UJB – Self conceit

One of the biggest trap, which Shaytan has set for the believers is that of ‘UJB.

‘UJB means ‘self-conceit’.  It is to compare ourselves with others and to consider ourselves superior to others. A person feels he is ajeeb – strange.

If a person says his prayers, or fasts the recommended fasts every time, or recites Quran, Munajaat, Dua’s etc better than others; and he gets the feelings of superiority on account of them over others – it  is ‘UJB. ‘UJB can lead us to Kufr. 

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) has said, “Whoever gets ‘UJB – perishes”.

(Meezan al-Hikmah)

It is related from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) that: “Two persons entered the mosque, one was pious and the other was a transgressor. When they emerged from the mosque after the prayer, the transgressor was pious and the pious turned a transgressor. The reason was that: The pious person came out of the mosque with pride at his piety and the transgressor was remorseful at his past misdeeds”. (‘Ayn al-Hayaat)

UJB  renders all his deeds invalid. Hence, it is essential to strive to be humble and always continue to feel inferior within ourselves.

Imam Ja’ffar as-Sadiq (a.s.) has said that: [One day Prophet ‘Issa (a.s.) came to a sea shore with his companions. He (a.s.) recited: BISMILLAHI BI-SIHHATI YAQEENIN MINHU (In the Name of Allah – with the feeling of certainty on Him) and then began walking on the water. When one of his companions, who was short in height saw this, he too recited: BISMILLAHI BI-SIHHATI YAQEENIN MINHU (In the Name of Allah – with the feeling of certainty on Him) and began walking on the water till he met up with Prophet ‘Issa (a.s.). There, self-conceit entered his heart and he began to drown. He

called out for help from Prophet ‘Issa (a.s.) and the Prophet (a.s.) rescued him.] (Al-Kaafi)

Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) has said, “There is nothing that harms good actions more than self-conceit”. (Ghurar al-Hikam)

INCIDENT OF PROPHET MUSA (a.s.) and the person doing UJB

Prophet Musa (a.s.) was once passing through a barren hill when he (a.s.) came across a cave where a pious man was engaged in prayers. Prophet Musa (a.s.) came and greeted him. The man asked, “Who are you?” and the Prophet (a.s.) said, “I am Musa”.

The man asked, “Are you Prophet Musa?” He (a.s.) said, “Yes!”

Thereupon the man asked Prophet Musa (a.s.) for a favour. He said, “O Musa! For past 100 years I am sitting here praying to Allah and I have done nothing else. Just ask Him what will He (SWT) give me for my efforts?”

Prophet Musa (a.s.) conveyed the message to Allah (SWT) and Allah (SWT) told him, “O Musa! Tell him We shall inform him about his reward tomorrow”.

The pious man agreed and said, “Tomorrow is not far so I will wait”. Now, the pious man had the habit of going every morning to a nearby canal to bath and fetch water. The following morning, as he was going to the canal, he lost his way and reached somewhere else. Since it was extremely hot, he became extremely thirsty and tired. With water nowhere to be seen, he realized that he would die of thirst. Suddenly he saw a man coming towards him. He called the man towards him and asked him for some water. The man said, “There is no water in this wilderness. Whatever little water is there is for me”.

The pious man began to cry and plead for help. Eventually, the stranger agreed to give him a tumbler of water with a condition that he should give him something in return. The man said that he possessed nothing as he had spent 100 years in worship. The man

said, “If you agree to transfer the reward of your 100 years worship, I will give you a tumbler of water”.

The pious man thought that if he lived, he would be able to pray for a further period so he accepted the offer. That evening, Prophet Musa (a.s.) came to him. The pious man said to him, “I have sold my 100 years of prayers for a tumbler of water”. Prophet Musa (a.s.) told him, “I am aware of this and Allah (SWT) has asked me to convey this to you that: If the value of 100 years prayers is one tumbler of water then you must settle the value of the water you have been drinking for over a last 100 years.”

When the pious man heard this, he cried out loudly and said,

“O Musa! Tell Allah (SWT) to forgive my sins. Allah is beneficent and merciful”.

Immediately a revelation came:

“O Musa! Tell this man that his remorsefulness has pleased us more than his 100 years of prayers and We have given him the rewards for a thousand years of prayers”.

We should not be boasting about our good actions neither should we consider others as inferior to us in religion and faith, rather we should continue to seek Istighfar lest our good deeds perish on account of our self-conceit.

Let us pray to Allah through the words of Imam Sajjad (a.s.) from Dua Makaremul Akhlaq to help us be away from this sin.

 وَ لا تَرْفَعْنى‏ فِى النَّاسِ دَرَجَةً الاَّ حَطَطْتَنى‏ عِنْدَ نَفْسى‏ مِثْلَها

raise me not a single degree before the people without lowering me its like in myself

وَ لا تُحْدِثْ لي‏ عِزّاً ظاهِراً الاَّ احْدَثْتَ لي‏ ذِلَّةً باطِنَةً عِنْدَ نَفْسى‏ بِقَدَرِها

and bring about no outward exaltation for me without an inward abasement in myself to the same measure!