Page 36 - The Arrogance of Satan

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THE ARROGANCE OF SATAN

the imperfections of others, and, all the while, strive to make
known their supposed superiority. They consider being
"cool" and "indifferent" as a mark of that superiority, and find
it degrading to enjoy themselves.
Nevertheless, it is again only themselves who suffer from
the consequences of such a disposition; they cannot taste the
blessings of having joy, constantly submerged in their
gloomy world. Curiously, they are incapable of
understanding the reason for their uneasiness. Although they
possess many superior features, according to them, they
cannot rid themselves of distress and unhappiness. This
demonstrates the fact that those who are arrogant towards
Allah are bereft of understanding; they cannot grasp that it is
Allah Who inspires this anxiety into their hearts.
A verse gives a detailed account of the sort of the
arrogance of these people:

When he is told to have fear of Allah, he is seized by
pride which drives him to wrongdoing... (Surat al-
Baqara: 206)
Allah causes these people to feel depressed and buries
them in ignominy, on account of their "pride" and
"forgetfulness" of Him:
When Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his
breast to Islam. When He desires to misguide someone,
He makes his breast narrow and constricted as if he
were climbing up into the sky. That is how Allah defiles
those who disbelieve. (Surat al-An' am: 125)
Surely these are the troubles inflicted upon people in this
world; their repayment in the hereafter will be much severer.