise that everything belongs to Allah, and that they themselves are weak and in need of Him, also act modestly towards Allah' s other faithful servants. Being arrogant is contrary to faith, and the Messenger of Allah (saas) tells the believers to be humble and to treat each other like brothers in a hadith:

Do not envy one another; do not inflate prices one to another; do not hate one another; do not turn away from one another; and do not undercut one another, but be you. O servants of Allah, brothers. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim: he neither oppresses him nor does he fail him, he neither lies to him nor does he hold him in contempt. Piety is right here -and the Prophet (saas) pointed to his breast three times. It is evil enough for a man to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. (Muslim)

Arrogance and modesty especially manifest themselves during human relations. The conduct of Iblis, as related in the Qur' an, best illustrates this point. Iblis refused to prostrate himself to the Prophet Adam. Being aware of Allah' s infinite might, it was illogical for him to openly claim superiority over Allah. But, it was his pride that was hurt. It was the Prophet Adam to whom he showed arrogance, and thereby exposed his rebellious intent towards Allah.

Consequently, arrogance, which is, in actuality, a sin against Allah, manifests itself during the relations of one person with another.

Surely, modesty also manifests itself under the same conditions. Believers show their submission to Allah by behaving modestly towards His believing servants. Aware of the fact that they are not responsible for the creation of their qualities, they are grateful to Allah, and never forget that Allah may reclaim any of these at any time. Fearing punishment from their Creator, Who is the Possessor of infinite power, they take refuge in no one but Him. This submissiveness of the believers, and their fear of Allah, is related in a verse as follows:

Say: "No one can protect me from Allah and I will never find any refuge apart from Him." (Surat al-Jinn: 22)

For these reasons, the condition of mind, behaviour and physical qualities of believers, are entirely different from that of the arrogant. The virtues of believers may be defined as follows:

THEY ARE AWARE OF THEIR WEAKNESS BEFORE ALLAH

The arrogant who wish their beauty, youthfulness, and prestige to remain everlasting, fail to grasp that only the qualities of the Almighty Allah are everlasting. For this reason, they dare to revolt against Allah' s clear signs.

Believers, on the other hand, expend serious effort to have a true regard for Allah' s grandeur. It is because of this effort that, as well as the failings and shortcomings of other beings, they are aware of their own limitations. Contrary to the haughty rebelliousness of the disbelievers, they have a profound fear of Allah, of the Unseen, and never fail to express their feebleness before their Lord:

Say: "I possess no power to help or harm myself, except as Allah wills. If I had had knowledge of the Unseen, I would have sought to gain much good and no evil would have touched me..." (Surat al-A' raf: 188)

THEY ASCRIBE NO PARTNERS TO ALLAH

Some people set up equals to Allah, loving them as they should love Allah. But those who believe have greater love for Allah. If only you could see those who do wrong at the time when they see the punishment, and that truly all strength belongs to Allah, and that Allah is severe in punishment. (Surat al-Baqara: 165)

One' s lower-self, his whims, desires, wealth, appearance or property, are such things as idolaters set up as equals to Allah. These people fail to grasp that it is Allah Who is the possessor of everything. The main reason for this lack of insight on their part is their arrogance.

Believers, on the other hand, believe "with certainty" that that there is no god besides Allah. They are aware that only Allah can grant them anything, if they ask it. That is, Allah is their sole guardian and supporter. In return for the countless blessings they receive, they wholeheartedly submit to Allah, and show strict obedience to Him. Believers live their lives only for the sake of Allah, and they are aware that this is the only way to complete faith, as mentioned in a saying of the Prophet Muhammad (saas):

Whoever loves for Allah, hates for Allah, gave for Allah and forbade for Allah, then he completed his faith. (Abu Dawood)

This submissive attitude of the believers is entirely contrary to that assumed by those who show "Pharaonic arrogance." Indeed, arrogant people fail to comprehend the extent of their limitations. Believers, however, having a certain faith in the verse, "Mankind! An example has been made, so listen to it carefully. Those whom you call upon besides Allah are not even able to create a single fly, even if they were to join together to do it. And if a fly steals something from them, they cannot get it back. How feeble are both the seeker and the sought!" (Surat al-Hajj: 73), never think that the qualities they possess are earned of their own accord, and keep in mind that it is Allah Who has power over all things.

THEY OBEY ALLAH' S MESSENGERS

We made them leaders, guiding by Our command, and revealed to them how to do good actions and establish regular prayer (salat) and pay regular charity (zakat), and they worshipped Us. (Surat al-Anbiya' : 73)

Just as Allah created people who summon the disbelievers to the Fire, He also created leaders to guide believers to the truth. To the nations, to whom Allah sent His messengers, He commanded strict obedience to these leaders, who invite them to the right path. Yet, as is in the case of previous nations narrated in the Qur' an, many of them, and especially the "chiefs" among them, opposed the messengers due to their arrogance.

Believers, on the other hand, think in the light of the verse, "We sent no Messenger except to be obeyed by Allah' s permission..." (Surat an-Nisa' : 64) and regard obedience to messengers as a command of Allah. This is why obedience to messengers is an important manifestation of one' s modesty and submission to Allah. As stated in the 9th verse of the Surat al-Fath, believers honour and respect the messengers, throughout their lives.

THEY DO NOT PERSIST IN WRONG

Aware of their weaknesses before Allah, and the intended imperfections they are given in this world, believers do not fear committing mistakes. Having faults and imperfections does not affect them, since they do not claim superiority over others. That is because, they do not make it their goal to "maintain their prestige"; their only aim is to be a servant to Allah and to please Him.

After committing an error, they immediately repent, turn towards Allah, and show wholehearted submission to Allah. In the Qur' an, Allah advises believers to make the following prayer:

... Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake! Our Lord, do not place on us a load like the one You placed on those before us! Our Lord, do not place on us a load we have not the strength to bear! And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy on us. You are our Master, so help us against the disbelieving people. (Surat al-Baqara: 286)

We said earlier that arrogant people are greatly concerned about committing mistakes or of having shortcomings. Not only does criticism irritates them, but they are usually not inclined to accepting it. Believers, however, are willing to accept criticism or that they have made a mistake, and turn to Allah for forgiveness. In such cases, they never become proud, but are willing to immediately admit their failure:

Those who, when they act indecently or wrong themselves, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their bad actions (and who can forgive bad actions except Allah?) and do not knowingly persist in what they were doing. (Surah Al ' Imran: 135)

Contrary to the conceited, believers heed warnings, especially when they come through Allah' s signs. This disposition of theirs is described in Surat as-Sajda, as a mark of their faith in Allah' s signs:

The people who truly have faith in Our Signs are those who fall to the ground prostrating when they are reminded of them, and glorify their Lord with praise, and are not arrogant. (Surat as-Sajda: 15)

THEY DO NOT EXULT IN THEIR BLESSINGS

What leads arrogant people astray is the blessings Allah has granted them. It is due to these that they exult, and become unduly proud. Believers, however, maintain a high morals, whatever the conditions may be. In impoverishment or affluence, they do not stray from modesty and good manners. Allah introduces the believers in the Qur' an as follows:

Those who, if We establish them firmly on the earth, will establish regular prayer (salat) and pay regular charity (zakat), and command what is right and forbid what is wrong. The end result of all affairs is with Allah. (Surat al-Hajj: 41)

The Prophet Yusuf' s conduct sets the best example of a believers' balanced disposition despite the conditions. Allah gave Yusuf (as) status, prosperity and knowledge, but, aware that these were all given to him by Allah' s Will, he turned solely to his Lord. His prayer clearly reveals his modesty and submissiveness:

My Lord, You have granted power to me on earth and taught me the true meaning of events. Originator of the heavens and earth, You are my Friend in this world and the Next. So take me as a Muslim at my death and join me to the people who are righteous. (Surah Yusuf: 101)

THEY DESIRE NOT THE WORLD BUT THE HEREAFTER

As if life were never-ending, the arrogant are obsessively attached to this world. They are not disposed to think about Allah and the Day of Judgment. Their prosperity, good-looks, or other qualities they might enjoy, cause them to grow arrogant. Believers, however, aware of the temporary nature of the things of this world, desire the hereafter alone. In the Qur' an, sincere believers are described as follows:

We purified their sincerity through sincere remembrance of the Abode. (Surah Sâd: 46)

As well, believers understand why they exist in this world. They are aware that they are being tested and that they should engage in good deeds to earn Allah' s consent. In Qur' anic terms, they are those "who sell the life of the world for the hereafter." (Surat an-Nisa' : 74)Through the prosperity they are benefited by, they seek to become devoted servants of their Lord. As the Prophet (saas) has informed them, believers know that Allah will replace with something better than what they leave behind for the will of Allah:

Whosoever leaves something for the sake of Allah then Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, will replace it with something better than it. (Ahmad)

In the Surat at-Tawba, believers are described as those who have sold their selves and their wealth in return for Paradise:

Allah has bought from the believers their selves and their wealth in return for Paradise. They fight in the Way of Allah and they kill and are killed. It is a promise binding on Him in the Torah, the Gospel and the Qur' an and who is truer to his contract than Allah? Rejoice then in the bargain you have made. That is the great victory. (Surat at-Tawba: 111)

THEY DO NOT DERIDE OTHER PEOPLE

Deriding others is one of those reprehensible character traits common to the arrogant. However, believers never stoop to such mean behaviour. Superiority is not measured by worldly values, such as looks or wealth, but according to one' s devotion to Allah. And, only Allah knows those who are more devout and those who turn to Him. Moreover, in the Qur' an, Allah has revealed that He despises derision, and forbids believers to ridicule others:

You who believe! People should not ridicule others who may be better than themselves; nor should any women ridicule other women who may be better than themselves... (Surat al-Hujurat: 11)

THEY DO NOT FOLLOW IN SATAN' S FOOTSTEPS

In the Qur' an, Allah warns believers against their most important enemy as follows:

Mankind! Eat what is good and lawful on the earth. And do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. He truly is an outright enemy to you. (Surat al-Baqara: 168)

You who believe! Do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. Anyone who follows in Satan' s footsteps should know that he commands indecency and wrongdoing... (Surat an-Nur: 21)

Those who submit themselves to the temptation of Satan are those who take pleasure in disobeying Allah' s commands, because of their defiance and a false feeling of superiority. Satan' s main endeavour is to present everything Allah praises as difficult and unmanageable, and thereby, to deceive people into disobedience and the manners and attitudes that are displeasing to Allah. This is Satan' s primary method, though he succeeds in tempting only those who are arrogant and desire to be unique or superior.

Believers who are obedient and forbearing, on the other hand, always observe Allah' s commands. Founded on their commitment to Him, believers are the only group of people on whom Satan' s deceptive ploys can exert no influence. They are not lured into the false promises of Satan, but hold on to the Qur' an. When they hear an evil suggestion from Satan, they immediately seek refuge in their Lord, recognise the truth, and realise that the scheming of Satan is in vain. That is because, their only purpose in life is to earn Allah' s good pleasure and the hereafter.

They are committed to the right path, since they are aware that deviation from it for the sake of worldly pleasures would only be wronging themselves.

THEY DO NOT YIELD TO ARROGANT PEOPLE

As we considered in previous sections, the majority of the people in Egypt were not courageous enough to follow the Prophet Musa, deterred by their fear of the Pharaoh. Only a small group followed Musa (as), and these surely placed their lives at risk, since Pharaoh decreed that all male sons born to his Israelite subjects should be killed. Furthermore, so tyrannical was Pharaoh that, when his magicians obeyed Musa (as) and had faith in Allah, he threatened them with cutting off their alternate limbs and then crucifixion. True believers, however, despite all deterrents, did not reject, not even for a moment, following Musa (as):

No one had faith in Musa except for a few of his people out of fear that Pharaoh, and their chiefs, would persecute them. Pharaoh was high and mighty in the land. He was one of the profligate. (Surah Yunus: 83)

As discussed, the disbelief of others has no influence whatsoever on believers. On the contrary, it increases their devotion. That is because, in the Qur' an Allah informs us in advance that only a few will believe. As well, the Qur' an makes clear that believers will be tested through the disbelievers. This being the case, no matter how severe the physical and spiritual oppression meted out by the chiefs of the disbelievers may be, believers never stray from the right path. As stated in the following verse, they also do not yield to their evil intent:

And with how many a prophet have there been a number of devoted men who fought (beside him). They did not give up in the face of what assailed them in the Way of Allah, nor did they weaken, nor did they yield. Allah loves the steadfast. (Surah Al ' Imran: 146)

BELIEVERS ARE GIVEN THE GOOD NEWS OF PARADISE

While disbelievers exult in the blessings granted them by Allah, believers know that insolence and pride are not approved by Allah. Through their modesty and submissiveness, they desire to earn the good pleasure of Allah. To this end, they maintain good manners at every moment possible. In addition, they do not discriminate between people, but show good manners to everyone. An adverse situation or a circumstance they may find distasteful never changes this approach, because, for a believer, the good pleasure of Allah is to be sought over and above everything. Aware that Allah sees everything all the time, they are extremely attentive. As reward, they are given the good news of the promise of Paradise:

And Paradise will be brought up close to the heedful, not far away: "This is what you were promised. It is for every careful penitent: those who fear the All-Merciful in the Unseen and come with a contrite heart. Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Timeless Eternity." (Surah Qaf: 31-34)

THE SECRET OF MODESTY

These many character traits found in a believer, as mentioned in the Qur' an, make clear that modesty is a resultant quality of faith in Allah. As the Allah' s messenger pointed out, modesty is one of the fundamental notions of Islam:

Every religion has a distinctive virtue, and the distinctive virtue of Islam is modesty. (Malik)

In fact, while the Qur' an describes the modesty of the believers, it is merely mentioned as being part of their normal disposition. In other words, for believers it is not necessary to expend effort to act modestly; they are naturally modest, because their outlook is based on the truth of the Qur' an.

The following verse explains this:

The servants of the All-Merciful are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant speak to them, say, "Peace." (Surat al-Furqan: 63)

The next verse explains the reason of this modesty:

Those who pass the night prostrating and standing before their Lord; (Surat al-Furqan: 64)

In other words, the modesty of believers is an outcome of their submissiveness to Allah. The fact that they have grasped the secret of this world, that is, understood the existence and might of Allah, accounts for their modesty.

As a result, the true modesty we are discussing in this book can only be attained through faith.

It is impossible to attain true modesty through another means than faith. Because, in a society composed of disbelievers, those who are seen as "modest" are, usually, those perceived as lacking "confidence." Because most attach too much importance to worldly things, those who are successful in attaining them become boastful, while those who cannot are deemed to be weak and insecure. Therefore, the wealthy tend to be arrogant, whereas the poor are considered insecure. However, we need to underline that this lack of "self-confidence" is a disposition nothing near what is true modesty, a form of behaviour which is noble and dignified.

The story of Qarun, as narrated in the Qur' an, sets a good example of what we discussed above. In addition to Qarun, who was excessively proud about his wealth and possessions, the Qur' an also informs us about those who longed for that which he possessed. In addition to these, another group were the true believers who grasped the secret of faith:

He went out among his people in his finery. Those who desired the life of the world said, "Oh! If only we had the same as Qarun has been given! What immense good fortune he possesses."
But those who had been given knowledge said, "Woe to you! Allah' s reward is better for those who believe and act rightly. But only the steadfast will obtain it."
We caused the earth to swallow up both him and his house. There was no group to come to his aid, besides Allah, and he was not someone who is helped.
Those who had longed to take his place the day before woke up saying, "Allah expands the provision of any of His servants He wills or restricts it. If Allah had not shown great kindness to us, we would have been swallowed up as well. Ah! Truly the disbelievers are not successful."
That abode of the hereafter-We grant it to those who do not seek to exalt themselves in the earth or to cause corruption in it. The successful outcome is for those who do their duty. (Surat al-Qasas: 79-83)

It may well be that those who desired Qarun' s belongings were not as proud as he; or, they might have lacked "self-assurance." Yet, if they had been in his shoes, they would, most probably, also have been as arrogant as Qarun. That is because, just as Qarun had, they failed to grasp that the real owner of everything is Allah. They only grasped this fact when they witnessed the end of Qarun.

The truly modest ones were the believers who "had been given knowledge," that is, those who had grasped the secret of life. Aware that what Qarun possessed was temporal, and thereby, unimportant, they did not yearn for his possessions. In any case, owning a wealth the likes of Qarun' s would not have hampered their dignity or humility.

These "people of knowledge," as mentioned in the story of Qarun, are role-models for all Muslims to emulate. They show that real modesty can only be attained by being a servant to Allah, and that Allah bestows His blessings only on His noble servants. That is because, they are those "who do not seek to exalt themselves on the earth or cause corruption in it." They do not become arrogant, but feel grateful for the blessings granted them.

Would An Arrogant Person Still Be Able To Live By The Values Of Religion?

It is obvious that a person cannot harbour arrogance and, at the same time, perform that which is entailed by the morality commanded in the Qur' an. That is because, the most fundamental principle of Allah' s religion is to acknowledge Allah' s might and to take only Him as a god. An arrogant person, however, considers himself as a being apart and independent of Allah, and seeks to satisfy his own whims and desires. Failing to grasp that he is a servant of Allah, he glorifies himself with what Allah has granted him and becomes arrogant. In other words, he deifies himself.

That is why arrogance hinders one from living by the principles of the religion and leads him to commit a form of idolatry.

Deifying himself, an arrogant person contradicts the very basic principle of the true religion; that there is no god but Him. Consequently, such a mindset prevents the arrogant from living according to the morality of the religion. Not surprisingly, the arrogant commonly have no intention of living by the religion, except for a certain group of people, which will be described in the following pages. Many verses in the Qur' an describe the resistance of the arrogant against the morality of the religion and their rejection of it:

When they were told, "There is no god but Allah," they were arrogant. They said, "Are we to forsake our gods for a mad poet?" (Surat as-Saffat: 35-36)

As the verse above mentions, their desire to be superior hinders them from acknowledging Allah and His messengers. Indeed, the arrogance of the disbelievers may attain such an extent that they even dare open hostility towards Allah. The Qur' an informs us about the mindset assumed by these people when they are summoned to bring Allah to mind:

...When you mention your Lord alone in the Qur' an, they turn their backs and run away. (Surat al-Isra' : 46)

The commands of the religion are designed to instil man with a morality that enables him to be grateful to his Lord, to draw him nearer to Him, and to earn His good pleasure. Considered in this manner, arrogance is a character-trait opposed to the very essence of the religion of Islam. It is a quality displeasing to Allah:

Do not avert your face from people out of haughtiness and do not strut about arrogantly on the earth. Allah does not love anyone who is vain or boastful. (Surah Luqman: 18)

There is no doubt that Allah knows what they keep secret and what they make public. He does not love people puffed up with pride. (Surat an-Nahl: 23)

Therefore, seeking to live by the values of the religion-the main purpose of which is earning the good pleasure of Allah-while compromising it with arrogance would be impossible and an obvious contradiction.

The morality of religion calls for modesty and submission to Allah. An arrogant person, however, lacks the virtue of a believer, and thus, fails to attain any depth of faith.

An important sign of modesty is one' s obedience to Allah and His messenger. The fact that an arrogant person cannot show wholehearted obedience in that way, once again, reveals that religion and arrogance are incompatible. The arrogant do not allow any to exercise authority over them. According to them, they are the ones who are the most capable and the best to take decisions. Because they are so sure of themselves, they do not even consider the possibility of the existence of someone else who may know better.

As is known, the hidden arrogance of Satan finally made itself known when he was ordered to show obedience. Because of his arrogance, he desisted and thus became one of the disbelievers. In the Qur' an, Allah places particular emphasis on obedience and gives a detailed account of the sort of obedience a believer must adopt. As Allah defines in the Qur' an, obedience is a very important issue that calls for wholehearted submission and compliance. A person' s outward compliance with the messenger' s decision should also be accompanied with wholehearted submission:

No, by your Lord, they are not believers until they make you their judge in the disputes that break out between them, and then find no resistance within themselves to what you decide and submit themselves completely. (Surat an-Nisa' : 65)

As said earlier, an important sign of the arrogant is their rejection of Allah' s messengers. They struggled against these messengers, since the thought of obeying a person who is virtuous only by his moral excellence, wisdom and faith, and who was sent as a leader to every member of that society, hurt their pride. However, disobedience of the messengers is disobedience of Allah. And, disobedience of Allah, ultimately, brings about a lapse in the practise of religion in a society. It has been revealed in many verses that obedience of the messenger is, in fact, obedience of Allah. A verse reads as follows:

Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah. If anyone turns away, we did not send you to them as their keeper. (Surat an-Nisa' : 80)

As made explicit in this and similar verses, obedience is analogous to a fortress that shuts out the arrogant from the realm of religion. Only modesty, submission and humility can open the gates of this castle.

In addition, arrogance is a disease that dulls all moral qualities and hardens one' s heart. That is, apart from being a distasteful quality, the other character traits caused by arrogance wholly contradict the moral excellence commanded by the Qur' an. A believer is generous, self-sacrificing, patient, compassionate, committed, loyal and tolerant. An arrogant person, however, can never master these superior moral qualities in their true sense. He is stingy, selfish, impatient, inconsiderate and unjust. Surely, his character prevents him from properly fulfilling the commands of religion. Indeed, the primary purpose of the morality of religion is to help man to attain the moral excellence with which Allah is pleased.

WHAT HAPPENS IF AN ARROGANT PERSON CLAIMS THAT HE LIVES BY THE MORALITY OF RELIGION?

Throughout this book, we have stressed that an arrogant person cannot be sincere about living by the principles of religion, and that the character of an arrogant person is entirely incompatible with the model of faith described in the Qur' an. Yet, there are some who claim otherwise; that is, there are certain "hypocrites" who harbour excessive arrogance in themselves, although they maintain that they live by the morality of Islam.

This has not been an uncommon assertion in the history of Islam. In the Qur' an, Allah informs us that such people have existed throughout history, including the time of the Prophet Muhammad (saas). The Qur' an offers a detailed account of the basic character traits of hypocrites, to make known the true face of these people, and thereby, to protect believers from their ploys.

In the Qur' an, Allah tells about a group of people among the believers who maintained that they believed, although, in actuality, they did not. These possessed all the character traits peculiar to the arrogant, like disobedience and disloyalty. These people were the hypocrites. For their personal reasons, hypocrites remain within the company of the believers, but hide their disbelief. However, they can be readily discerned by their manners and attitude that greatly differ from that of believers. The Qur' an outlines the attitude, behaviour, and language typical of hypocrites. In this way, it becomes quite easy for believers to distinguish who are the hypocrites.

The main reason why we should now consider the hypocrites is that this group, distinguished by their arrogance and conceit, provide an example of the fact that the arrogant are unable to even pretend to live by the principles of the religion. Indeed, the hypocrites fail to comply with many commands revealed in the Qur' an, obedience and respect to the messenger being the foremost of them. Outwardly, they fulfil many acts of worship, yet, they perform them reluctantly, thus revealing their inner motives.

In the following pages, in light of the verses of the Qur' an, we will examine the reasons why the arrogant cannot live by the principles of the religion, and what sort of inconsistencies appear when they attempt to.

THE ARROGANT CANNOT MEASURE ALLAH ACCORDING TO HIS TRUE MEASURE

In the previous sections, we stressed that arrogance is a character trait peculiar to Satan. Satan, who is, in actuality, a being that is quite capable of appreciating the infinite might of Allah, has entirely abandoned his reason, and thus, has adopted a totally unfounded line of reasoning. For this reason, he dared to rebel against Allah. In the same manner, the arrogant suffer from a lack of understanding. The Prophet Muhammad (saas) describes this heedless situation of a proud person in this way:

He is a bad man who is proud and puts on airs and forgets the Most Great and Sublime One. (Tirmidhi)

This fault is most obvious in the case of hypocrites, because, they are also known particularly for their arrogance. This trait clearly manifests itself in their failure to measure Allah with due measure. Allah relates this in a verse as follows:

Each time a sura is sent down, they look at one another, implying, "Can anyone see you?" Then they turn away. Allah has turned their hearts away because they are people who do not understand. (Surat at-Tawba: 127)

As the verse also makes clear, hypocrites, who are known for their arrogance, fail to understand that Allah sees, hears and witnesses everything. Indeed, that they can even think they can deceive Allah (Surely Allah is beyond that) reveals the extent of their ineptitude. The following verse stresses this point:

Among the people there are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," when they are not believers. They think they deceive Allah and those who believe. They deceive no one but themselves but they are not aware of it. (Surat al-Baqara, 8-9)

HYPOCRITES CANNOT BE OBEDIENT OR RESPECTFUL

Modesty entails respect, while arrogance entails derision. The arrogant are incapable of showing respect to others. This becomes even more difficult for them in the case of obedience to a messenger. They take pleasure only in derision, impudence and arrogance. Since arrogant people deem their opinions superior to others, they do not recognise the good in the teachings of the messengers or willingly submit to them. However, Allah refers to wholehearted obedience as one of the most necessary conditions for Islam, and in His book revealed this apparent lack of obedience of the hypocrites:

When they are summoned to Allah and His Messenger, so that he can judge between them, a group of them immediately turn away. But if right is on their side, they come to him most submissively! Is there a sickness in their hearts or do they have misgivings or do they fear that Allah and His Messenger will be unjust to them? No, it is simply that they are wrongdoers. (Surat an-Nur: 48-50)

HYPOCRITES CANNOT KEEP THEIR MINDS OCCUPIED WITH THE REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH

One of the most telling traits of those who have become arrogant is their failure to keep their minds occupied with the remembrance of Allah. That is because, praising Allah, exalting Him, and appreciating His might, makes a person recognise his own weaknesses and conceive his position as a servant before Allah. However, this is what most hurts the pride of the arrogant. They deliberately avoid bringing Allah to mind, which makes them vulnerable to Satan' s temptations:

Satan has gained mastery over them and made them forget the remembrance of Allah. Such people are the party of Satan. No indeed! It is the party of Satan who are the losers. (Surat al-Mujadala: 19)

HYPOCRITES CANNOT LISTEN TO THE QUR' AN

These people, infected with Pharaonic arrogance, are also not disposed to listening to Allah' s Book. Every verse in the Qur' an is a warning and admonition reminding them of their subjection and weakness. However, because of their arrogance, they cannot bear hearing about their weaknesses, nor can they accept admonition:

Those whose eyes were blind to My remembrance and whose ears were unable to hear. (Surat al-Kahf: 101)

HYPOCRITES CANNOT BE LOYAL

The religion entails loyalty and devotion. However, because hypocrites only pursue their personal desires and seek prestige, they follow the dictates of their own interests. It is senseless to expect loyalty and devotion from an arrogant person, since he is only loyal to himself:

…Far better for them would be obedience [to Allah' s call] and a word that could win [His] approval: for, since the matter has been resolved [by His revelation], it would be but for their own good to remain true to Allah. (Surah Muhammad: 20-21)

THEY ARE NOT FORBEARING THROUGH DIFFICULTIES

The commands of the religion are very easy to fulfill, and even enjoyable, for those who submit themselves only to Allah, put trust in Him, and prefer the abode of the hereafter to the life of this world. However, some tasks required by the religion are not in conformity with the interests of the hypocrites, who seek only worldly benefits from it. Thus, by resorting to various forms of deceit, they avoid fulfilling the commands of the Qur' an that demand forbearance, sacrifice and steadfastness:

If it had been a case of easy gains and a short journey, they would have followed you, but the distance was too great for them. They will swear by Allah: "Had we been able to, we would have gone out with you." They are destroying their own selves. Allah knows that they are lying. (Surat at-Tawba: 42)

HYPOCRITES CANNOT SPEND WILLINGLY FOR THE CAUSE OF ALLAH

Spending one' s wealth in the cause of Allah, without expectation of anything in return, is another thing the arrogant cannot bear. However, in order not to attract attention from the believers, they do so only reluctantly:

Nothing prevents what they give from being accepted from them but the fact that they have rejected Allah and His Messenger, and that they only come to pray (salat) lethargically, and that they only give reluctantly. (Surat at-Tawba: 54)

The same verse also makes clear that they also attend prayer without earnestness.

In this section, we explained that it is difficult, and even impossible, for arrogant people to live by the principles of religion. We said that those who are arrogant and feel proud cannot even imitate a devout person. Even those who are talented may be able to imitate the character traits of a believer for a certain period of time, but their true character will eventually show forth when they feel their interests are at stake.

The sincere modesty and humility of a person is a sign of his devotion. Similarly, the arrogance of a person who claims he is a believer indicates his hypocrisy, or at least his inclination to hypocrisy.

To conclude, an arrogant person can never live by the principles of the religion in its true sense. Even if he were to memorize the entire book of Allah, it would not matter. On the contrary, he is held even more responsible since he does not practise the commands of which he is aware. Ultimately, he belittles himself to the point where he lives the religion as a hypocrite. To be a sincere Muslim, he must first quit idolizing his lower-self, and abandon pride and arrogance. That is, he must become conscious of his weaknesses and status as servant of Allah. The pure religious outlook can only be grounded on such a foundation.