Arrogance
What is arrogance?
Template:رذائل اخلاقی
Arrogance, or pride, is viewing oneself as superior to others while belittling them through words or actions.
A sense of worthlessness and inner humiliation, along with the influence of Satan, are seen as causes of arrogance. Remedies for arrogance include self-awareness, remembrance of death, and strengthening self-esteem.
At times, arrogance is directed toward God, which is considered the most severe form. Arrogance can also target prophets and the righteous, where a person considers themselves above them and thus refuses to follow their guidance.
Conceptual Definition
“Kibr” (كبر) refers to considering oneself superior to others[1], while “Takabbur” (تكبر) is the manifestation of this in words and actions. If this feeling of self-superiority remains hidden, it is termed “Kibr”, but when it becomes visible and one demeans others through speech or behavior, it is known as “Takabbur”.[2]
In Persian, the terms "غرور" (Ghorur) and "تکبر" (Takabbur) are often used interchangeably, though in Arabic, "غرور" (Ghorur) specifically means deception, differing from Takabbur.
Distinction from Conceit (ʻUjb)
Template:همچنین ببینید Conceit (ʻUjb) is self-admiration.[3] A conceited person views themselves highly but does not necessarily consider themselves superior to others.[4] In contrast, an arrogant person regards themselves as superior and looks down on others.[5]
Difference Between Divine and Human Arrogance
Template:همچنین ببینید The difference between arrogance as an attribute of God and humans lies in its origin. Divine arrogance stems from God’s knowledge, power, and wisdom, while human arrogance arises from feelings of inferiority, ignorance, and weak will.
Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (AS) narrates that human arrogance is rooted in the sense of insignificance and lowliness a person feels within themselves.[6] To mask this deficiency, humans exhibit arrogance, claiming a status they do not possess.
Status
In the Quran, arrogance and the arrogant person are addressed. For instance, in the verse: ﴾کَذٰلِکَ یَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَیٰ کُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَکَبِّرٍ جَبَّار﴿ it refers to the arrogant individual. In verse 34 of Surah Al-Baqarah, arrogance is also highlighted when Iblis refused to prostrate to Adam (AS) as God had commanded.
Arrogance is regarded as the first sin committed in the world. According to Imam Ali (AS) in the Sermon of Al-Qasi’a, Iblis's arrogance nullified his six thousand years of worship.[7] In another narration, arrogance is considered the gravest of sins.[8]
Types of Arrogance
Arrogance can be categorized as follows:
- Arrogance toward God: At times, arrogance is directed toward God[9], where an individual refuses to submit to God’s servitude and does not consider worship exclusive to Him. This type of arrogance, exemplified by figures like Nimrod and Pharaoh, is rooted in rebellion and ignorance and is seen as the most despicable form of arrogance.[10]
- Arrogance toward the Prophets and Righteous Figures: Arrogance can also manifest against the prophets and righteous individuals, where a person deems themselves above them and refuses to obey them.This type of arrogance is alluded to in the verse: ﴾فَقَالُوا أَنُؤْمِنُ لِبَشَرَیْنِ مِثْلِنَا وَقَوْمُهُمَا لَنَا عَابِدُون﴿
- Arrogance toward God’s Servants: Sometimes, arrogance is directed at believers and servants of God, where an individual views themselves as superior and belittles others.[11] This type of arrogance, as it leads to opposition against God, is considered a trait that leads to a person’s ruin.[12]
Causes
Template:اصلی The causes of arrogance include personality disorders, ignorance of one's own weaknesses, and the influence of Satan over a person. A sense of humiliation and lowliness is one of the personality disorders that can lead to arrogance.
Remedies
Template:اصلی Several approaches are suggested to cure arrogance, including: Template:Col-begin۲
- Self-awareness[13]
- Remembrance of death[14]
- Worship[15]
- Humility[16]
- Reflecting on the consequences of arrogance
- Strengthening self-esteem
Recognizing one’s own weaknesses, especially in birth and death, helps to eliminate arrogance.[17] Worship, which reflects humility before God, also diminishes the sense of arrogance. One of the factors of arrogance is a sense of inferiority; hence, strengthening self-esteem is considered an effective remedy.[18]
Ruling on Arrogance for Women
Template:اصلی In a narration from Imam Ali (AS), a woman’s arrogance toward non-mahram men is considered commendable. According to this narration, this is due to the preservation of a woman's dignity and protection from potential harm.[19] This arrogance does not mean belittling the non-mahram but rather implies presenting a sense of self-respect to prevent objectification.
Arrogance, defined as "belittling others," is impermissible and considered sinful for both men and women.
References
- ↑ 1. Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt fī Gharīb al-Qurʾān, Tehran, Nashr-i Kitāb, 1404 AH, pp. 421–422; ʿIlm Akhlāq-e Islāmī, trans. Jāmiʿ al-Saʿādāt, Intishārāt Ḥikmat, 3rd ed., 1363 SH, vol. 1, p. 417.
- ↑ 2. Narāqī, Mullā Aḥmad, Miʿrāj al-Saʿādah, Mashhad, Intishārāt Nadā-yi Islāmī, 1st ed., 1362 SH, p. 176.
- ↑ Imām Khomeinī, Sayyid Rūḥ Allāh, Sharḥ Chehel Ḥadīth, Muʾassasah Tanzīm wa Nashr Āthār Imām Khomeinī, 2nd ed., 1371 SH, p. 79.
- ↑ Narāqī, Mullā Muḥammad Mahdī, Jāmiʿ al-Saʿādāt, annotated and edited by Sayyid Muḥammad Kalāntar, Maṭbaʿah al-Najaf, Muʾassasah Maṭbūʿāt-i Ismāʿīliyyān, vol. 1, pp. 344–351.
- ↑ Imām Khomeinī, Sayyid Rūḥ Allāh, Sharḥ Chehel Ḥadīth, Muʾassasah Tanzīm wa Nashr Āthār Imām Khomeinī, 2nd ed., 1371 SH, p. 79.
- ↑ Kulaynī, Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb, Uṣūl al-Kāfī, with translation and commentary by Sayyid Javād Muṣṭafavī, vol. 3, under the chapter "Kibr."
- ↑ Ibn Abī al-Ḥadīd, Sharḥ Nahj al-Balāghah, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Kutub al-ʿArabiyyah, 2nd ed., vol. 13, p. 127.
- ↑ Shafīʿī, Muḥammad, Parvarish-e Rūḥ dar Partow-e Chehel Ḥadīth, Daftar Tablīghāt-e Islāmī, 1st ed., 1370 SH, vol. 1, p. 280.
- ↑ Dastghayb, Sayyid ʿAbd al-Ḥusayn, Gunāhān-e Kabīrah, Ārmān Press, vol. 2, pp. 111–132.
- ↑ Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī, Ḥusayn, al-Mufradāt fī Gharīb al-Qurʾān, Tehran, Nashr-i Kitāb, 1404 AH, pp. 421–422.
- ↑ Narāqī, Aḥmad, Miʿrāj al-Saʿādah, p. 178.
- ↑ ʿIlm Akhlāq-e Islāmī, trans. Jāmiʿ al-Saʿādāt, Intishārāt Ḥikmat, 3rd ed., 1363 SH, vol. 1, p. 417.
- ↑ Majlisī, Muḥammad Bāqir, Biḥār al-Anwār, Beirut, vol. 78, p. 94.
- ↑ Shafīʿī, Muḥammad, Parvarish-e Rūḥ dar Partow-e Chehel Ḥadīth, Daftar Tablīghāt-e Islāmī, 1st ed., 1370 SH, vol. 1, p. 491.
- ↑ Muḥammadī Ray-Shahrī, Muḥammad, Mīzān al-Ḥikmah, Dār al-Ḥadīth, 1st ed., vol. 3, p. 2657; Shafīʿī, Muḥammad, Parvarish-e Rūḥ dar Partow-e Chehel Ḥadīth, Daftar Tablīghāt-e Islāmī, 1st ed., 1370 SH, vol. 1, p. 492.
- ↑ Shafīʿī, Muḥammad, Parvarish-e Rūḥ dar Partow-e Chehel Ḥadīth, Daftar Tablīghāt-e Islāmī, vol. 1, p. 491.
- ↑ Majlisī, Muḥammad Bāqir, Biḥār al-Anwār, Beirut, vol. 78, p. 94.
- ↑ Muḥammadī Ray-Shahrī, Muḥammad, Mīzān al-Ḥikmah, Dār al-Ḥadīth, 1st ed., vol. 3, p. 2657; Shafīʿī, Muḥammad, Parvarish-e Rūḥ dar Partow-e Chehel Ḥadīth, Daftar Tablīghāt-e Islāmī, 1st ed., 1370 SH, vol. 1, p. 492.
- ↑ Muḥammadī Ray-Shahrī, Muḥammad, Munta khab al-Ḥikmah, trans. Ḥamīd Riḍā Shaykhī, Qom, Dār al-Ḥadīth, 1382 SH, vol. 2, p. 910.