1. SM Educational & Research Institute presents…

2. عجب Self-Admiration

3. Do you think that you are always right…whatever you do is always correct…your views are always superior to others …your actions are better than others… and you never commit errors….Very often the word ‘I’ is heard in your conversation…

4. And so you admire yourself, your views and actions and consider yourself to be free of mistakes You really like yourself !

5. عن جابر بن عبد الله, قال : أتيت النبى صلى الله عليه و اله فدعوت فقال النبى صلى الله عليه و اله : من هذا؟ قلت : انا قال : فخرج و هو يقول : أنا, أنا !! Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (r) said: I went to see the Prophet (s) and called on him. The Prophet asked: Who is there ? I replied: “I”. He then came out saying I, I, I…(meaning that one shouldn’t say I, I…) [Muslim, Sahih, hadith # 2155]

6. امام الكاظم : العجب درجات, منها أن يزين للعبد سوء عمله فيراه حسنا فيعجبه و يحسب انه يحسن صنعا, و منها أن يؤمن العبد... Imam al-Kazim (‘a) said: "There are several levels of ‘ujb. One of them is when one's bad actions appear to him as good; he reckons them as good and loves himself, imagining that he is performing virtuous deeds. Another level of ‘ujb is represented by a person who believes that by having faith…

7. ... بربه فيمن على الله عزوجل ولله عليه فيه المن …in God he has done God a favour; whereas (in reality) it is God Almighty who has conferred a favour on him (by endowing him with faith). [Al-Kulayni, Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 313, hadith # 3]

8. امام الصادق : من لايعرف لأحد الفضل فهوالمعجب برأيه Imam as-Sadiq (‘a): The one who doesn’t recognize any one to be superior, is admirer of himself over his own opinions [Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 316]

9. ( من كتاب اميرالمؤمنين عليه السلام للاشتر لما ولاه مصر ) اياك و الاعجاب بنفسك و الثقة بما يعجبك منها و حب الاطراء,... (When Imam ‘Ali (‘a) appointed Malik Ashter as governor of Egypt, he wrote to him): Beware! Protect yourself from self-admiration ( ‘ujb ) and over things that you like about yourself, and also over the flattery of people…

10. ... فان ذلك من اوثق فرص الشيطان فى نفسه ليمحق ما يكون من احسان المحسن …because it is among the tested opportunities of Satan and by this it destroys the best actions of the good person. [Nahj al-Balaghah, Letter # 53 and Saying # 113]

11. امام على : إزراء الرجل على نفسه برهان رزانة عقله و عنوان و نور فضله, اعجاب الرجل بنفسه برهان نقصه و عنوان ضعف عقله Imam ‘Ali (‘a): A person’s view of himself that he can commit errors is a sign of his sound intellect and its enlightenment, whereas self-admiration of a person is proof of deficiency of his intellect and an example of weakness of his mind. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 2004]

12. امام على : لا وحدة اوحش من العجب Imam ‘Ali (‘a): There is no loneliness compared to that of self-admiration ( ‘ujb ). [Nahj al-Balaghah, Letter # 53 and Saying # 113]

13. امام على : أوحش الوحشة العجب Imam ‘Ali (‘a): ‘Ujb is the worst loneliness. [Nahj al-Balaghah, Saying # 38]

14. امام الصادق : لاجهل أضر من العجب Imam as-Sadiq (‘a): No ignorance is more injurious than ‘ujb. [Al-Ikhtisas, p. 227]

15. امام على : ألعجب يوجب العثار Imam ‘Ali (‘a): ‘Ujb causes errors. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 940]

16. امام على : ألعجب يظهر النقيصة Imam ‘Ali (‘a): ‘Ujb reveals defects. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 934]

17. امام على : ما اضر المحاسن كالعجب Imam ‘Ali (‘a): Nothing can harm good actions like ujb [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 9472]

18. امام على : ثمرة العجب البغضاء Imam ‘Ali (‘a): The fruit of ujb is mutual hate (and enmity) [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 4606]

19. امام الصادق : ( خرج عيسٰى عليه السلام و معه رجل من أصحابه قصير فلما انتهى عيسى الى البحر ) قال : بسم الله بصحة يقين منه فمشى... Imam as-Sadiq (‘a): Prophet Jesus (‘a) came out towards a river with his companions including a short man. When they reached river, Jesus (‘a) said: In the name of God with sound conviction (in God) and…

20. ... على ظهر الماء فقال الرجل القصير حين نظر الى عيسى عليه السلام جازه بسم الله بصحة يقين منه فمشى على الماء ولحق......started walking on water. When this short person looked at Jesus (‘a) that he is walking on water by saying ‘In the name of God’, with true faith, he also did the same and reached…

21. ... بعيسى عليه السلام, فدخله العجب بنفسه.... فرمس فى الماء فاستغاث بعيسى فتناوله.......Jesus (‘a). This action resulted in ‘ujb in his heart and he started drowning in water and then called Jesus (‘a) for help. Jesus (‘a) rescued him… [Al-Kulayni, Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 306, hadith # 3]

22. امام على : ألأعجاب ضد الصواب و ﺁفة الألباب Imam ‘Ali (‘a): Self-admiration opposes right direction and is calamity for wisdom. [Al-Harrani, Tuhaf al-’Uqul, p. 74]

23. امام على : عجب المرء بنفسه أحد حساد عقله Imam ‘Ali (‘a): ‘Ujb of a person is one of the enviers of his intellect. ﹼ [Nahj al-Balaghah, Saying # 212]

24. امام على : رضاك عن نفسك دليل على فساد عقلك Imam ‘Ali (‘a): Your happiness with your soul is the proof of corruption of your intellect. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 5412]

25. امام على : آفة اللب العجب Imam ‘Ali (‘a): The calamity for intellect is ‘ujb. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 3956]

26. امام على : ألمعجب لا عقل له Imam ‘Ali (‘a): The person who has ‘ujb has no intellect. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 1008]

27. امام على : ألعجب يفسد العقل Imam ‘Ali (‘a): ‘Ujb corrupts the intellect. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 726]

28. امام على : العجب حمق Imam ‘Ali (‘a): ‘Ujb is stupidity. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 62]

29. امام على : العجب رأس الحماقة Imam ‘Ali (‘a): ‘Ujb is the fountainhead of stupidity. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 738]

30. امام على : العجب رأس الجهل Imam ‘Ali (‘a): ‘Ujb is the fountainhead of ignorance. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 414]

31. امام الصادق : من اعجب بنفسه هلك و من اعجب برأيه هلك, و ان عيسى بن مريم عليه السلام قال : داويت المرضى فشفيتهم... Imam as-Sadiq (‘a): The one who admires himself is destroyed, the one who likes his opinions is also destroyed, when Jesus (‘a) said: I have cured the sick…

32. ... باذن الله و ابرأت الاكمه و الابرأص باذن الله, و عالجت الموتى فاحييتهم باذن الله, و عالجت الاحمق فلم أقدر على اصلاحه !.....with the permission of God, gave eyesight to the blind, cured the lepers with the permission of God and gave life to the dead with the permission of God but I couldn’t cure the stupid…

33. ... فقيل يا روح الله وما الأحمق؟ قال : المعجب برأيه و نفسه الذى يرى الفضل كله له لا عليه, و يوجب الحق كله لنفسه ولا يوجب عليها حقا, فذالك الأحمق الذى لا حيلة فى مداواته …So he was asked: O Spirit of God, who is the stupid? He replied: The one who admires himself and his opinions to be superior to everything, and thinks that everyone has right on him and he has no right on anyone; such a person is stupid whose treatment is not possible. [Al-Nuri, Mustadarak al-Wasa’il, vol. 1, p. 27]

34. امام الصادق : من دخله العجب هلك Imam as-Sadiq (‘a): The one in whom ‘ujb enters, is destroyed. [Al-Kulayni, Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 313, hadith # 2]

35. امام الباقر : ثلاث موبقات : شح مطاع, وهوى متبح, و اعجاب المرء بنفسه Imam al-Baqir (‘a): Three things are destructive: Misery that is followed, desire that is obeyed and admiration of a person for himself. [As-Saduq, Al-Khisal, p. 86, hadith # 10]

36. امام على : العجب هلاك و الصبر ملاك Imam ‘Ali (‘a): ‘Ujb is destruction and patience is asset. [As-Saduq, Al-Khisal, p. 3, hadith # 506]

37. امام على : ألعجاب يمنع من الازديار Imam ‘Ali (‘a): Self-admiration is a barrier to prosperity. [Nahj al-Balaghah, Saying # 167]

38. امام النقى : ألعجب صارف عن طلب العلم, داع الى القمط Imam ‘Ali an-Naqi (‘a): ‘Ujb keeps (a person) away from seeking knowledge and calls for idleness. [Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 191, hadith # 27]

39. امام على : من أعجب بحسن حالته, قصر عن حسن حيلته Imam ‘Ali (‘a): The one admires over his good condition, becomes neglectful of good planning. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith #8725]

40. امام على : ضاحك معترف بذنبه خير من باك مدل على ربه Imam ‘Ali (‘a): A laughing person who admits his sins is better than the arrogant who cries in front of Lord. [Al-Mufid, Al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 354]

41. امام على : سيئة تسوءك خير عند الله من حسنة تعجبك Imam ‘Ali (‘a): The sin that makes you sorrowful is better before God than the act of goodness that makes you self- admiring. [Nahj al-Balaghah, Saying # 46]

42. امام الرضا : ان رجلا كان فى بنى اسرائيل عبد الله تبارك و تعالى اربعين سنة فلم يقبل منه فقال لنفسه ما اتيت إلامنك,... Imam ar-Rida (‘a): A person from Bani Israel worshipped God, the Blessed and Exalted, for forty years, but it was not accepted from him. So he said to his own self: It was because of you…

43. ... ولا اكديت الا لك, فاوحى الله تبارك و تعالى اليه : ذمك نفسك افضل من عبادة اربعين سنة...that whatever worship I did was not accepted. Thus God, the Blessed and Exalted, revealed on him: Your criticism of your ownself is better than forty years of worship. [Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 228]

44. امام على : شر الامور, الرضا عن النفس Imam ‘Ali (‘a): The worst of the actions is to be contented with the self. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 5723]

45. امام على : اياك أن ترضى من نفسك فيكثر الساخط عليك Imam ‘Ali (‘a): Beware of becoming happy with yourself as those displeased with you will increase. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 2642]

46. امام على : بالرضا عن نفسك تظهرت السوآت و العيوب Imam ‘Ali (‘a): With the love of yourself, your deficiencies and shortcomings will be revealed. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 4356]

47. امام على : رضا العبد عن نفسه مقرون بسخط ربه Imam ‘Ali (‘a): A servant’s happiness with his own-self is associated with unhappiness of His Lord. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 5440]

48. امام على : الراضى عن نفسه مفتون, والواثق بها مغبون Imam ‘Ali (‘a): The one who is happy over himself is deceived and the one who trusts it suffers loss. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 1902]

49. امام على : من كان عند نفسه عظيما كان عند الله حقيرا Imam ‘Ali (‘a): The person who imagines himself to be great in the eyes of God is worthless. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 8609]

50. امام على : من رضى عن نفسه ظهرت عليه المعايب Imam ‘Ali (‘a): The one who is happy with his soul, his shortcomings will be revealed. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 8813]

51. امام على : اذا أردت ان تعظم محاسنك عند الناس فلا تعظم فى عينك Imam ‘Ali (‘a): If you wish that your actions become great among people then don’t consider yourself great in your own eyes. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 4096]

52. امام على : هلك من رضى عن نفسه و وثق بما تسوله له Imam ‘Ali (‘a): He is destroyed who is happy with himself and he trusts that which makes him delay. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 10027] ﹼ

53. امام الباقر : ثلاث هن قاصمات الظهر : رجل اسكثر عمله, و نسى ذنوبه, و اعجب برأيه Imam al-Baqir (‘a): Three things are those that break (a person’s) back: When a person considers his (good) actions as abundant, forgets his sins, and admires his own opinions. [As ‑ Saduq,Al-Khisal, p. 112, hadith # 85] [As ‑ Saduq, Al-Khisal, p. 112, hadith # 85]

54. امام الصادق : قال ابليس لجنود : اذا استمكنت من ابن ﺁدم فى ثلاث لم ابال ما عمل فانه غير مقبول اذا استكثر عمله, و نسى ذنبه, و دخل العجب Imam as-Sadiq (‘a): “The Devil says, ‘If I subdue the son of Adam in three things, I do not care whatever he may do (from then on), as his good deeds will not be accepted: (1) When he overestimates his good deeds; (2) When he is forgetful about his sins; and (3) When ‘ujb permeates him’.” [As ‑ Saduq Al ‑ Khisal, p. 112, hadith # 86]

55. امام الحسن و امام الحسين : ان الله تبارك وتعالى يقول : ان من عبادى من يسألنى الشئ من طاعتى لاحبه فاصوف ذلك عنه لكيلا يعجبه عمله Imams al-Hasan and al-Husayn (‘a): God, the Blessed and Exalted, says: Among My servant are some who ask Me some thing out of their worship that I like it but I prevent that which will make them self-admiring over their actions. [Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 231]

56. حضرت عيسى : يا معشر الحواريين كم من سراج أطفاته الريح, وكم من عباد أفسده العجب Prophet Jesus (‘a): O my followers! So many lamps have been extinguished by winds and so many worshipers have been corrupted by (their) ‘ujb … [Al-Hilli,’Uddat al-Da’i, p. 223]

57. So what is the treatment of this deadly disease…

58. امام الباقر : سد سبيل العجب بمعرفة النفس Imam al-Baqir (‘a): Block the way of self-admiration with the true knowledge of your ownself. [Al-Harrani,Tuhaf al-’Uqul, p. 285]

59. امام على : اذازاد عجبك بما انت فيه من سلطانك, فحدثت لك ابهة أومخيلة, فانظر الى عظيم ملك الله, وقدرته مما لا تقدر عليه... Imam ‘Ali (‘a): When you feel self- admiration and pride because of your authority then look at the great possessions owned by God and His Might that you cannot have any control over…

60. ... من نفسك, فان ذلك يلين من جناحك ويكف من غربك, ويفئ اليك ما غرب عنك من علقك …and this will make you internally soft and bring your lost intellect back to you. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 4168]

61. Imam ‘Ali (‘a): What has the son of Adam to do with self-admiration when his beginning is with sperm, his end is stinky corpse and he carries filth with him all the time? امام على : ما لا بن ادم و للعجب اوله نطفة مذرة, واخره جيفة قذرة, وهو بين ذلك يحمل العذرة [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 9666]

62. امام الصادق : ان كان الممر على الصراط حقافا لعجب لماذا؟ Imam as-Sadiq (‘a): When passing over the bridge (on the Day of Judgment) is a reality then what is this self-admiration for ? [Al-Saduq, Al-Amali, p. 16, hadith # 5]

63. الرسول الله : ( فى صفة العاقل ).... يستكثر قليل الخير من غيره, و يستقل كثير الخير من نفسه The Messenger of Allah (s) said (while describing the characteristics of a wise person):...He takes few good actions of others to be great (in number) while for his own numerous good actions, he takes them to be few… [Al-Nuri, Mustadarak al-Wasa’il, vol. 1, p. 132]

64. امام على : ( فى صفة المؤمن ) كل سعى اخلص عنده من سعيه, و كل نفس اصلح عنده من نفسه Imam ‘Ali (‘a) said (while describing the qualities of a believer): To him all efforts other than his own are more sincere and everybody else is more virtuous to him than his own self. [Al-Kulayni, Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 229, hadith # 1]

65. امام على : ان لله عبادا.... لا يستكثرون له الكثير ولا يرضون له من انفسهم بالقليل, يرون فى انفسهم أنهم أشرار, و انهم لأ كياس و ابرار Imam ‘Ali (‘a): There are servants of God who are not satisfied with their excessive (worship) and are not happy in themselves over their few (good) actions; they think themselves to be bad, whereas they are very intelligent and virtuous. [Al-Nuri, Mustadarak al-Wasa’il, vol. 1, p. 131]

66. امام على : اتهموا عقولكم فانه من الثقة بها يكون الخطاء Imam ‘Ali (‘a): Scrutinize your intellects because verily these are the sources of mistake. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, hadith # 2570]

67. امام الباقر : استقلل من نفسك كثير الطاعة لله ازراء على النفس و تعرضا للعفو Imam al-Baqir (‘a): Belittle yourself, take your ample worship to be insufficient, and seek forgiveness from God. [Al-Harrani,Tuhaf al-’Uqul, p. 285] ﹼ

68. امام الرضا : لا تستكثر و اكثير الخير... Imam ar-Rida (‘a): Never take numerous good actions to be sufficient… [Al-Nuri, Mustadarak al-Wasa’il, vol. 1, p. 131]

69. الرسول الله : لا تستكثر وا الخير و ان كثر فى أعينكم The Messenger of Allah (s) said: Do not consider good actions to be sufficient even though they look too much to your eyes. [Al-Noori, Mustadarak al-Wasail, vol.1, p. 132]

70. end of the presentation Education Department SM Educational & Research Institute (SMERI) P.O. Box 521 9600 Cotabato City Philippines smerinet@airpost.net www.smeri.cjb.net