Aslam

Once a man struck a hermit on his neck with his foot and then fell at once in prostration. The hermit said: Raise your head up, God will not forgive you. God sent revelation to the prophet of that age: Tell the hermit that he is a proud man and God will not forgive his sins.

Once a man was praised before the Prophet. When he came to the Prophet, they said: O Apostle of God, we praised this man.
The Prophet said: I am getting the smell of the devil from the mouth of this man. He came, saluted the Prophet and stood by him. The Prophet asked him: I ask you in the name of God: Do you think that there is no better man than you in your tribe? He said: Ye, I think so. The Prophet saw the impurity of .his mind by the light of prophethood and that reflected on his face.

(3) The third cause of pride: The third cause of pride is that of pedigree and ancestry. He who is honourable in pedigree and ancestry, holds another in contempt though the latter is superior to him in divine service and education. Abu Zarr said: There was an alteration between me and another man in presence of the Prophet. I said to him: O son of a Negro. At once, the Prophet said: O Abu Zarr, one Sa'a is equal to another Sa'a (two scales are equal). There is no superiority of the son of a pretty woman over that of a black woman. Abu Zarr said: I became ashamed and said to the man: Rise up and slap on my face. Now look how the

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Prophet brought him to his senses. He thought himself superior as he was beautiful. Once two men began to boast of their ancestry. One man said to another: I am the descendant of so and so. Who are you? You have got no mother. The Prophet said: Two men quarrelled thus before Moses. One man said: I am the son of so and so. He showed his ancestors up to the ninth degree. God then revealed to Moses: O Moses, tell that proud man: your ancestors upto the ninth degree have gone to Hell. You are the tenth person among them. The Prophet said: Some men take boast of their ancestors, but they are reduced to ashes in Hell or worse than worms of cow-dung near God.

(4) Fourth cause-pride of beauty: Such a pride is found mostly in women. Hazrat Ayesha said: Once a woman came to the Prophet and I showed by my hand that she is such (short-statured). The Prophet then said: You have back-bited her.

(5) Fifth reason-pride of wealth and riches, of the kings and rulers, of merchandise among merchants, of lands among peasants, of dresses and conveyances among the luxurious persons. As a result, they hold the poor in contempt.

(6) Sixth reason-pride of strength. If there is strength in body, it generates pride. A strong man take pride before a weak man.

(7) Seventh reason-pride of man and power. If there are many disciples, helpers, students, or relatives, pride crops up in mind. Similarly the rulers and kings take pride for their number of soldiers, arms and ammunitions.