Thinking highly of oneself serves as the root cause for all diseases of the heart.
The Foundation of the First Sin The first sin in this universe was committed by Iblees (Satan). He sowed the seed of transgression. When Allah created Adam (peace be upon him) and commanded all the angels to prostrate before him, Iblees refused.
He declared:
“أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ”
Meaning: “I am better than him. You created me from fire, while You created him from clay”
— Surah Sad: 76
He argued that fire is superior to clay, asserting that he was better than Adam and asking why he should submit to him. This marked the very first transgression in the universe.
The foundation of this sin was pride and the conviction: “I am better than him”. As a consequence, Allah expelled him from His divine presence. This makes it clear that arrogance is the root of all sins.
Arrogance: The Root of All Evil Anger, envy, hatred, hurting others’ feelings, and backbiting all stem from arrogance. As long as humility is not cultivated within the heart, one cannot attain freedom from these vices. Therefore, practicing humility is an obligatory duty upon every believer.
The True Reality of Humility Tawadu is an Arabic term meaning “considering oneself of lower standing than others”. Merely professing modesty in speech does not constitute true humility.
Today, many believe they have attained humility simply by calling themselves “humble servant,” “poor soul,” or “a lowly sinner”. Genuine humility does not rest on outward declarations; it is an internal state of genuinely feeling insignificant before Allah.
True humility is recognizing: “I possess no special merit; if any good deed comes from me, it is solely through the grace and mercy of Allah, not my own capability”.
Once the heart attains this state, whatever words the tongue utters matter little. To the one who realizes this humility, Allah grants true honor and elevation.
The Humility of the Prophet (peace be upon him) Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Whenever someone shook hands with the Prophet (peace be upon him), he would never withdraw his hand until the other person released it, nor would he turn his face away until the other person turned first. When seated in an assembly, he never extended his knees ahead of others out of pride or superiority.
— Tirmidhi
The Prophet (peace be upon him) sat among the people as one of them, living with such simplicity that visitors from outside could not distinguish who the Prophet was.
The Conduct of the Prophet (peace be upon him) The Prophet (peace be upon him) never ate while reclining, nor did he like people walking in a procession behind him. When a person allows a crowd to follow behind him, Satan inflates self-pride within his heart.
The path to reaching Allah lies in servant hood (‘Ubudiyyah), self-effacement (Fana), and humility.
When performing a good deed, remember two principles:
- Humility: Realizing “I did not accomplish this through my own strength; I am weak”.
- Gratitude: Thanking Him by acknowledging “God, through His immense grace, granted me the Tawfeeq (ability) to perform this good action”.
One must continually converse with the self in this manner to uproot emerging feelings of pride. Allah does not accept good deeds performed with worldly motives.
One must remain exceptionally vigilant, as arrogance can ultimately lead to Shirk (associating partners with Allah), the gravest of all sins.