When one is blessed with Kamaalaat (Exceptional qualities or extraordinary achievements), thoughts of pride and vanity easily enter the heart. How do we keep away from this evil? What is the remedy for this illness? Following are some excerpts from a speech by Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat (Hafizahullah).

Definitions:

‘Ujb – This is to consider one’s achievements in matters of Deen and Dunya to be self attained (and not from Allah ta’ala) without fear of any loss.

Takabbur – This is a stage beyond ‘Ujb. It is conceit plus an attitude of superiority. Others are regarded with disdain and contempt.

***

When one’s sight falls on one’s Kamaalaat and one feels pride or vanity enter the heart, then one should think of how Allah subhaanahu wata’ala has granted these blessings without one even deserving it. One should think it could be that tomorrow these Kamaalaat could be snatched away since there is no guarantee that one will have them forever What we have today is solely through His Rahmat and only through His Rahmat will we have it tomorrow.

Shukr, ‘Ujb awr Kibr kaa ilaaj hein (Gratitude is the cure for pride and vanity). To show gratitude by thinking that, “I do not deserve these blessings yet You have bestowed them upon me through Your Grace” brings humility in the heart.

***

On the other hand when pride or vanity enters the heart when one’s sight falls on another person’s lesser achievement then one should think that they may have something hidden within them through which they will attain the pleasure of Allah while this looking down of mine will make me end up in the fire.

***

How can we attribute any Kamaalaat to ourselves when we cannot even take a single step without the will of Allah subhaanahu wata’ala? Is there anything to be proud of when our beginning is a dirty drop of liquid, our end is a lifeless foul-smelling body and in between we are carriers of filth!?

***

Attention should be turned instead to Allah subhaanahu wata’ala Who is in total control. His greatness should be embedded in one’s heart. He is the One Who bestows through His sheer grace and has the power to take it away and to this end the Mashaikh of all Tariqa’s advice remaining constant in the Dhikr of Allah subhaaahu wata’ala. The aim is to let the remembrance of Allah subhaanahu wata’ala supersede every other remembrance. Razaail (evil characteristics) will decrease and direction towards evil will be diverted.

***

One should think of one’s self as nothing and instead of thinking of others as lowly, one should think of one’s self as the lowest of the low.

***

Even if one observes someone committing a sin one must not look down on them because by this time they could have repented and made their slate clean with Allah while due to pride which entered the heart one’s own sins are increasing.

***

If it is embedded within our hearts that all our Kamaalaat are from Allah ta’ala alone then how can pride manifest itself? If our Kamaalaat are our own then pride would be understandable.

***

“Puri qaainaat ko Allah chalaa rahaa hein to ye 6 foot kaa insaan mein bhi jo bhi hien usi kaa hein” (The entire universe is in the control of Allah so whatever this 6 feet human has achieved also belongs to Him)

***

A Story; The Pride of an ‘Aabid[/]

There lived a great ‘Aabid (worshipper) amongst the Bani Israa’eel. Such was his status in the eyes of Allah subhaanahu wata’ala that a cloud remained above him, shading him at all times. One day while resting at a place a very sinful and lowly person passed by. On noticing the pious Wali (Friend of Allah), he went and sat near him thinking that being such an evil and sinful person, he would certainly benefit by sitting next to this great ‘Aabid.

The ‘Aabid however, immediately got up and walked off, angry at the audacity of such a sinful person sitting near him. After taking a few steps he noticed that the cloud which always accompanied him was not there. He looked back and saw that the cloud now shaded the sinful person he had just left!

He hurried to the Nabi of the time and related the whole incident. The Nabi said that he had been waiting for him as Jibra’eel had come to him with a message from Allah saying that the sinful person had been forgiven all his past sins and was granted a new beginning….the message for the ‘Aabid was that he too was given a new beginning as all his past good deeds had been wiped out on account of the pride which entered his heart!