Admonition of Ramadan: Don’t be Arrogant!
You feel your throat is very dry. You feel hungry. Thus your body limps, your concentration decrease, and the same goes for your productivity. Your mood becomes emotionally helpless, sensitive, and you sense less empathy to others around you.
Now stand in front of the mirror, and look at your face. Doesn’t it look Lethargic, somber and perhaps handsomeness or beauty that has been yours has been eroded or even lost.
This may be the daily picture of you during the month Ramadan, moreover if you were asleep before the dawn broke hence you missed the sahoor meal.
What on earth make you to be like this? Have not you been known as a mighty, intelligent, competent, alert and a charming person?
Why does it happen to you? What changes you totally, whereas you are not sick, nor much troubled, nor being heavily indebted?
Now, compare it to your condition after you drank a glass of water, and ate a spoonful of meal. Everything changes. You are back to your cheerful mood, your face get back it’s charm, your mood is back to normal, as your alertness and smartness.
Subhanallah! The beauty, the intelligence, the alertness, the mightiness, that you possesses all this long, in fact are depended on a spoonful of meal and a gulp of water.
Is it that vital, the role of a spoonful of meal and a gulp of water in your life, that your life changed just because you were late to eat and drink?
Could your skill, valor, and your good looks for these times lie in a mouthful of meal and a sip of water?
If so, why there has been arrogance and vanity in your life? Why does conceit ever graced the pages of history of your life?
If so, why you seem like in no need of Allah’s mercy and His help, thus you rarely raised your hand to pray to Him?
Brother! Think about the lesson of Luqman al Hakim to his son below.
وَلاَ تَمْشِ فِي الأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ الأَرْضَ وَلَن تَبْلُغَ الْجِبَالَ طُولاً. الإسراء 37
“Do not strut about in the land arrogantly. Surely you cannot cleave the earth, nor reach the heights of the mountains in stature.” (Qs. Al Isra’/The Night Journey: 37)
What could you do, if in fact all your greatness depends on a mouthful of meal and a gulp of water? Is it possible for you, with your arrogance and conceit cleave the earth and reach the heights of the mountains in stature?
Brother! What is the use of arrogance and conceit, if in the end the value of your intelligence, smartness, and mightiness merely as a mouthful of meal and a sip of water. thus if you were late to eat or drink for a while, everything you possesses starts to wane?
Imagine that if the hunger and thirst you feel now is prolonged as it is perceived by many people, would your valor, beauty and agility still attached to you?
Subhanallah! Indeed, everything you possesses is useless when you are hindered from a mouthful of meal and a gulp of water. What a vile world that you are striving for this long! .
One day, Ibn As Simaak came to face Harun Ar Rasheed. Before long, Harun Ar Rasheed felt thirsty thus he ordered some drinks to be brought to him. Without much thinking, a servant brought him a vessel contained cold water. Before Harun Ar Rasheed drank the water, he told Ibn As Simaak, “Give me an advice!.” Not wanting to waste the chance, Ibn As Simaak said to him at once, “O leader of the believers! What are you going to make up for the drinking water when you’re thirsty while I am able to prevent you from drinking it?”. Harun answered, ” With a half of my kingdom.” Next Ibn As Simaak said, “Please enjoy your drink.” After Harun Ar Rasheed drank the water, Ibn As Simaak asked again, ” Imagine, if I were capable to prevent the water you drank to escape from your body (by blocking your urinary tract), how much will you pay to get your urine passed?” Harun Ar Rasheed replied, “With my whole kingdom.”
Upon hearing his answer, Ibn As Simaak told him, ‘”A kingdom, which a half of it is valued as much as a gulp of water, and the rest is valued with urine, is not worthy to be struggled for.” Upon hearing this advice, Harun Ar Rasheed cried heavily.” (See: “Tarikh At Thobary” 6/538 and “Al Bidayah wa An Nihayah” 10234)
This is the fact about yourself; are you still tempted to be haughty, arrogant, and to consider that you are great?
Know Brother, that indeed your self-perfection lies on your modesty, the more modest you are, the higher is your degree in Allah’s side, and in society’s opinion.
Bit the more arrogant you be, the lower your degree in Allah’s side and among the society.
مَنْ تَوَاضَعَ للهِ رَفَعَهُ اللهُ. رواه أحمد وغيره وحسنه الألباني
“Anyone who humble themselves for Allah, Allah will exalt his degree.” (Narrated by Ahmad, and classed good by Al Albani).
And some past scholars used to say,
مَنْ تَوَاضَعَ للهِ رَفَعَهُ اللهُ ، فَهُوَ فِي نَفْسِهِ صَغِيرٌ ، وَفِي أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ عَظِيمٌ ، وَمَنْ تَكَبَّرَ وَضَعَهُ اللهُ، فَهُوَ فِي أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ صَغِيرٌ ، وَفِي نَفْسِهِ كَبِيرٌ ، حَتىَّ لَهُوَ أَهْوَنَ عَلَيهِمْ مِنْ كَلْبٍ أَوْ خِنْزِيرٍ
“”Whoever humbled himself because of Allah, Allah will exalt his degree. Hence, he might feel that he is a small, and insignificant, but the society perceive him as a noble and respected man. And for those who are arrogant, Allah will humiliate them, hence the society perceive them as despicable persons, even though they felt like great men,to the extent that in the eyes of the public he is more despicable than dogs or pigs. “
Likewise, O Brother! The fast has revealed your true self.Be grateful of Allah Who still gives you a chance to know yourself better. Therefore, you are not being carried away by Allah’s graces thus you forget everything and start to behave arrogantly.
What have I explained above doesn’t mean that you are forbidden to enjoy delicious meals, wear nice clothes and enjoy the worldly pleasures. Enjoy Allah’s gifts, but at the same time,know that the worldly wealth is not the standard of one’s nobility at all.
إِنَّ اللهَ قَسَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ أَخْلاَقَكُمْ كَمَا قَسَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ أَرْزَاقَكُمْ وَإِنَّ اللهَ لَيُعْطِي الدُّنْيَا مَنْ أَحَبَّ وَمَنْ لاَ يُحِبُّ وَلاَ يُعْطِي الدِّينَ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَحَبَّ، فَمَنْ أَعْطَاهُ الدِّينَ فَقَدْ أَحَبَّهُ رواه الحاكم وغيره وصححه الألباني
“”Indeed, Allah has distributed your manners/attitudes, as Allah has distributed your sustenances. Indeed, Allah has given the worldly wealth to whom He loves and whom He loves not. Whereas He never give the position in religion (the noble manners) but to whom He loves. Hence, people of whom Allah has given them position in religion (noble manners) are those whom Allah loves. “ (narrated by Al Hakim and classed valid by Al Albani).
It is evident now that the long-taught doctrine of some parents, which says, ” One’s self-esteem is seen from his looks ” is inappropriate. Verily, the nobility and honor of a man is seem from the purity of his soul and nobility of his manners.
رُبَّ أَشْعَثَ مَدْفُوعٍ بِالأَبْوَابِ لَوْ أَقْسَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ لأَبَرَّهُ. رواه مسلم
“One may look disheveled, and constantly driven out from people’s doors, but when he swear to plead something to Allah, Allah will grant it. “ (Narrated by Muslim)
If you are a noble-spirited and noble-mannered man, then in your eyes, all of the world’s sparkles will be insignificant.
May your fast is able to increase your degree and change your manner into nobler ones. And Allah knows best.
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Author: Ustadz Muhammad Arifin Badri, M.A.
Article of www.whatisquran.com