Aslam

(5) Fifth trial. Put on ordinary dress. If you want to come out before the people the people with good dress, it will be show and if it seems good to you when alone, it will be pride. Galiph Omar-b- Abdul Aziz had a coarse cloth which he used to put on at night. The Prophet said : He who tethers a camel and puts on sufi dress is free from pride. He also said : I am a mere servant. I put on sufi dress, tether camels, suck my fingers after meal and except the invitation of a slave. He who turns away from my ways does not belong to my party.

STRICT HABIT OF ACQUIRING MODESTY

Know, O dear readers, that modesty has got two extremes like other conducts. Humility which reaches the extreme limit shows pride and humility which reaches the limit of loss is called meanness. The middle condition of humility is called modesty.
The best condition is modest conduct without meanness and pride. He who goes in front of friends is a proud man and he who* walks behind them is modest. The good man to God is he who adopts the middle course and pays the dues to whom they are due. Don't hold in contempt any man of the market as you don't know your ultimate end.

Vol-III Pride and self-praise 273

SECTION 2

SELF-PRAISE

Know, O dear readers, that Wuzab or self-praise has been condemned by God and His Prophet. God says: In the battle of Hunain, your superiority in number gave you self-satisfaction but nothing came to your use. God says: "They (Jews) thought that their fortresses would save them from God but God gave them (Muslims) help from such a place which they did not conceive." They returned to infidelity as they possessed fort and strength and power. God says: 'They think that -they are doing good works.' Man takes self-satisfaction even when he does a work out of mistake. The Prophet said: There are three harmful things - miserliness which is followed, passion which is obeyed and self- praise. The Prophet said to Abu Salama regarding his latter followers: When you will see miserliness followed, low desires obeyed and each man following his own opinion, you should then go on doing your duties. Hazrat Ibn Masud said:
There are two injurious things - despair and self-praise. He united the two matters, as a man of despair gives up efforts but fortune cannot be acquired without efforts, labour and care and the man of self- praise thinks that his object has been successful owing to his efforts and so he gives up efforts. He who has got self-praise has no efforts. A man of self-praise thinks that he has attained fortune. So he does not make efforts to achieve it.