Page 74 - The Arrogance of Satan

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THE ARROGANCE OF SATAN

Some of these people grew so arrogant that they said they
would not believe unless they received divine revelations as
the prophets did:

And likewise in every city We set up its greatest
wrongdoers to plot in it. They plot against themselves
alone, but they are not aware of it. When a Sign comes
to them, they say, "We will not believe until we have
been given the same as the Messengers of Allah were
given." Allah knows best where to place His Message.
Debasement in the sight of Allah and a severe
punishment will strike those who did wrong for the
plots that they concocted. (Surat al-An' am: 123-124)
One of the major reasons behind this mindset is their
intolerance for the messengers because they were people
chosen by Allah. They found it degrading to their status,
reputation, wealth and honour to obey the messengers. This
is why, throughout ages, ruling circles of disbelievers had
always perceived the messengers as a threat to their
established order, status and their image in the eyes of public.
The divine message brought by the messengers caused them
to reveal their pride and hatred towards them.
In all ages, "the chiefs of the nations" have been referred
to as the "elites" of societies. As is known, the "elite" is that
group of people that enjoys superior social or economic
status. As said earlier, such attributes cause pride and
arrogance in disbelieving people who fail to employ their
wisdom. Deriving power from this prosperity and social
status, they exercise authority over the rest of the society.
They have such a high opinion of themselves that they
revolt against Allah and His messengers. Never do they