Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

www.alhassanain.org/english

Pride

Author:Mujahidali A.R. Sheriff

www.alhassanain.org/english

Notice:

This versionis published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english

The composing errorsare not corrected .

Table of Contents

Preface 5

1. What is Kibr 6

2) Pride is for Allah, the Almighty 7

3) Incident of Prophet Yusuf (a.s.) 8

4) Reason for Kibr in Man 9

5) Story of a King 10

6) Types of Kibr 11

1. Kibr on Allah 12

Disobedience to Allah (s.w.t.) is Kibr 13

To avoid Supplication (Du'a) is Kibr 14

2. Kibr on the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and Imams (a.s.) 15

Kibr on Ulema is Kibr on the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) 16

3. Kibr on People 17

Kibr on People in Qur'an 18

Kibr on People in Hadith 19

To show-off Wealth is Kibr 20

The Incident of Bahlool 22

Considering Oneself Pious is Kibr 23

7) Signs of Pride in Man 24

8) Treatment for Kibr 25

i. To remember the origin of his creation and the end of his life in this world 26

ii. He should know that Kibr is only Allah's (s.w.t.) quality 27

iii. To know that consequences of pride a humiliation in this world and painful chastisement in the hereafter 28

iv. To practice 'At-Tawadhu' - humility and humbleness i.e. to consider oneself lower than others 29

9) Types of 'Tawadhu' : 30

Tawadhu towards the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and the Imams (a.s.) 31

Tawadhu to the People 32

10) People who do not deserve to be shown Humility 33

i. Non Believers and Sinners 34

ii. The Rich for their Wealth 35

iii. To the Proud Ones 36

Preface

Man by nature has a driving desire to achieve success and happiness in this life. All his efforts and struggles in theday to day life is basically aimed at acquiring these two things. However,inspite of accumulating treasures of wealth and fame, man continues to findhimself deprived of true success and happiness in this world. Why is this so? The reason is simple.

Man searches for success and happiness in material gains when it actuallycan only be found in his own soul. If the soul is contented, it supplies ease and comfort to the mind hence bringing for man true success and happiness.

Just like the physical body, Man's soul too has its own sickness. So long as he is free and secure from the sickness of his soul, he is successful and happy. The moment he falls victim to one of them, hid decline begins. He eventually loses both. Pride (Kibr ), being one of the major sickness of the soul, is not only an obstacle on Man's path to success and happiness but is also destructive to his nature.

In other words, when Pride develops in Man, there is a risk that he may cross the boundary of his own nature to prove his supremacy. Unless controlled andprevented , he can harm himself as well as cause extensive harm to those around him and to society in general. History is full of such skeletons.

In this booklet,I have humbly attempted to discuss Pride as the cause of grief and not supremacy as many would consider. In the light of theQur'anic verses andHadith , I have briefly tried to explain the meaning of Pride, its reason in Man, its consequences and eventually remedies for getting rid of this dangerous sickness.I sincerely hope that it would be of benefit to all especially the youth who are my intended audience.

I also wish to extend my sincere gratitude to all the brothers who have encouraged and extended moral support to me in the undertaking of this task. I am especially indebted toMulla MohamedKassamali , BrotherMurtaza A.M.Jaffer and BrotherZaffer Datoo for their time and support in ensuring the success of this booklet. May Almighty Allah reward them all in both the worlds and accept whatever little we manage to do in His right path.Amin .

Wallahu Waliyyut Tawfeeque .

Mujahidali A.R. Sheriff

Ramadhan 1411 A.H.

Nairobi.

1. What isKibr

Kibr means pride - consideringoneself better and superior than others. It is the source of many evils andis known to be the main cause of hatred and disunity in society. It is also a major sin. Following are the verses from the Holy Qur'an and narrations fromMa'soomeen (a.s .) in which the proud ones have been condemned.

From the Holy Qur'an

1 : "And on the day of resurrection you shall see those who lied against Allah; their faces shall be blackened. Is there not in hell an abode for the proud? (Az-Zumar /60)

2 : "It shall be said : Enter the gates of Hell to abide therein; so evil is the abode of the proud." (Az-Zumar /72)

3 : "Thus does Allah set a seal over the heart of every proud, haughty one." (Al-Momin /35) From theNarrations :

ImamJaffer asSadiq (a.s .) hassaid : "Indeed in Hell there is a valley for the proud known as SAQAR. It complained to Almighty Allah of the intense heat within it and sought permission from Him tobreath out. (On beinggranted ) it breathed and therefore burnt Hell itself" (AlKafi )

It is also reported from the same Imam (a.s .) : Indeed the proud (on the day of resurrection) will be turned into accounting (others)." (Al-Kaafi )

2) Pride is for Allah, the Almighty

It should be borne in mind that pride is one of the qualities of Almighty Allah, theCreator and Master of the Universe and He alone deserves the right to be proud. This is so because He, Almighty Allah, is the Highest and Greatest in all respects.

In the Holy Qur'an, Allah (s.w.t .)says : "And He has all pride in the Heavens and the earth." (Al-Jathiyah /37) In one of his sermons, Imam Ali (a.s .) hassaid : "Praise be to Allah who wore (the dress of) honor and pride and chose them both for Himself giving not to His creatures"

And then Imamcontinues : "And Allah (s.w.t .) has cursed those of His servants who attempt to quarrel with Him over this quality (honor and pride)"

Elsewhere in the same sermon, mentioning the punishment for the proud, Imam Ali (a.s .)says : "Nay! Almighty Allah cannot give entry into paradise to a man for the same reason (pride), (because of which) he threw out from it an angel."

Iblees , although a jinn was considered as an angel due to his years of worship. Hewas thrown out of paradise and subjected to an everlasting curse, when he refused to obey the command of Almighty Allah to prostrate before Adam (a.s .)

Imam Ali (a.s .) explains that after years of worship, if an angel could be thrown out of paradise due to arrogance and pride, how can Almighty Allah allow someone else who possess the same attributes to enter Heaven?

3) Incident of Prophet Yusuf (a.s .)

It has been reported that when Prophet Yusuf (a.s .) became the king of Egypt, his father, ProphetYa'qoob (a.s .) decided to meet him. When he was still on his way to Egypt, Prophet Yusuf (a.s .) was informed about his father's journey. He therefore mounted his horse and immediately left to receive him.

However, when he reached the place where his father was, Prophet Yusuf (a.s .) did not dismount out of respect for his father but remained seated on his horse. This act although unintentional and of an infallible Prophet, was frowned upon by Allah.

AngelJibra'el was sent to inform Prophet Yusuf (a.s .) about Allah's displeasure and that as a result of such a mistake, Allah (s.w.t .) would discontinueProphethood in theoffsprings of Prophet Yusuf (a.s .). Here, it is interesting to note that Almighty Allah does not only abhor pride in men, but also dislikesactions which resemble it. To Him whetherthe action is committed by an infallible Prophet or an ordinary man , it is not tolerable for surely Pride belongs to Him alone.

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s .) hassaid : "Pride is the veil of Allah, and the proud quarrels with Allah for His veil"

In other words, pride is a quality of Almighty Allah alone. Whoever is proud other than Him does not deserve and is therefore at war with Allah (s.w.t .)

4) Reason forKibr in Man

There are many reasons for pride in man, but as a whole, the root cause of it is the feeling of self-humiliation and an inferiority complex in man. Therefore, one can count pride as a reaction, a cover up for a sense of insecurity and inferiority. The argument whichIblees brought up when command to prostrate before Adam (a.s .) was based on this insecurity.

"How could one, who was created from fire, prostrate before someone created fromclay ? ", askedIblees .Iblees , who thought himself a superior creation than Adam, refused to recognize the command of his Creator. His response arose as a reaction to his loss of self-esteem. This reaction ofIblees , made him lose the prestige he had been enjoying amongst the angels and hewas thereafter banished with an everlasting curse from Allah (s.w.t .)

The following verse of the Holy Qur'an describes what madeIblees become proud. "He said: I am not one to prostrate in obeisance to man (for)You created him of the essence of black mud fashioned in shape." (Al-Hijr /33)

And was therefore commanded asthus : "Said He : Get down hence for it does not befit you to behave proudly therein. Get out; verily you are of the despised ones." (Al-A'raf /13)

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w .) hassaid : "There is no man who is proud or haughty except with (the feeling of) humiliation which he finds ins inner self."

5) Story of a King

The story of a king is an instructive one. He was in love with a particular perfume because of its strong and wonderful fragrance. Itis said that whenever he held court or left his place, the king used to wear only this perfume. Once, as he was applying the perfume on his clothes, a drop fell on the ground. Unable to resist, the king involuntarily touched the fallen drop and wiped it on his clothes only to realize the presence of his minister who was watching him in amazement. Guilty and embarrassed, the king ordered his minister to construct a pool of the same perfume in his palace. The minister smiled andremarked : "Your majesty, what goes away with a drop cannot be replaced by constructing a pool."

The minister was implying that prestige and honor lost for a dropcannot be brought back by constructing a pool. The moral of the story is simple - the king ordered the minister to construct a pool of perfumeso as to cover the sense of humiliation he left upon realizing that it does not benefit a king to act in a miserly fashion. His pride could not rake the humiliation. In conclusion, the victims of pride are those who normally suffer from theabove mentioned complex. It is immaterial whether they seek recognition by attracting attentionto themselves or even to cover up their faults . The problem is of a lack of self-esteem.

6) Types ofKibr

Basically,Kibr is of threetypes :

1.Kibr on Allah (s.w.t .)

2.Kibr on the Holy Prophet (s.a.w .) and the Imams (a.s .)

3.Kibr on people.

Each of the above has been discussed in the followingpages :

1.Kibr on Allah

There are various acts ofman which can proveKibr against Allah (s.w.t .). An ignorant person always considers himselfto be powerful enough in managing things his way. He thinks that whatever he does is a result purely of his own efforts and does not stop to consider himself nothing more than a weak creature of Allah (s.w.t .). One would often hear such characters praising themselves and boasting that "I did so and so" or "I will do so and so." Referring to them in the Holy Qur'an, Almighty Allahsays : "There is naught in their breasts but (a vain desire) to become great, which they shall attain not" (Al-Mo'min /56)

When Pride develops in man, a stage comes whereby he may also declare himself as God or even mightier than Him. The incidents ofFiroun andNamrood are the best examples.

Firoun claimed to the children of Israelsaying : "I am your Lord, the Greatest." (An-Nazi'aat /24)

And justified his lordshipsaying : "Is not the land of Egypt mine and these rivers flowing from my beneath?" (Zukhruf /51)

Firoun , out of sheer arrogance alsosaid : "I have not known for you a Lord other than myself." (Al-Qasas /38)

As forNamrood he claimed to be a giver of life and death when hesaid : "I give life and cause death." (Al-Baqarah /258)

To provehimself right he ordered two men to be brought before him. He killed one and spared the life of the other.

Disobedience to Allah (s.w.t .) isKibr

Disobedience to Allah (s.w.t .) i.e. disobeying His commandments or discontinuing His worship is also a kind ofKibr (Pride). However; people who disobey Allah (s.w.t .) fall in one of the following twocategories :

(a)those who disobey the commands of Allah (s.w.t .) and do not fulfill their obligation intentionally. Such kind of people are not only proud but also considered as "Kafirs " i.e. disbelievers.

Referring toIblees who went against the command of Allah (s.w.t .) and did not prostrate before Adam (a.s .), Allah (s.w.t .)says : "He (Shaytan ) refused and was proud, and he was one of the Unbelievers" (Al-Baqarah /34)

(b) Thosewho disobey the commands of Allah (s.w.t .) and do not fulfill their obligation unintentionally.

Such people do not deny or refute the commands of Allah (s.w.t .) but sin against Him,either due to ignorance or are otherwise captives of their desires and lusts. This categorycannot be branded as disbelievers but are sinners. Imam Ali Bin Hussein (a.s .) says in hisDu'a well known as "Du'a -e-Abi Hamza Thimali " : "O my Lord ! I did not defyYou when I disobeyed You wanting to reject Your Lordship. I did neither undermineYour command, and nor disregard Your threats and nor challenge Your punishment.But it was a mistake which occurred accidentally. I let myself be seduced (byshaytan ) and my lust overcame me ..."

To avoid Supplication (Du'a ) isKibr

There are people who do not supplicate to Allah (s.w.t .). The reason could be either ignorance about the importance of supplication or a sense of sufficiency with their material benefits and thus finding it unnecessary to supplicate. It should always be that however much a person considers himself to befulfilled, he still continuously requires the favors of Allah (s.w.t .). When the children of Israel (Bani Israel) were suffering due to a severe drought and parts of the river Nile had dried up, they came toFiroun , who was not only the ruler of Egypt but also claimed to be God.

Forsometime ,Firoun was confused and acknowledged that despite vast wealth and claim to being god, it was not within his capacity to provide water forBani Israel. The only alternative for him was to sincerely supplicate and as aresult his wish was granted. However, the story does not end here.

Immediately after the heavy rains,Firoun forgot this special favor of Allah and claimed that it washim who had restored the water.Again they were afflicted with the same curse and againFiroun had to pray. This way, it continued thrice untilIblees suggested toFiroun to stop his false claims. Itis accepted by all that wealth, fame and power is not everything we require in this world. Those who thoughtso, led miserable lives and history is full of such examples.

There are other aspects in ourlives which can be fulfilled if only Allah (s.w.t .) wishes.For instance our health. Inspite of the medical progress, we human beingscan not fully have control over our health. Some or the other sickness takes us with surprise in ourday to day lives. In order to save ourselves from such sickness and other disasters, we need the help of Allah (S.W.T.) which can only be granted through supplication.

Imam Ali bin Hussein (a.s .)says : If you want Allah to converse with you then recite Qur'an and if you wish to converse with Allah then supplicate.

In another place, addressing Allah (s.w.t .) in one of his supplications, Imam (a.s .)says : "... so you named yourdu'a a worship and abandoning it, a pride."

Therefore in conclusion, to avoid supplication is alsoKibr .

2.Kibr on the Holy Prophet (s.a.w .) and Imams (a.s .)

Kibr on the Holy Prophet (s.a.w .) and Imams (a.s .) mean to consider oneself equal or better than them and not be prepared to follow their teachings or obey their commands.

There are several verses in the HolyQur'an which discuss how some arrogant people undermined the Prophets of their time. A few of such verses are quoted below : When Prophet Musa (a.s .), accompanied with his brotherHaroon (a.s .) went to the court ofFiroun to proclaim hisprophethood and invite him to believe in one God,Firoun and his people mocked him by saying : "And they said : what !shall we believe in two men like our-selves whose people are to us servants" (Al-Mo'minoon /47)

AndFiroun alsosaid : "Why have not angels been sent down upon us or (why) do we not see our Lord ? Now certainly they are too proud of themselves and have revolted in great revolted in great revolt." (Al-Furqan /21)

ProphetNooh (a.s .) complained to Allah (s.w.t .)saying : "And whenever I have called them that Thy majesty forgive them, they put their garments and persists and are puffed up with pride." (Nooh /7)

In the early days of Islam, theQuraysh also ill-treated the Holy Prophet (s.a.w .) and insulted him. It is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an that theQuraysh used tosay : "And they say: Why was not Qur'an revealed to a man of importance in the two towns ?" (Zukhruf /31)

Kibr on the Holy Prophet (s.a.w .) and/or on his successors i.e. the Imams (a.s .) is actuallyKibr in Allah (s.w.t .). It is because the power and authority the Holy Prophet and Imams (a.s .) were given over mankind, was directly from Allah (s.w.t .)

InSuratul Hashr , verse 7 of the Holy Qur'an, Allah (s.w.t .)says : "Whatever the Prophet gives you, accept it and whatever he forbids you, stay away from it."

The Infallible Imams (a.s .) being the true successors of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w .) after his death, enjoy the same power as well to continue his mission.

Kibr onUlema isKibr on the Holy Prophet (s.a.w .)

During the occultation period of our twelfth Imam, Imam Muhammad bin Hassan al-Askari (a.s .), this power can exercised by the most learnedFaqeeh and religious scholars of our time. There are various traditions from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w .) and theAim'ah (a.s .) which describe the powerful position and leadership of religious scholars. A few of these narrations are mentionedbelow :

(a) The Holy Prophet (s.a.w .) hassaid : "The scholars of my nation are like the Prophets ofBani Israel."

(b) Again, it has also been reported from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w .)that : "The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets."

c) Imam Hassan al-Askari (a.s .) hassaid : "And if there are amongst the scholars, one who :

- safeguards himself,

- protects his religion;

- goes against his (illegitimate) desire;

- is obedient to the command of his Lord;

Then it is the duty of the people to follow him."

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w .) hassaid : "Nay! Do not refute anAalim , and do not go against him and do not hate him but instead love him, for surely loving them is sincerity and hating them is hypocrisy. Whoever insults anAalim is as if he has insulted me, and whoever insultsan me is as if he has insulted Allah and whoever insults Allah then his path is towards hell. Whoeverhonours anAalim is as if he hashonoured me and whoeverhonours me is as if he hashonoured Allah and whoeverhonours Allah, then his path is towards paradise." (Adh-dhunoob al-kabeera )

Many of us today do nothonour Aalims and give them therespect which they deserve. It is sad to note that we consider ourselves equal to them. Furthermore, we do not value their guidance and thus consider it sufficient that we know our religious obligations. However much we know the basic requirements of Islam, we still cannot deny the fact that the presence of religious scholars is important and necessary. If not for material benefits, we at least require the religious scholarsfor our spiritual benefits and to solve our common social problems as and when required . It is for this reason that most of us,inspite of our material gains and power, still seek comfort and mental ease from religious scholars. Therefore, being proud to the scholars is not only a sinbut logically an injustice towards them and a hypocrisy.

3.Kibr on People

This is the third kind ofKibr i.e. to consideroneself greater and superior than other fellow human beings. The scholars of 'llmul-Akhlaq ' (Science of Ethics) describe a proud one asthus : He will consider himself great but will value andhonour others less. He will consider himself better in all respect and will never agree tobe compared to other human beings.

He will always want to be ahead whilst walking with people and choose for himself a special position in the hearts of gatheringso as to be easily distinguished. He will always expect others to greet him first and show humility to him. If advised, he will beirritated and refuselo acknowledge the advice and when refuted in a matter, he will not accept it but will instead express his anger.

If anyone else besides himis praised , he will not tolerate it, instead he will always expect people to praise him and make themselves available to serve him at all times.And if he is wealthy, he will avoid association with the poor even at congregational prayers and religious functions.

Kibr on People in Qur'an

"And when it is said to him: guard against (the punishment of Allah, pride carries him off to sins therefore hell is sufficient for him, and certainly it is in an evil resting place" (AlBaqarah /206)

"And do not turn your face away from people in contempt nor go about in the land exulting over much; surely Allah does not love any self-conceited boasters." (Luqman /18)

Kibr on People inHadith

ImamJaffer as-Sadiq (a.s .) hassaid : "Kibr is to belittle the people and give them less than their right." (AlKafi )

It has also been reported from the same Imam (a.s .)that : "Whoever degrades people and shows his might over them is a tyrant." (AlKafi )

To show-off Wealth isKibr

Many wealthy people love to show-off and boast their wealth. Islam considers the rich as trustees and depositories of wealth bestowed upon them by Allah (s.w.t .). Instead of earning unnecessary fame and pomp, they are required to utilize their wealth for betterment of the deprived classes.

InHadith al-Qudsi , Almighty Allahsays : "The rich are my agents and the poor are my family. Therefore whoeveract miserly with them I shall put them into a burning fire and will care not about them." (Kalimatullah )

Many scholars ofIlmul-Akhlaq agree that wealth is the prime cause of evils such as pride, egotism, selfness,greed and injustice. It is for this reason that Islam has made it incumbent good ways of givingsadaqah (charity). Had it not made obligatory, the poor would continue to remain deprived. The Holy Qur'an relates the incident ofQaroun as a lesson for the rich and warns them of a similar fate.

Qaroun belonged to the tribe of Prophet Musa (a.s .) and was also his close relative. In theBeginning he was pious but after accumulating wealth and treasures of gold inTiyah , a desert in the Sinai Peninsula, where he engaged in alchemy and gold,Qaroun became proud and upon the believers. The followingverses ofSurat-ul Qases (76 to 81) describes Qaroun's wealth, Arrogance and the manner in which he met his fate.

"The rich are my agents and the poor are my family. Therefore whoeveract miserly with them I shall put them into a burning fire and will care not about them.' (Kalimatullah )

Many scholars ofIlmul Akhlaq agree that wealth is the prime cause of evils such as pride, egotism selfishnessgreed and injustice. It is for this reason that Islam has made it incumbent upon Muslims to payKhums ,Zakat ,Fitra and recommended good ways of givingsadaqah (charity).Had it not been made obligatory, the poor would continue to remain deprived. The Holy Qur'an relates the incident ofQaroun as a lesson for the rich and warns them of a similar fate.

Qaroun belonged to the tribe of Prophet Musa (a.s .) and was also his close relative. In thebeginning he was pious but after accumulating wealth and treasures of gold inTiyah , a desert in the Sinai Peninsula, where he engaged in alchemy and gold,Qaroun became proud and looked down upon the believers. The followingverses ofSurat-ul-Qasas (76 to 81) describes Qaroun's wealth, arrogance and the manner in which he met his fate.

"Surely,Qaroun was of the people of Musa, but he rebelled against them and we had given him a treasure, so much so that his hoards of wealth would certainly weigh down a company of men possessed of great strength. When his people said tohim :do not exult, surely Allah does not like the exultant. And seek by means of what Allah has given you the future abode, and do not neglect your portion of this world, and do good (to others) as Allah has done good to you and do not seek to make mischief in the land, surely Allah does not love mischief makers.

Hesaid : I have been given this only on account of the knowledge I have. Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him of the generation those who were mightier in strength than he and greater assemblage?And the guilty shall not be asked about their faults.So he went forth to his people in his finery.

Those who desire this world's lifesaid :O would that we had the like of whatQaroun is given: most surely he is possessed of mighty good fortune. And those who were given the knowledgesaid :Woe to you. Allah's reward is better for him who believes and doesgood , and none is made to receive this except the patient. Thus we made the earth to swallow up him and hisabode : so he had nobody of helpers to assist him against Allah nor was he of those who can defend themselves.

Thelesson which one learns from the incident ofQaroun is that his ingratitude and pride led to the punishment of Allah (S.W.T.)

Human beings, irrespective of theircolour , language,culture or social position have one or the other praiseworthy quality hidden in them. Just as some shortcomings are common in human beings, in the same way some good qualities are also inherent in them. Moreover, these qualities would differ from person to person. For instance, if one is rich it does not mean he is better and superior than a poor man.Who knows that the poor man would possess qualities superior to the rich man e.g. in knowledge, piety or Courage.

The Incident ofBahlool

OnceHaroon al-Rashid, theAbbaside Caliph andBahlool were going to theHammam (a public Bath). On the way,Haroon askedBahlool : "What would my value be if I were a slave?"

Bahlool replied "Fifty diners."

Haroon , in an enraged voiceremarked' : "O mad man! How could that be? My own valuable clothes are worth that much ormore "

Bahlool reacted to this,saying : "The value I had suggested was for your clothes otherwise you yourself are of no value at all?"

AlthoughHaroon thought that being a caliph, his value would be more if sold as a slave he forgot that in the market of slaves, the purchasers do not see the pre-status of a slave but his present strength and ability to work actively.Haroon's easy and lusty lifestyle would not assist him in being of any use to his master. Therefore, one should never undermine others simplyon account of their possessions.

Considering Oneself Pious isKibr

People who considerthemselves to be pious on account of their excessive worship or knowledge are also proud. Allah (s.w.t .) has explicitly condemned in the Holy Qur'an those who consider themselves noble and pure. "Have you not considered those who attribute purity to themselves? Nay, Allah purifies whom He pleases; and they shall not be wronged the husk of a data stone." (An Nisa /49)

"Therefore, do not attribute purity to your soul; He knows him best who guards (against evils)." (An Najm /32)

One may consider himself superior in knowledge andclaims : "I have a lot of knowledge or I have studied under guidance of so and so scholar, or I have spent so many years in seeking knowledge ..."

Or considers himself better in worship and claims : "I stay awake for whole nights or fast for so many days, or have been to Hajj andZiyaraat for so many times."

Such people, without realizing it, are entrenched in walls of pride. It was for this reason thatShaykh Abbas alQummi , one of the greatshiite scholars in Iran, when informed of thousands of people awaiting him to lead the prayers inMashad al-Muaqaddas , avoided going for the purpose and declared to his associates that it was because of pride thatover came him. "How can I lead the prayers when they thought of many people saying their prayers behind me had alreadyoccurred ?" This was his humble reply.

7) Signs of Pride in Man

The following are the signs evident in a proudperson :

1. Whilst discussing a matter with associates, it will be difficult for him to accept the facts presented by them. If he acknowledges the other person's view, it would be in a manner likely to create a feeling of an importance on his part and will never smile or express happiness for the same.

2. He will always avoid being the first to greet, especially those whom he considers below himself.

3. He will not pay attention to needs of the poor who are badly afflicted with poverty and will avoid sitting near them.

4. It will be a sign of disgrace for him to carry with his own hands the basic requirements for himself and his family such as rations of food. (This does not apply in circumstances which forces one to avoid such an action).

5. He will avoid wearing cheap and simple clothes and will always want to wear expensive clothesso as to distinguish himself from the poor. (The too does not apply to those who are compelled due to certain circumstances which threaten their legal status in a society).

6. He will always choose to sit in a gathering with people of high position and social status.

7. He will avoid dining with the poor, servants and those whom he considers below himself.

8. His conversation and other actions will portray his love for domination over others.

8) Treatment forKibr

It is essential for a person sufferingform Kibr to observe the following remedies so as to abstain from this destructive spiritualdisease :