Chapter IX: Evils of Pride and Vanity
(5) Fifth class is the self-praise of the oppressive rulers and kings. The medicine is as follows. They should think that their
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end is disgraceful. They will be object of God's extreme hatred for their oppression of the people and creation of disturbance in region. The angels on the Resurrection Day will throw Hell on their faces.
(6) Sixth class is boast for the increased number of children, slaves and servants, relatives, friends, helpers and disciples. The unbelievers said: We are great in men arid money. Think how they were destroyed. The Muslims thought in the Battle of Hunain that they were superior in number and for that pride they fled away from the battle field at the first instance. God says: How many a small party defeated a big party by the order of God. So how can you boast of your number? When you will be dead, you will be alone bereft of your friends, relatives and helpers who will come of no use to you. Then will leave you to be eaten by snakes and worms in graves. They will flee away on the Resurrection Day from you the day when you will be in utmost distress.
(7) Seventh class is self-praise for riches. The Prophet once saw a poor man sitting by the side of a rich man. The rich man removed himself from his side and the Prophet said; Do you fear his poverty coming running to you? Its medicine is to think that there are many dangers of wealth and many duties of rich men and there are endless merits for the poor. The poor will enter paradise long before the rich. Wealth comes and goes, there is no fixity.
(8) Eight class is self-praise for wrong opinion. God says: He whose evil deeds have been made nice to him and who regards them as good. God says: They think that they are doing good deeds. The Prophet said: Such mistaken notions will appear among my latter followers and for this the earlier nations were ruined when they split themselves into different tributes. So he is satisfied with his own opinion. Every tribe is satisfied with what they have got. This is the condition of those who introduced innovation in religion and they take pleasure in that. Its medicine is that his opinion is not free from defect and is not consistent with the quran and Sunnat. The best course is to follow the ways of the sages and saints and have faith in the Quranic verses and traditions and ways of the Messenger of God.
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