How to Cure Our Arrogance ?
Imam al-Sadiq (A) says: `Verily kibr (arrogance) is the lowest degree of ilhad (apostasy)’
Kibr is the name of a psychic state in which a person feels a sense of superiority and behaves high-handedly with others.
Its signs are discernible in his actions and its symptoms are clearly noticed by others by which they know that he is proud.
This perception of superiority and supremacy over others causes in him a state of vanity which is arrogance.
Kibr, in this sense, is an inner state, and when its effects are reflected in his behaviour and his speech, it is called takabbur.
In short, the self-indulgent person becomes self-seeking, and his self seeking tendency grows into self-love, and when this self-love is filled to the brim it manifests itself as haughtiness and high-handed treatment of others.
Now that you have known the viciousness of arrogance, it is now your duty to resolve to cure yourself of this disease and to make up your mind to purge your heart from its taints and remove its traces and its heavy dust from the mirror of your heart:
- My friend, if you are proud of your spiritual attainments, they (i.e. the Prophet and Imam ‘Ali) were over and above all of us in this respect; and if you have arrogance in your office and authority, they possessed true sovereignty. Yet, in spite of it, their humility and modesty was more than of anybody else. This shows that humility is the product of knowledge and wisdom, and arrogance is the outcome of ignorance.
- Free yourself from the ignominy of ignorance and the disgrace of petty-mindedness;
- Acquire the attributes of the prophets and shed the qualities of Satan.
- Do not contend with your God regarding His mantle of Arrogance and Glory, as His wrath will subdue the contender and he will fall on his face into hell-fire. If you make up your mind for rectifying your self, the way to do so is also easy if you are somewhat persevering. You will not encounter any peril on this way if you move with manly resolve, freedom of thought, and high-mindedness. The only way of overpowering your carnal self and repelling the insinuations of Satan is to act against their incitements.
- No other way is better for crushing the desires of the self as adopting the traits and qualities of the modest and following their behavior and character. In whatever stage of arrogance you may be, and to whatever scientific or professional field you belong, you are advised to act against the inclinations and desires of the self.
- By discovering and meditating about this-worldly and other-worldly consequences of arrogance, it is hoped, your journey will become easier and you will reach the desired goal. If your self wishes that you should take the seat of chairmanship of the gathering or to take precedence over your colleagues and equals, you should act against its desire. If your self incites you to refrain from joining the company of the poor and indigent, admonish it severely and resolutely go and sit in their company, dine with them and travel with them.
- It is possible that your inner self would try to prevent you by arguing that you are a person of a higher position and that it is essential to keep up your esteem and dignity for the sake of the propagation of the Shari’ah, that sitting with the poor will undermine your respect in society, that humor with the subordinates will be injurious to your authority, that occupying a lowly place in gatherings will affect your status and then you will not be able to perform your religious duties properly… and so on.
[And the last point is that] be certain that all these are guiles of the Devil and wiles of the self. You have read and heard about the behavior and character of the Holy Prophet (S), whose worldly position was incomparably superior to you.
