Feeling of Self-importance

“Whoever has a feeling of self-importance is destroyed.”

“Once I asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.) about the feeling of self-importance that destroys good deeds. The Imam said, ‘The feeling of self-importance is of several degrees. Of such feeling is that one’s bad deeds seem attractive to him. He considers it good and it gives him a feeling of self-importance. He thinks that he is doing well. Of such a feeling is that a servant (of Allah) believes in his Lord and begins to like doing a favor to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, in fact, Allah has done him the favor.’”

“A man sins and then feels regretful. He then does a good deed that gives him happiness (feeling of self-importance). He then weakens. His being in a condition (regretful) is better than what he finds himself in (after a good deed with feeling of self- importance).”

“Once a scholar went to see a worshipper and asked, ‘How are your prayers?’ He (the worshipper) replied, ‘Is a person like me questioned about his prayers? I have been worshipping Allah from such and such times.’ The scholar then asked, ‘How is your weeping?’ He (the worshipper) said, ‘I weep until my tears flow.’ The scholar said, ‘In fact, your laughing with fear is better than your weeping with bravado; nothing of the deeds of boastful people ascends (to heaven).”’

“Two people went to a Mosque. One was a worshipper and the other a sinful one. They left the Mosque. The sinner was a true believer, but the worshipper had become a sinner. It so happened, because the worshipper went to the Mosque boastful of his worshipping, thus, his thoughts were all the time on boastfulness. The sinner was regretful for his sins and was asking forgiveness from Allah.”

“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘A man performs a deed and he is fearful and worried. Then he performs a good deed that gives him a feeling of self- importance.’ The Imam said, ‘His being in a fearful condition is better than his having a feeling of self-importance.’”

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Once Moses was sitting when Satan came to him with a many-colored hooded cloak on him. When he approached Moses he took his cloak off, stood nearby, and offered him the greeting of peace. Moses asked, ‘Who are you?’ He replied, ‘I am Satan.’ Moses said, ‘Is it you? May Allah not bring you near by.’ Satan said, ‘I came to offer you greetings of peace because of your closeness to Allah.’ The Imam said, ‘Moses then asked, ‘What is this hooded cloak for?’ He said, ‘With this I kidnap the hearts of the children of Adam.’ Moses said, ‘Tell me which sin is it that when the children of Adam commit it you feel successful?’ He said, ‘It is when he feels self-important, his good deeds are a great deal and his sins trivial. ’ “The Imam said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, said to David, “O David, give good news to the sinners and warn the true believers.” He asked, ‘How should I give good news to the sinners and warn the true believers?’ Allah said, ‘Give good news to the sinners that I accept repentance and forgive their sins. Warn the true believers against feeling self-important due to their deeds. If I will ever make anyone settle his accounts, he is destroyed.’”