Aslam

them. Such a conduct is included within pride. Once a man came to the Prophet trembling as he was attacked with small pox. At that time, the companions were taking meal along with the Prophet. When he sat near one of the companions, he went away from him. The Prophet drew him near and made him sit.

(6) Another sign of a proud man is that such a man does not give in charity with his own hand. Once a guest came to Caliph Omar-b- Abdul Aziz at night. He was then writing and the light of the lamp was about to be extinguished. The guest said : I shall take the lamp and make it right. He said : to engage a guest in any work is against gentlemanly behaviour. The guest said : I am waking up your servant. The caliph said : The servant has gone just now for sleep. Then the Caliph himself filled up the lamp with oil. The guest said : O Commander of the Faithful, are you yourself doing it ? He said : Before the oil was brought, I was the same Omar as I am after it was brought. There is no decrease of my honour. He who is humble to God is best.

(7) Another sign of pride is that such a man does not carry his necessary things to his house. This is opposed to the habit of the humble. The Prophet used to take recourse to the path of modesty. Hazrat Ali said : No perfection of a perfect man is reduced if he carries any thing to his house. When Hazrat Abu Obaidah was Commander-in-Chief, he used to carry his own water pitcher to the bath room. The saint Sabet-b-Malek said : I saw the companion Abu Hurairah carrying a load of fueles from the market though he was then the governor of Calip Merwan.
He said : O Ibn Malek, give a little way to your governor. Asbat-b-"
Nabatah said : As if I am seeing Hazrat Omar with a bushel of meat in his left hand and the staff of administration in his right hand roaming in the market. A certain sage said : I saw Hazrat Ali with a bag of meat which he purchased for one dirham carrying it to his house. I said to him : O Commander of the Faithful, give it to me for carrying. He said : It can't be, the master of family is fit to carry it.

(8) Another sign of pride is in dresses and adornments. The Prophet said : Dress of ordinary kind belongs to faith, the saint Harun said : I asked the Prophet about the meaning of the word Bazarah. He said : It is a dress of ordinary kind. Zaid-b-Wahab said : I saw Hazrat Omar once coming out for the market with the staff of administration in his hand and with a torn piece of cloth

264 The Book of Destructive evils Vol-III

which he put on. It had fourteen stitches, some of which were of

old skin. Hazrat Ali was asked once of short dress. He said : I put

on such a dress for which mind becomes soft. Jesus Christ said :

Pride comes in mind becomes soft. Jesus Christ said : Pride comes

in mind if good dress is put on. It has been reported that Calip

Omar-b-Abdul Aziz once purchased a dress with one thousand