“The worst trait is to be pleased with one’s self” – Hadith
“شر الأمور الرضا عن النفس” – حديث شريف
What is the meaning of this hadith?
– Being content with oneself and being self-absorbed is an illness as it brings about the egocentric self and makes the individual believe they are greater than they truly are, and they begin to believe that everything about them including their opinions are all correct and everyone else’s are wrong.
– Being pleased with oneself and a lack of reflection stumps any improvement of that person’s personality and their faith. This is because the person who does not hold himself accountable, discover his faults, seek forgiveness from Allah (swt) and does not try to mend what is between him and Allah (swt) and with other people, has become distanced from good and deviated from the straight path.
– Self-contentment also prevents the individual from learning and being open to new things because he is satisfied with what he already knows and therefore does not strive to learn more and become closer to Allah (swt), his religion and other areas of life; and it is this attitude which will impact the person’s destiny in this life and the next.
But having confidence is important isn’t it?
– Self-contentment/excessive self-love is not the same as confidence. Self-confidence is healthy and important for a Muslim so that he is proud of his faith and his values, and does not humiliate himself for the sake of temporary gain.
– If the individual has confidence in his Lord and his religion, he will be able to invest effort for the sake of serving Allah (swt) and His servants, and will strive for good and for continually increasing his knowledge; and these require constant self-accountability.
– So, self-contentment counteracts self-confidence because it makes the person weak and easily manipulated by worldly temptations and lacking in a strong personality since strength is purely from Allah (as), and the arrogant person who is self-absorbed is very distant from Allah (swt), and through this he will lose all strength.
Dr. Iman Alattar
