Page 72 - The Arrogance of Satan

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THE ARROGANCE OF SATAN

this vineyard owner abundant wealth. Yet, all this wealth
only made him boastful. Instead of feeling grateful towards
Allah, asking His forgiveness, and putting his riches to use
for the cause of Allah, he spoke proudly and falsely assumed
that his wealth was immune to time and disaster.
This is a clear example showing the illogic of arrogant
people; although the vineyard-owner claimed that his
possessions were eternal, he did not explicitly deny the
existence of Allah, and even considered the possibility of his
having to return to Him. Interestingly, he falsely maintained
that he would not be punished, but rather, would actually be
rewarded if this were to really happen.
A similar line of thinking is also common in the arrogant
people of today. Although they do not openly deny the
morality of religion, they are far from having fear of Allah in
their hearts. Still, they falsely assume that they will somehow
be saved, even if they are "sent back to their Lord." This
example of the vineyard-owner, given in the Qur' an, clearly
shows that such people lack wisdom. Such a person' s
understanding is blurred by his arrogance, and he is
hindered from grasping Allah' s infinite might.
The end met by the vineyard-owner, as Allah relates in the
Qur' an, was also a note of caution. He lost all his wealth. He
eventually said "if only...," but it was too late to be mindful:

The fruits of his labour were completely destroyed and
he woke up wringing his hands in grief, rueing
everything that he had spent on it. It was a ruin with all
its trellises fallen in. He said, "Oh, if only I had not
associated anyone with my Lord!" There was no group to
come to his aid, besides Allah, and he was not given any
help. (Surat al-Kahf: 42-43)