Pretension and Conceit

A Seal of Musk

SUBLIME TRADITION & AN EXPLANATION BY IMAM AL-KHOMEINI, MAY HIS SHADE PROLONG

As we conclude these sheets, we would like to cite a sacred tradition narrated by al-Kulaini (may Allah be pleased with him) in his sacred book Al-Kafi from the Master of those who believe in the Unity of Allah, namely the Commander of the Faithful (a.s). Sheikh al-Saduq (may Allah be pleased with him) has narrated a similar one from Imam Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq (a.s). It is one of the pieces of advice by the Prophet (a.s) to Ali (a.s). The tradition is thus rendered through isnad to Abu Abdullah (a.s) who said that the Commander of the Faithful (a.s) had said, "There are three distinctive marks of a pretender: He is energetic [in feigning acts of adoration] when he sees people, is lazy when alone, and loves to be praised in all his affairs."

Imam al-Khomeini, may his shade prolong, has said the following :

Since this disgusting sin may be hidden, not known by even the person with which lie is afflicted: He claims his deed is sincere, whereas in his innermost, he is among the pretenders. For this reason, they have stated a mark of identification so one may thereby identify his innermost, and he may thus start curing himself of it :

One sees himself, when alone, as having no desire to undertake acts of obedience to Allah. When he forces himself to perform an act of worship, as he is accustomed to doing, he does so without energy or desire. Rather, he performs it as incomplete, impure. But if he is present in mosques or congregations, he keeps himself busy with an act or adoration as he is seen by the public. So he does it with energy, with connection, with pleasure, and with an attentive heart. He loves to prolong his bowing and prostrating during his prayer, performs what is commendable, well carries out its parts and requirements. If his mind wakes up to such doing, and if lie asks himself about the reason for doing that, the nafs will then place its trap on the principles of adoration and, in order to deceive one, says, "Your energy with regard to worship in mosques is more rewarding," or that prayers with a congregation is such and such. Or lie may be in a congregation other than the mosques, so it says to him, "It is highly commendable for one to undertake a well done job so others may emulate him, follow his example, or have the desire for the creed.

" It thus deceives one through any means it can. The truth is that this happiness and energy are not prompted except by a heart disease with which this poor man is afflicted, whHe he considers his nafs as being sound, not sick. There is no hope that he will be healed. This wretch, in his innermost, in his pith, in his conscience, loves to show people his deed whHe lie is being unaware of it. Rather, he is demonstrating disobedience in the form of adoration, turning pretension into propagation for the creed. Although it is commendable that one performs what is recommended when he is by himself, why does the nafs always love to undertake it in public? It weeps for fear of Allah in public congregations with energy and gladly, but when alone, no matter how it tries, it cannot squeeze a drop out of the eye. Why does fear of Allah take place only in congregations? One weeps and supplicates in the presence of thousands of people during the nights of Qadr, offering a hundred prostrations during his prayers, reciting the Greater Jawshan supplication and the smaller one as well as chapters from the Holy Qur'an without feeling lazy, nor is he tired doing all of that. But if he prays ten rek'at in his solitude, he feels a back pain, and he is in such a bad shape! If the deeds that come up of an individual are prompted solely to win the Pleasure of Allah Almighty, or to attain His mercy, or out of fear of His fire, or out of eagerness for Paradise, why should this individual love people to praise him for them? Why should he listen to their praise, directing his heart towards them so he may hear someone lauding him or saying that so-and-so is a man of adoration, a worshipper who is keen to be in the forefront when the time of prayers comes, is mindful of what is commendable?! Or so he does so in order that he may hear someone saying that so-and-so, who performed the pilgrimage, is a trustworthy man, a man who can be reliable upon with regard to his transactions, etc. If one looks forward to Allah Almighty with anticipation, why should he care for all this profuse love [for public praise]? If [love for] paradise and [fear of] the lire are your catalyst to undertake this deed, why do you care for such love? So, be mindful lest this love should come from the branches of that bad tree, pretension, and try your best to repair what you can repair, and rid yourself of such love.

There is no harm in attracting attention to something in this regard which is: For each of these psychological conditions that arc more than the good and the bad aspects, there are many levels, To be characterized by one of the good attributes whHe being dissociated from a level of bad attributes may be the specialty of those who know Allah, who are friends of Allah. As regarding the rest of people, they are as they are in their levels. To be characterized by what is a shortcoming in the sight of the men of knowledge, of the friends of Allah, does not seem to them [to these faulty persons] to be a shortcoming. Rather, it may be perfection of a sort. Also, the merits of these individuals seem to be bad to the men of knowledge, to the friends of Allah. Pretension, which we are discussing, is actually one of these attributes. Salvation from all its levels is the privilege of the friends of Allah. Others do not share them in it.

The general public of people being characterized by one of its levels is not a shortcoming based on the station in which they are. It does not harm their conviction or sincerity. For example, the hearts of the general public, according to their nature, incline towards showing people what is good about them, even if they do not do so with the intention of showing off. But their souls by nature are inclined to such love, and this does not necessitate rendering the deed as void or describing them as unbelievers, hypocrites and polytheist, although this is surely a shortcoming in the sight of the friends of Allah, a shirk, a hypocrisy in the view of a friend of Allah, or one who knows Allah. To be totally free of absolute shirk, to be redeemed of all its levels, is the first station of the friends of Allah who have other stations not suitable for elaboration here. The Infallible Ones, peace be with them, have said that their adoration is one of freemen's, that is, solely out of love for Allah Almighty, neither coveting Paradise nor fearing hell. It is one of their ordinary stations and the first degree of their mastership. There are for them, peace be with them, in their adoration conditions which are beyond our comprehension.

Based on what we have stated, a combination can be made of the tradition cited above transmitted from the Messenger of Allah (a.s) and the Commander of the Faithful (peace be with both of them), and the other tradition by Zurarah who cites Abu Ja'fer, peace be with him, as narrated by Muhammad ibn Yacoub who traces it back to Abu Ja'fer, peace be with him, saying, "I asked him about a man who does something good. Another sees it and is pleased with it. He said that there is no harm in it, that everyone loves to look in the eyes of people as a man of goodness unless he does something solely for this purpose." If one loves to be praised, he is regarded in one of the traditions as manifesting pretension, whHe in the other tradition the harm is removed when someone is pleased with something good coming out of his deed. The common denominator in the combination is the difference of opinion according to the status of the individuals. There is another way to look at the combination of both traditions which we have overlooked.

Here the speech of our professor [al-Khomeini], may Allah prolong his shade, ends.

I say, perhaps the other way in combining both traditions is that the first tradition examines the love for praise at the time when a good deed is being done, and it is a mark of pretension. The other tradition examines love for praise after a deed is already done.

Or the love for praise in the first tradition is made as a mark of pretension, arranged by the other two marks, as is linguistically clear, especially since paying attention to the first marks (energy when people see a doer of good deed and laziness when he is by himself), and they must be observed together or separately so they may comprise a mark for pretension; otherwise, if one of them is supposed, say the energy when people see him and also when alone or laziness in both cases, it is definitely not a mark of pretension. If it is added to love for praise, it will definitely be a mark for pretension, a sure revelation of it, and this is contrary to praise alone, for it is not a mark of pretension as the second tradition says.

Or we may say that the first tradition means the pretender, because of being afflicted with the disease of pretension, loves people to praise him in all his affairs, as the tradition states. As for the second tradition, it is similar to partial obligation: it points out to the appearance of goodness from one when pleased: there is no harm so long as he did not do the deed for solely this purpose. Surely Allah is the One Who knows best, and the last of our supplication is: Praise to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

These sheets have been written down by the indigent, the one needs the mercy of his Lord, Sayyid Ahmed al-Fahri, on the twentieth day of the blessed Month of Ramadan in the city of Damascus in the year 1404 with the one who undertook the migration may be prayers and peace.

[This concludes the dissertation on pretension. 1

CONCEIT A DISSERTATION ABOUT CONCEIT CONCEIT ACCORDING TO TRADITIONS MEANING OF CONCEIT AN EXPLANATION BY IMAM KHOMEINI DEGREES & LEVELS OF CONCEIT In the Name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful A DISSERTATION ABOUT CONCEIT

CONCEIT

Before we start to explain the meaning of conceit, the damage it causes, its characteristics and how this contemptible case is treated, we ought to pave the way for all of that with some citations from the Qur'an and the traditions of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be with them all.

Suffices to identify the significance of conceit and the calamity this contemptible case brings about, in the view of the Qur'an, to read verses 103 – 105 of the blessed Chapter "The Cave", Al-Kahf, where Allah, Praised is He, says, "Say: 'Shall we tell you of those who lose the most with regard to their deeds, those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, whHe they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds? They are those who deny their Lord's Signs and the fact that they shall meet Him (in the hereafter): Their deeds will be in vain, nor shall We grant them any weight on the Day of Judgment" ( Qur'an, 18:103-105 ).

We derive from these sacred verses many interesting points on which we are not going to elaborate, but we would only like to point out that conceit, according to these verses, becomes a cause for many good endeavors in this life to go to waste: it leads to disbelieving the Signs of Allah and in meeting Him, a cause for voiding the good deeds; so, conceit spares no good deed whereby salvation is anticipated. For these reasons, the good deeds of the conceited ones will have no weight on the Judgment Day. This suffices as the destruction caused by this case that brings loss.

As regarding conceit according to traditions, the revered Al-Kafi traces to Ali ibn Suwaid asking, the father of Imam al-Hassan (a.s) about conceit which ruins good deeds. The Imam (a.s) said, "Conceit is of many levels, One of them is that the bad deed of a servant of Allah is decorated for him, so he sees it as good and he likes it, thinking he is doing something good. Another level is when a servant believes in his Lord, so he thinks he has clone Allah Almighty a favor whHe Allah is the one who bestowed His favor on him." The Imam (a.s) is also cited as having said, "One who is absorbed by conceit perishes." Also he is cited as having said, "Someone sins then regrets. He does a good deed whereby he is pleased, so he relaxes his condition. It would have been better for him to maintain his first status rather than enter into that." The Imam (a.s) is also quoted as having said, "A scholar came to a worshipper and asked him about his prayers. The worshipper said, 'Should someone like me be asked about his prayers while 1 have been worshipping Allah since such-and-such?!' asked him about his tears. The man said to him. 'I cry till my tears pout out.' The scholar then said to him. 'Your laughter whHe being afraid is better than your weeping whHe you are thus bragging about it. Nothing of the good deed of a braggart is ever raised.'"

The Messenger of Allah (a.s) has said, "Three things are lethal: an obeyed miserliness, an illicit desire that iss followed, and one who is proud of himself" He (a.s) has also said, "I lad you not sinned, I would have feared for you what is greater than sinning: conceit, conceit."

Ibn Mas'ud has said, "Perishing is brought about in two situations: despondency and conceit. It is when one loses hope for the mercy of Allah, desponds from salvation, loses hope from self reform."

Ibn Mas'ud has combined both of these because one's happiness is pawned by his endeavor and serious effort in seeking it. The Almighty has said, ".., man can have nothing but what he strives for" (Qur'an, 53:39). Unless one energetically seeks his objective and original goal, he will never attain the sought happiness. Each of these two characteristics, despondency and conceit, plays a role in slowing down an effort towards one's goal, prohibiting one from seeking it as he ought to. As regarding despondency, the morale of the despondent person is not prepared to pursue his objective. One who desponds from reforming himself, so lie is not energetic in order to save it, he may do something that is faster in causing his perdition. One who desponds from reforming himself does not mind committing any wrongdoing; therefore, despondency from the broad mercy of Allah is considered as one of the greatest sins. As for conceit, since the conceited person thinks he achieved his happiness and won his objective and goal, he, too, stops his good endeavor and pursuit.

In other words, man does not seek something which is already available rather than something which is impossible. Happiness in the eyes of the conceited person is already present, and in the eyes of the despondent person it is impossible. In this regard, we contend ourselves with this much.

MEANING OF CONCEIT

Conceit means one sees and admires himself and his actions. It is a psychological condition which we sometimes find in ourselves. The meanings given to it, that have been mentioned in language books, mostly explain its requirements or consequences such as elation, arrogance, and denying what others hold against you as objectionable, according to Al-Munjid.

These meanings, as you can see, are among the requirements of the state which we mentioned in one's nafs. As regarding the idiomatic meaning for conceit, according to the definition of the scholars of mannerism, it is, according to some scholars of the hereafter, magnifying the blessing, taking it for granted whHe forgetting to attribute it to the One Who bestowed it.

Allama al-Majlisi, may Allah sanctify his soul, has said that conceit is magnifying the good deed, seeing it as plentiful. As regarding feeling pleased with it whHe feeling humble to the most Exalted One and thanking Him for enabling its doing, it is good, commendable.

I say that what this great traditionist has said, that is, conceited is "one who sees himself as not having fallen short of undertaking the deed", a reference to a particular conduct to which narrations have referred. Among such traditions is one recorded in the sacred book A1-Kafi from the father of al-Hassan, namely Imam Mousa son of Ja'fer, peace be with both of them, who said once to one of his sons, "O son! You have to maintain your endeavor. Do not ever think of yourself as having transcended the stage of falling short of perfecting your worship of Allah, the most Exalted, the most Great, and arc obeying Him, for Allah is never adored as He should be." it is also as the Messenger of Allah (a.s.) had said, being the best of all descendants of Adam, the one who is the best of them in his knowledge of Allah, and the one who adored Him the best, addressing Him thus: "We did not know You as You ought to he known, nor did we adore You as You should rightly be adored." Al-Kafi, too, cites Jabir [son of Abdullah al-Ansari saying that the hither of Imam Ja'fer (a.s) said to him, "O Jabir! May Allah never get you out of the feeling of being neglectful and of being derelict in worshipping Allah."

The great traditionist, 'allama al-Majlisi, has quoted the knowledgeable critic, the great scholar, and the most revered mentor Baha ad-Deen al-'Amili, may Allah be pleased with him, saying, "There is no doubt that if one does a righteous decd, such as fasting on certain days, spending the night praying and the like, feels happy about it. If he feels like that on account of these deeds being a boon from Ain, a blessing from Him, the most Exalted One, upon him, whHe being afraid of their disappearance, pleading to Allah to grant him more of them..., such feeling is not conceit. But if he thinks that they represent his own characteristic, that they are done by his person, being attributed to him, thinking much of them and feeling reliant upon them, seeing himself as being outside the limit of dereliction, having the attitude as if he is doing Allah. Praise to Him, a favor because of them, such is conceit."