Friday, September 18, 2015

Of the Core Sins – Arrogance and Pride

Related posts: 

On an email list, some of the vocal participants were declaring those Muslims who disagree with their views as Kafirs, as well as accusing Non-Muslims of being Hindutva operatives in USA and of giving a hard time to Muslims. To repeated accusations, the Hindu, who declares himself as a monotheist believer in the Hindu Supreme Deity Krishna, responded
There is a saying "do unto others what you want others to do unto". Karma will not live anybody . You will rot in hell fire for your arrogance. God is just there to punish arrogant bastards on the earth. 

My comments: Salam

Iblis was a believer, but refused to obey Allah out of a certain sense of pride - he considered himself superior to another creation of Allah. Iblis is quoted in the Quran 7:12 thus: "[ Allah ] said, "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?" [Satan] said, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay." " Please read the following: 
Of the Core Sins – Arrogance and Pride:  

Those of us who are blessed to be believers in God, and those of us who have been especially honoured to be able to call ourselves Muslims, must assess ourselves if we are indeed truly reciprocating that honour by being Muslim and submitting to all the guidance in Quran, including our thought and speech, or if we are abusing religion. 

We are supposed to invite to Islam, so as to help others find guidance and salvation, just as we hope that we are forgiven and granted ever-lasting bliss. Deriding non-Muslims and their faiths is not permissible! Invitation to faith is about compassionately caring for all humans, wanting to help everyone improve the quality of their life, both Here and in the Hereafter. 

If only we take a moment every time we greet the angels on our shoulders, at the end of the prayers, what sentences of our emails today have been noted by the angel on the right and what sentences of our emails have been noted by the angel on the left, perhaps our prayers will be able to benefit us, protecting us from disobedience of the guidance, helping us to be more careful in our choice of words:  
[Quran 50:16-18, Translator: Sahih International] And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left. Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record]. 

May Allah grant us wisdom, beautify our speech and actions, and make us a source of peace and blessing for all.  

Another email-list participant commented: Iblis was Kafir, according to ALLAH taala. 

My response: Kufur means to reject, and Iblis did reject obedience to the command of God. However, in Surah Hashr, the analogy given for hypocrites is that of Satan:
Quran 59:11 Have you not considered those who practice hypocrisy, saying to their brothers who have disbelieved among the People of the Scripture, "If you are expelled, we will surely leave with you, and we will not obey, in regard to you, anyone - ever; and if you are fought, we will surely aid you." But Allah testifies that they are liars.
...
Quran 59:16 [The hypocrites are] like the example of Satan when he says to man, "Disbelieve." But when he disbelieves, he says, "Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I fear Allah , Lord of the worlds."

My recent blogpost on Satan's Enmity may also be of interest:
http://signsandscience.blogspot.com/2015/11/mission-of-messengers-ii.html

The email-list participant pointed out: SuratulBaqarah ayat 34

 وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ
It is wrongfully translated as "and became kafir" a correct translation would be "and he was among kafireen".


My response: I agree. Even in Surah Kahf, it states:
[Quran 18:51] I made them not to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor their own creation; nor choose I misleaders for (My) helpers.

Iblis was not a believer in the sense of the meaning of Momin, but rather in the sense of knowing God and speaking and requesting respite. He was aware of God, yet his heart was not obedient, thus a hypocrite, and Iblis' hypocrisy was made public through his disobedience and rebellion. Iblis' rejection of God's decision and orders proved that Iblis was a 'kafir'. Iblis had essentially rebelled against the hierarchy set by God where Adam was honoured above Iblis.  

This makes me wonder on how many levels so many disobey and rebel: child against parents, wife against husband, employee against employer, nation against state, human against creation, Muslim against the verses of the Quran, ...

May Allah grant us the serenity to accept whatever He has decreed, gratitude and courage to serve Him, the wisdom to understand the message of the Quran, and the taqwa to keep our duty to Allah.


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