To help us progress in our faith throughout our life we should always remain steadfast and keep striving to improve ourselves. We should never be content to remain static and settling for what we are. Instead, we should be constantly doing self-reckoning every day. As through self-reckoning you can see what you have done and how you can improve therefore you will be more ready for the next day to strive to reach new heights.
Unfortunately, all too often this is not the case and instead of a Muslim going from strength to strength, they go from strength to weakness as they put more importance of this world before God. I see it all too often that the zeal and enthusiasm found in the converts and young Muslims start slipping away as the years pass as more responsibilities are put on them. Therefore, we must be more aware of our spiritual progress and try to avoid the dangers which allow us to slip.
One of the main dangers is arrogance, as this can easily creep up on you. The Holy Qur’an teaches us about the three roots of evil which can eat away and destroy a person’s spirituality. They are arrogance, greed and jealousy.
This has also been beautifully explained by the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:
“Three things are the roots of every sin. One should avoid them. Refrain from arrogance because it was due to arrogance that Satan was instigated not to prostrate to Adam.
Second, stay away from greed because it was greed that made Adam eat the fruit of the forbidden tree.
Third, avoid jealousy because it was out of jealousy that one of Adam’s sons killed his brother.”
Therefore, we should avoid arrogance and instead strive to be humble.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, has said that pride is a form of shirk i.e., the setting up of equals with God. Disobedience to those who are in authority is a common demonstration of pride. Islam teaches that it is incumbent to obey those who are placed in authority providing one is not called upon to do something contrary to the teachings of Islam.
In religious affairs it matters not who is appointed the Imam or leader – he must be obeyed. The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: ‘Hear and obey even though a person with a head the size of a raisin be appointed to rule over you’.
The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has also said:
“He who has a jot of arrogance in his heart will not enter Paradise. Someone said, ‘what about a person who likes to have beautiful clothes and beautiful shoes?’ The Prophet answered, ‘Allah is Beauty and He loves beauty. (One cannot be called arrogant if one beautifies oneself). Arrogance lies in the rejection of the truth and in looking down upon people.”
This is the great danger, when your wealth or position makes you arrogant.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, has said:
“I admonish my community to shun arrogance because arrogance is most loathsome to God, the Lord of Glory. You may not perhaps fully realise what arrogance is. So learn it from me because I speak with the spirit of God.
Everyone who looks down upon his brother because he considers himself to be more learned, wiser, or more accomplished than him is arrogant. He is arrogant because, instead of considering God to be the Fountainhead of all wisdom and knowledge, he considers himself something. Likewise, he too is arrogant who thinking if his wealth or high status, looks down upon his brother. He is arrogant because he has ignored the fact that this status and grandeur were bestowed upon him by God.”
It is very easy to look down on others, point the finger, instead we should always look for the good in each other. Admire a person’s good qualities and raise yourself to that position that is far better for you than bring others down.
The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
“Allah has revealed to me that you should be humble, so that no one transgresses against another, no one holds himself above another. (Muslim)
We should keep striving for humility instead of arrogance. Of course, the best way to develop humility is through the prayer. The prayer is such that it makes you humble in every position, especially when you are at your lowest in prostration, that is the time when Allah listens to you and answers your prayers. It shows that Allah loves us when we are humble.
The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has also said:
“O God! Keep me humble while I am alive and keep me humble when I die and let my resurrection on the Day of Judgement be with the humble.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the fifth successor of the Promised Messiah, may Allah always be His helper, has said:
“When the Promised Messiah outlined the objectives of his coming, it clearly means that his followers too should demonstrate these qualities in themselves and thus reveal Islam’s beauty and its status as a living religion. Thus, our foremost responsibility is to strengthen our relationship with God, foster our ties of love and sincerity with the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
To this end, our own deeds should be such as are worthy of being followed. We will have to set high examples in terms of spirituality and do away with our carnal desires and show the world that God listens and responds to His servants today just as He did in the past. We have to tell the world that God is One, He has no peer, and that our survival depends on being attached to Him.”