My Recent Experience with Islamophobia & Hate Speech

Below is my response to some hateful and Islamophobic interactions involving my family and my earlier post Response: Can a good Muslim be a good American? was in fact part of the same conversation. These things are not new to me and few months back for example, I was told that, “All from Issac are on truth and All from Ismail/Ishmael are from Satan!”. So, yep this is not something new but recent exponential increase in Islamophobia & Hate Speech against Islam and Muslims makes it important to share these experiences and instead of fighting fire with fire, take more pragmatic approach to calm things down. 

*I have modified my response for privacy reasons.

Dear XXXXX,

Respecting other religions (and not even disrespecting the idols of other faiths) is part of my creed and believing in Jesus, his miraculous birth, his message, and his return at the end of times are prerequisite of my faith. So it is impossible for me to be disrespectful towards any belief or creed including Christianity.

I am compelled to write this post after noticing a trend of Islamophobic ideas and intolerance towards Islam and Muslims. I am not only responding to you as a Muslim but also as a concerned husband and father. I am concerned because this hateful narrative is dangerous and can lead to bigger problems. Discussing problems and issues is great but it is extremely dangerous when you use false propaganda to dehumanize certain people, race, or religion because at the end of the day, you may not pull the trigger but your words can most certainly urge someone else to do something stupid. This is exactly what happened in Germany when the Jews were vilified for such a long time that murdering 6 million of them became nothing extra ordinary and this Islamophobic propaganda is doing exactly what Nazi’s did in Germany.

Just like you were offended when Jim Johns was mentioned with respect to Christianity, Muslims feel the same when you vilify them with false propaganda. Terrorist organization like ISIS are not representatives of 1.5 billion Muslims around the world. But if you want to go that route then according to your logic and all those with the same mind set:

1: Christianity is responsible for the ethnic cleansing of Muslims in Central African Republic because all this is being done in the name of your religion. Simple Google search should give you all the details.

2: The Christian faith is responsible for the evil acts of Anders Breivik who killed 77 and injured more than 400 in Norway 3 years ago. You can read his 2000 pages manifest for details.

3: All Christians are responsible for murdering 6 million Jews and the Holocaust. Below is a quote from Adolph Hitler’s book Mein Kampf to prove my point:

Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: ‘by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.’

4: All Christians are responsible for 1991 Massacre of Bosnians when Slobodan Milosevic used religion and race to dehumanize the Bosnians which eventually resulted in the genocide.

5: Tens of thousands of women were burnt alive in the suspicion of witchcraft and all that was done in the name of Christ.

6: Spanish inquisition is another example where Jews and Muslims were murdered, forcefully converted, their kids taken away from them, forced to leave their homeland, etc.

7: 12.5 million Africans were enslaved in America between 1525 and 1866 and no religion other than Christianity was used to justify all that happened to them.

So just like me and my fellow Muslims don’t blame you for everything that happened in the name Christianity, we ask the same tolerance and respect. Vilifying every American Muslims by spreading hate speech is disrespectful, replying to it with facts and figures is not.

Regards,

Ali

An open letter to the Barakat Abu-Salah Families and All Who Care!

You can never find Greatness but if Greatness is looking for you, it most certainly will!

I have said this a million times before and I will say it again that greatness is something most of us seek but few achieve it and majority of those who achieve it, never even expected or desired it. If you closely research, read history, and follow current events, you will see that true grandeur doesn’t require you to be the best in what you do or demands a doctorate as a prerequisite. You must have seen people who put all their efforts in their job by ignoring their families, friends, health, and beliefs but after giving everything, the only thing they are left with are regrets and what ifs. On the other hand, there are few mysterious souls who are picked by forces beyond our comprehension and greatness just follows them like a shadow, dying for their glimpse. These forces are in control of God Almighty, the one who turns their tiny deed into mountains of gold, their simple words into a slogan, their blood into a clot that stops bloodshed, and their scars that give birth to a revolution.

Nelson Mandela, for example was a black man in a racist society, imprisoned for 27 years, opposed by almost everyone and even the super power like United States proclaimed him to be a terrorist (just like 1.5 billion Muslims are today) became a symbol of freedom, equality, justice, and human rights. Spending prime of his life in prison should have killed his odds of grandeur but that is where the unseen forces come into picture. Fifteen years old Aitzaz Hasan is another example who saved lives of 900 students by single-handedly tackling and stopping a suicide bomber from attacking a school in Pakistan. Aitzaz Hasan never planned for this, he didn’t go to school that day to be a hero or a martyr and same is true for Deah, Yusor, Razan, and the Barakat/Abu-Salah Families.
Deah was fundraising for $20,000 to support a team of doctors and dentists helping Syrian refugees. I don’t think he was sure he will be able to reach 20k mark but he trusted in Allah just like prophet Moses (as) who put his staff in the sea and trusted in Allah for the rest. The last time I checked, the total contribution to his cause on youcaring.com was at $353,884 and counting. I don’t think he ever expected it to reach 300k but Allah is the one who decides the outcomes of everything and He had something better for Deah and his efforts i.e. Deah walked towards Allah and Allah ran towards Deah.
Yusor who married Deah 6 weeks earlier with the plans to have kids and spend long and happy life with her husband and family and Razan was just visiting her sister that day. Dr. Suzanne Barakat never wanted to be interviewed by the world media and be representative of not only her family but also the whole Muslim World, Deah never intended his (request for donations) YouTube video to become proof of his personality and character, his parents never panned to show the whole world the true meaning of patience and submission to the will of Allah. No, none of them ever planned any of that but Allah has his own mysterious ways which are beyond our understanding.
Legacy of Deah, Yusor, Razan, Dr. Suzanne, and the Barakat/Abu-Salah family is right in front of us and we should learn from it but we should also ask ourselves a question: What Will Be My Legacy?!
Yet again… You can never find Greatness but if Greatness is looking for you, it most certainly will!

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un – Surely we all belong to Allah and to Him shall we return. This is extremely difficult test and may Almighty make it easy for them. Aamin!

Response: Can a good Muslim be a good American?

This list is online for a long time but bigots in the society are bringing it back to support their hateful propaganda. Below is my point by point response:

Theologically – No. Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon-god of Arabia.

Response: Theology has nothing to do with being good American because America doesn’t have any official religion. Secondly, the first amendment of the constitution (which you most certainly love) clearly prohibits the government from establishing an official religion which also applies to the states.

Only significance moon has in Islam is for calendar and if that makes them followers of moon-god, then Jews are in the same boat right next to them. BTW Christians in Middle East call their God Allah. You can research…

Religiously – No. Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah except Islam. (Quran, 2:256)

Response: Quran 2:256 which you have quoted above starts by stating that, “There is no compulsion in religion!” which is perfectly aligned with your beloved constitution of America. Secondly, just like you believe that Christianity is the true path, Muslims believe the same. So if it is fine for you then it should be ok for them as well.

Scripturally – No. Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.

Response: Yet again, scripture has nothing to do with being good American and using scripture to judge how American you are is unconstitutional. Just like observing Sabbath and following Halakha doesn’t make a Jew “bad American”, same is true for Muslims.

Geographically – No. Because his allegiance is to Mecca, to which he turns in prayer five times a day.

Response: Hmmm… According to this logic everyone except Atheists are bad Americans because the Wailing Wall is sacred to Jews, the Vatican for Christians, Lumbini for Buddhists, Varanasi for Hindus, etc.

Socially – No. Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews.

Response: The verse of Quran that is always quoted to prove this absurd point was revealed in response to a certain “Event” and was specifically for the “leaders” and had nothing to do with ordinary Christians and Jews.

Politically – No. Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America, the great Satan.

Response: You need to do serious research if you believe that Muslims MUST SUBMIT TO MULLAHS. Mullah is like a church Pastor and just like some Christians blindly follow the pastors, Muslims are no exception. Remember Pastor Jim Jones!?!?

Domestically – No. Because he is instructed to marry four Women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him. (Quran 4:34)

Response: You quoted wrong verse but Islam never “instructed” to marry 4 women. The verse 4:3 states that you can marry up to 4 but if you cannot be just to all of them then it is better to marry only one. And btw polygamy isn’t something new if you read old and new testament.

Intellectually – No. Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.

Response: hmmm… I can talk a lot about this but to keep things simple, let us just talk about the 10 commandments: First and third commandment contradicts with the First Amendment, second and third commandment contradicts with freedom of speech and expression, Sabbath (4^th commandment) has nothing to do with American culture and society, adultery (7^th commandment) is celebrated and encouraged, etc.

Philosophically – No. Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.

Response: Muslim governments are dictatorial because it suits American foreign policy. May be you don’t know but Islam gave women right to vote 1400 years ago while it happened in 1920s for the American women. Freedom of expression and making nude/pornographic pictures and movies about religious figures are totally different things.

Spiritually – No. Because when we declare ‘one nation under God,’ The Christian’s God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in the Quran’s 99 excellent names.

Response: Jews don’t refer to God as “Heavenly Father” so are they in Santa’s “bad” list as well?

This hostility against Muslims isn’t something new and certain sections of society just need a punching bag to feel alive… so in the beginning, the “Red Man”, then the “Black Man”; Jews were evil until the Holocaust (which btw was a very Christian act), Japanese Americans were pushed in concentration camps, then the Red Giant USSR, then gays/lesbians, and now Muslims. Hence… same game, different players!

In Response to “10 REASONS WHY I DO NOT WANT SHARIA IN PAKISTAN”

Below are my ten points in response to the “10 REASONS WHY I DO NOT WANT SHARIAH IN PAKISTAN”

Source: 10 REASONS WHY I DO NOT WANT SHARIAH IN PAKISTAN

Islam is more than inshaAllah and MashAllah but some in the land of the pure believe that it is good enough.

1. Religion and how I choose to practice it is my business and not that of the State.

1.  Sharia law never dictates how you practice your religion at personal level or what you do in your home. It merely gives a framework of rules and laws that should be implemented to run the affairs of a state.

2. Enforcing Shariah will not make me a better Muslim nor will it make Pakistan a welfare state. The world’s welfare states are all governed by secular governments.

2. Yet again, the purpose of sharia law is not to make you a “better Muslim” because Quran clearly dictates that there is no compulsion in religion. And your argument that as all the welfare states are governed by secular governments therefore sharia law is not workable is just childish. It is like saying that as number of male recipients of Noble prize is greater than that of women therefore all women are stupid.

3. I reject the idea that Shariah in any form can be enforced by those who have raped and plundered my country, blown up schools and mosques and beheaded soldiers. I will not give these criminals the right to dictate to me.

3.  TTP will not be implementing sharia law, government of Pakistan will. Secondly, implementing sharia law doesn’t mean that you are justifying the evil acts of the few. If evil acts of TTP in past 10 years can be used to undermine Sharia law then we have suffered far longer due to “democracy”. Hence if I accept your logic, democracy is bigger evil than sharia.

4. I will not give up my civil rights, including freedom of thought and expression, under the guise of Shariah.

4.  Muslims both at individual level and as a nation contributed more in science, medicine, arts, etc. following laws of Allah. Islam gave right of vote to women 1400 years before the west and abolished slavery long before the “free world”. Islam encourages all aspects of expression unless your definition of “freedom of expression” coincides with the one expressed by Veena Malik.

5. I stand against acts like wife beating and the premise that rape requires 4 witnesses, all of which can be justified under Shariah law. Virtually anything can be justified by quoting religious scripture, and the context or interpretation of quoted text is usually not questioned. An example is a heinous crime like the Peshawar church blast being declared “in accordance with Shariah” by the TTP.

5. How can you equate wife beating/domestic violence with sharia law? But if you really want to go that route than I must accept the challenge. In US, one woman is being raped every two minutes and 1.3 million women were physically assaulted in one year by their significant other. So this proves that democracy is bigger evil than the sharia law!?!? Secondly you have stated that and I quote “virtually anything can be justified by quoting religious scripture”, isn’t it true in the secular legal system where lawyers play all kind of games and twist things to win? I know that finding faults in secular legal system is not enough to prove my point but I just wanted to show the other side of the picture. Just like acts of a killer are his own fault and the state or the legal system is not responsible, same is true for sharia law if one decides to beat up my wife. Blame the player not the game! Last but not least, the 4 witness rule is not for rape but for adultery and formication.

6. I abhor the notion that under Sharia law the State will be classifying its citizens into those who practice Islam and those who don’t. There should be NO minority, and NO majority, everyone should be equal citizens with equal rights under the law.

6. Sharia law doesn’t classify on the basis of majority or minority but on the basis of religion so that those who are not Muslims can live their lives according to their religion, customs, laws, culture, etc. In this way laws related to drinking for example will not be applicable on non-Muslims.

7. I believe that draconian laws under the guise of religion will push Pakistan back socioeconomically and isolate it from the rest of the world. This must not be allowed to happen.

7. If I accept your idea that sharia law will push Pakistan into isolation then my question to you is: Aren’t we isolated now i.e. during the golden age of democracy in Pakistan? Secondly If sharia law will push Pakistan in isolation then why is Saudi Arabia (not supporting Saudis in any way) is not isolated and is considered biggest American ally after Israel?

8. Imposing religion in a country that is already torn apart by religious extremism and sectarianism is like adding fuel to the fire. The criminals who are demanding Shariah are the ones who have taken responsibility for sectarian killings across the country.

8. An evil group asking for something good should never change your stance towards the good thing just because “they” are asking for it. TTP guys also drink water so should that stop you from drinking water ever again just because “they” are drinking it too?!?!

9. We live in a modern world that uses rational thinking, information and science to frame laws which don’t necessarily derive inspiration from religion or religious text. These laws can be amended according to the will of the people. Laws based on religion take away the freedom to choose, criticize or amend. An example is the relegation of scientific and forensic evidence as secondary in cases of rape.

9. This statement of yours basically means that religion is obsolete in the modern world and I cannot argue with you here because I don’t think I need to prove that here. But if you (those against religion or laws dictated by religion) want to kick religion out then you should be ready to give your daughter freedom to sleep around because secular law allows that. There are many other examples but I should just shut up. I agree with use of scientific and forensic evidence in cases of rape. By the way it is really weird that same people who don’t allow their daughters to marry according to their wishes (which sharia law allows) talk about freedom.

10. I believe the actual reason for the demand for Shariah is to simply grab power and territory under religious pretense. I will not give up any part of my country to anyone for any reason.

10. Last but not least we should never judge the statement by looking at the person who is saying it and that each statement or argument should be weighed in isolation from the one who said it.

If I have said something good it is from Allah and if I have made some mistakes then that are from me and I ask for your forgiveness.

The Whiny Gitmo Guard

Just heard the Gitmo guard whine about being called names by the detainees and them being disrespectful!
1: So what do you expect from those being held without any charges for more than 10 years?
2: Dear guard, If you consider these people your enemies then suck it up and do your job!

Shame On Muslims In America – Part 2

Once upon a time, there lived four bulls in a jungle. One of them was white and the other three were black. They used to live in a dangerous part of the jungle that was full of wolves. The only way they protected themselves against the wolves was to stay together and help each other in case of an attack. One day, the black bulls met together and decided that as the white bull is more visible at night due to his color, he is making them more venerable and should be boycotted and left alone and that will make them (black bulls) more secure and better protected.

After few days, wolves detected the rift and disunity among the bulls, exploited it, and attacked & killed the white bull while the black ones witnessed it quietly.
The black bulls instead of feeling sad were relieved that they don’t have to deal with the “whitey” anymore. But the following night, the wolves attacked the three black bulls again as they understood that the bulls are now three instead of four and are weaker because of that. The next night, the wolves successfully hunted another one without much difficulty. Two remaining bulls tried their best to protect themselves but after few days, another one became the victim of the steely jaws.
The lone bull accepted his fate and just quietly waited for the wolves to come and finish him off. That night, the wolves attacked again and when one of the wolves was about the break the last bull’s neck, he said the following, “I was died the day white bull was killed, I was eaten by the wolves the day I boycotted the white bull, didn’t help him and let the wolves eat him”.
Same is true for the Muslims in America when nobody tried to help bury Tamerlan Tsarnaev, everybody was trying to protect his or her own behind, all imams were playing their political games, bla, bla, bla… All those who disagree should just wait 10 to 20 years, that’s all it will take to understand what I am saying today. So yeah, shame on Muslims in America that they couldn’t bury a Muslim and a Christian woman had to take care of it. Yet again, putting someone in a grave doesn’t mean that you agree with his/her actions and it is more about humanism than religion! This too much proved that a christian woman had more humanity, more faith, more integrity and more love than 2.6 million Muslims in American. Martha Mullen > 2.5 million! Enough said!

Shame On Muslims In America

Shame on Muslims in America that they couldn’t bury a Muslim and a Christian woman had to take care of it. Yet again, putting someone in a grave doesn’t mean that you agree with his/her actions and it is more about humanism than religion! This too much proved that a christian woman had more humanity, more faith, more integrity and more love than 2.6 million Muslims in American. Martha Mullen > 2.5 million! Enough said!

A Drop In The Endless Sea

What can one man do, what can I do, it is impossible, etc. are some of the thoughts and whispers that surround us whenever we try to think out of the box or when we try to break the chains of society, norms and sometimes even logic. These voices and whispers discourage us from even blinking at the time when we should have acted, they stop us from helping the helpless by using flawless reason and perfect logic, they stop us from telling the truth when the whole world wants to believe in falsehood. And slowly but surely, it is these voices that sculpture and carve our personality by transforming us into a little robot who only knows to conform to the norms and boundaries set ”ironically” by those who did not conform, didn’t follow, or the rebellious. The ones who unlike most men, took charge, ignored the whispers, showed perseverance and eventually conquered everything that others thought were impossible. Those who truly believe in themselves and their cause, who are not fearful of defeat, who put their trust in Allah, and with strong faith and belief, take the leap of faith into the pit of fire, just like prophet Abraham A.S. The one who was also alone, naked and helpless (according to logical and worldly definition) but confident, steadfast, and fearless against opposing odds, logic, society, and the norms defined by mortal men.

Another thing that stops us from taking initiative and acting on our ideas and dreams is the thought that, ‘what I am thinking or my ideas are insignificant and useless’. But if we look around (what Allah wants us to do by repeating it again and again in Quran i.e. look around, research, dive, leap and discover) we will discover that in this life and also in the whole universe, nothing is insignificant, neither the material things (a single man for example) nor those that are abstract (deeds, thoughts, ideas, truth, dreams, love, faith, knowledge, etc). If you think you are powerless, think about the power of something as tiny and insignificant as an atom, with which two cities were leveled in seconds. If you think you are insignificant, think about a dot because there was a time when whole universe was just a point, a dot, but insignificant? never! And who can forget supernova that lasts for only a split second but results in something so amazing and powerful that even light cannot escape it. And if you think that you, your personality and your accomplishments as tiny and minute, don’t forget that there was a time when Einstein, Newton, Plato, Alexander, and all others could have been defined as a single cell, a point or a dot; with no accomplishments or achievements around them. If you think your dreams are useless, delusions and insignificant, think about a dream that saved Egypt and all the surrounding areas from total destruction. If you think little evil deed can be justified, don’t forget your parents who were in heaven one day and were on the blue pearl the next, all because of an apple. Similarly, no good deed is insignificant either because only Allah knows the worth of our actions and only He knows the domino effect of something as simple as a smile.
Someone once told me a story of a very knowledgeable Muslim convert who found his Creator because of a conversation he had with a Muslim immigrant when they casually talked about Islam and the immigrant Muslim, in his broken English answered all the basic questions he had. The amazing part of the story is that this conversation on Islam between two total strangers happened when they were sharing needles to inject heroin. They continued their discussion even when they were high on heroin. So this apparently insignificant act of an unknown weak Muslim, resulted in Islam of someone in totally unexpected way. Hence nothing is insignificant, neither a deed, nor an action. If you are on the right path then Allah’s help is with you, and when Allah’s help is with you, the only thing that’s insignificant is the universe. And that is the point in ones life when odds, numbers, statistics, calculations and estimations become insignificant and people, society, social pressures, opposition, hunger and pain becomes irrelevant.
I will post more on this topic some other day iA!

Rumors & Spicy Gossip With Diet Coke Please!

The excitement on the faces of islamophobes was [like Barney says: legen…~wait for it~…dary] legendary, when a news about a fatwa came out allowing fighters in Syria to rape women. The news was of course not true and the story has been retracted from most websites I looked.  Confirming any news is extremely important, not only in our public and private lives but also it is our responsibility as a member of this great nation. There are people out there who intentionally or unintentionally spread rumors about a person/family/community and love to hype up tiny things and are professional in spicing up almost anything. If they go to a funeral and see a skinny body of the deceased, they say, “He died of hunger, his family never took care of him”. In weddings, bride’s sister almost always gets the medal of being a whore, and so on… I have personally seen the situations in which a rumour or a false statement almost destroyed a marriage, a happy family or friendship. That girl is sleeping with this guy, that girl is a whore, this guy is alcoholic, that person is having an affair with that person, her b***s are fake, she wears a bra with extra padding, she is so hairy, they are so poor, he wears a wig, he has a goori girlfriend, she is pregnant and that is why they are getting married, are some of my favourites.
People didn’t even leave prophet Muhammad S.A.W and his family alone and nothing stopped them from spreading rumours about his wife Ayesha R.A by falsely accusing her of adultery. They also accused Maryam (Mary) A.S of fornication and claimed that Jesus A.S. is her illegitimate son. Allah called these accusations ” بُهْتَـناً عَظِيماً” or great lie in the holy Quran.
Following verses of Quran were revealed to prove Ayesha’s R.A innocence and should also guide us inshAllah.
Allah says in Quran:
Verily, numerous among you are those who would falsely accuse others of unchastity [but, O you who are thus wronged,] deem it not a bad thing for you: nay, it is good for you!
[As for the slanderers,] unto every one of them [will be accounted] all that he has earned by [thus] sinning; and awesome suffering awaits any of them who takes it upon himself to enhance this [sin]!
Why do not the believing men and women, whenever such [a rumour] is heard, think the best of one another and say, “This is an obvious falsehood”?
Why do they not [demand of the accusers to produce proof or witnesses for] their allegation?  for, if they do not produce such witnesses, it is those [accusers] who, in the sight of God, are liars indeed!
And were it not for God’s favour upon you, [O men,] and His grace in this world and in the life to come, awesome suffering would indeed have afflicted you in result of all [the calumny] in which you indulge; when you take it up with your tongues, uttering with your mouths something of which you have no knowledge, and deeming it a light matter whereas in the sight of God it is an awful thing! (Quran 24:11-15)

Lesson to learn: Allah says in Quran: O Believers, if an unrighteous person comes to you with information, you should verify it or else you might inflict harm on a people in ignorance and then end up regretting what you have done. (Quran 49:6)

Arrogance, Ego & Other Drugs!

First thing first, How do I deal with arrogant people? Just like everyone (including arrogant people) I always felt awkward and stressed while dealing with arrogant people but then I came up with a brilliant idea and you can use it too!
Whenever I have to/had to deal with an arrogant person, I just visualize him/her sitting in a bathroom with an explosive case of diarrhea and after that, the arrogant and rude person turns into very, very ordinary and miserable person. Now you can ask why I use diarrhea specifically? It is because arrogance just like diarrhea, happens when someone is given more than what they can handle, resulting in emotional imbalance and explosion. Like they say in Urdu: khaali bartan zayada aawaz daita hai or empty pot makes more noise, which is most certainly true for the arrogant ones.
Arrogance and ego are the hardest of the challenges faced by us in this life and overcoming these two diseases of heart and soul can be the defining moments in a person’s life. Since the beginning of time, all those who were enslaved by the two evil siblings(arrogance & ego), were eventually destroyed as their hearts and souls were consumed by the darkness that accompanies arrogance, ego and other drugs.
Even the story of mankind starts with a discovery of a problem hidden deep in the heart of a being made of fire named Iblees, the one who’s level of knowledge and understanding was such that he was elevated to the heavens to teach the angels. The one who out of his arrogance and ego, couldn’t bow in front of someone made of clay. He is the one whose arrogance and ego consumed him and in just a moment, his status changed from the best, to the worst of them all. Yes, just like all defining moments since the beginning of time when a moment defines and sets direction for thousands of years, for iblees too it only took a moment to bring the hidden illness out in the open, the illness of arrogance and ego. And that was the moment when the arrogant one decided to be the eternal enemy of Adam and his children and started to plot, plan and whisper in their ears. He eventually succeeded in misguiding/making Adam and Eve taste the forbidden fruit resulting in a punishment by banishment to the blue planet, we now call home. After the punishment, Adam and Eve were ashamed and did something Satan couldn’t do because of the disease in his heart; Yes, they accepted their mistake, their poor judgment, their sin and asked for forgiveness with pure hearts, conviction and sincerity. They were able to accept their weakness because their hearts were pure; their hearts were pure because unlike satan, they was free of arrogance and ego. And by the way this repentance, sense of shame and humbleness were exactly the characteristics that made the one made of clay better than the one made of fire.
Just like the first evil committed in the heavens was arrogance, story of the blue planet isn’t different either, where arrogance and ego of Kane consumed him resulting in the first murder in the human history. No logic, no argument and no advice of Adam A.S helped Kane and he still murdered his brother because the darkness of arrogance blurred his judgement and vision. And when your judgement is blurred, right starts to look wrong, light turns into darkness, truth is eaten up by lies and slowly but surely, everything you do becomes the ultimate truth, brightest light and one and only solution or opinion.
Our history is full of arrogant people and arrogant nations who paid dearly because of this evil. Arrogance of Cleopatra ends with her loosing Egypt, love of Mark Anthony and eventually her own life. Hitler arrogantly under estimating Russia in Operation Barbarossa is known to all and who can forget Bonaparte and the blunders of Waterloo. A mosquito was all it took to bring Nimrod and his arrogance back to earth. Henry the VIII had to “create” a whole new religion just to have some so called legitimate “fun time” with poor Ann. Arrogance of Russia in Afghanistan and Americans following their footsteps is not so much ancient history either.
All the signs and warnings were not able to break the spell of arrogance over (the self proclaimed god) the Pharaoh of Egypt until he saw the destroyer of all happiness when he was drowning, but it was too late. Allah says in Quran: He cried, “I accept faith that there is no True God except the One in Whom the Descendants of Israel believe, and I am a Muslim. (Quran 10:90)
And then there is a story of the wealthy Israelite named Karoon who had so much wealth that the keys of his treasures were carried by hundreds of camels and was destroyed because of his arrogance. Allah talks about his arrogant behaviour and his claims as follows: He said: “What I have been given is due to knowledge I possess.” (Quran 28:78)
It was the arrogance of another man whose knowledge and intelligence couldn’t help him against the fire of ego and arrogance and eventually took him to the depths of hellfire. It was the same man who was famous for his knowledge, understanding, intelligence and skills in Arabia and beyond. It was because of his amazing personality and charisma, that he was famous by the name of Abul- Hakam or father of knowledge. But when father of all knowledge was blinded by tribal arrogance and ego, he was renamed to Abu Janl or father of ignorance. It was because of his strong personality that prophet Mohammad S.A.W asked Allah for his guidance (He asked for any one of the two i.e. Omar bin alKhattab or Omar bin alHissham).
You can judge the level of his evil genius from the fact that when all the chieftains of Makkah were planning to kill prophet Muhammad S.A.W, satan was there too (in the form of a man). When everyone started giving their ideas of murdering the prophet, satan also shared his ideas, thoughts and plans with them. But you may be surprised to know that it was Abu Jahl who came up with the best plan; the plan which satin couldn’t come up with, the plan which impressed and amazed all the chieftains including satin, yes… the perfect and foolproof plan!
Just like the bright shining sun cannot help someone without light in his eyes, same is true for Abu Jahl and you can judge that in the event described below.
Once Mughira, who was one of the chieftains of Quraish asked Abu Jahl if he admitted prophet Mohammed’s prophet hood. He replied, “I know that he is truly a prophet. Nevertheless, we compete with the Banu Hashim (prophet’s tribe) in everything. They have the honor of providing food and water to the pilgrims. Now if they also get the honor of prophet hood, I won’t be able to endure it at all!”
One the day of the battle of Badr, Abdullah ibn Masud saw Abu Jahl taking his last breaths, his whole body was buried under steel, and he had his sword in his hand. He was unable to move any part of his body because of the severity of his wounds. Abdullah ibn Masud mounted his chest to check his condition and even at that time, Abu Jahl said arrogantly to Abdullah R.A, “Oh worthless shepherd, you have climbed upon a very strong and high mount”. And when Abdullah ibn Masud started to cut off his head with his blunt and cheap sword, Abu Jahl told him to use his sword instead because according to him, Abdullah ibn Masud’s cheap sword wasn’t good enough for his neck. Last but not least, when Abdullah ibn Masud was about to cut off his head, Abu Jahl told him that he is doing it incorrectly and he should cut off the neck closer to the body so that his head can look higher when placed with other casualties of the battle.
Quran is full of verses where Allah gives warnings to the mankind for example:
“Do not walk on the earth arrogantly, certainly you will never be able to tear the earth open, nor compete with the mountains in height.” (17:39)
“Do not turn your cheek away from the people in arrogance, and do not walk on the earth arrogantly; God does not love any arrogant and boastful person. Be modest in your walk, and lower your voice; surely the most hideous of voices is that of the ass.” (31:18-19)
Ali ibn Abi Talib R.A said, “I am surprised at man: his beginning is a sperm and his end is a corpse, and between his beginning and his end he is just a earner of waste, and still he is arrogant!”
So in short, the take home message is that just like all the beautiful, handsome, rich and powerful before us, we too will turn to dust one day. So we should learn from the history and understand that my super fast car and your huge mansion, my bank balance and your gold & silver, my degrees and your MDs, and my ego and your arrogance will only lead us to our destruction. Those who are arrogant because of their degrees, qualifications and knowledge should not forget Abu Jahl, those arrogant because of their power should learn from Nimrod, those who are arrogant because of their money and mansions should see what happened to the Pharaoh, and all those who feel pride in arrogantly showing off their gold, silver and diamonds should seek guidance from the story of Karoon. Secondly, we should also keep this thought and realization in back of out heads that, in the end, all we leave behind are our good deeds, what we did to help others and the way we positively and productively impacted the lives of people around us.
Iqbal talks about arrogance in his poem ‘Pahar aur gulhari’ or ‘A dialog between a mountain and a squirrel’ as follows (Urdu given below the English translation:

A mountain said this to a squirrel
Commit suicide if you have self respect
You are insignificant, still so arrogant, how strange is it!
You are neither wise, nor intelligent! not even shrewd!
It is strange when the insignificant pose as important!
When the stupid ones like you pose as intelligent!
You are no match in comparison with my splendour
Even the earth is low compared with my height and mightiness
The grandeur of mine does not fall to your lot
The poor animal cannot equal the great mountain!

On hearing this the squirrel said, Hold your tongue!
These are immature thoughts, expel them from your heart!
I do not care if I am not large like you!
You are not a pretty little thing like me either
Everything shows the Omnipotence of God
Some large, some small, is the Wisdom of God
He has created you large in the world
And He has taught me climbing large trees
You are unable to walk a single step
Only large size! What other greatness do you have?
If you are large show me some of the skills that I have
Show me how you break this beetle nut as I can
Nothing is useless in this world!
Nothing is bad in God’s creation!

Pahar aur gulheri

Koi Pahar Ye Kehta Tha Ek Gulehri Se
Tujhe Ho Sharam To Pani Mein Ja Ke Doob Maray
Zara Si Cheez Hai, Iss Pe Garoor, Kya Kehna
Ye Aqal Aur Ye Samajh, Ye Shaur, Kya Kehna!
Khuda Ki Shan Hai Na-Cheez, Cheez Ban Baithen
Jo Be-Shaur Hon, Yun Ba-Tameez Ban Baithen
Teri Bisat Hai Kya Meri Shan Ke Aagay
Zameen Hai Passt Meri Aan Baan Ke Aagay
Jo Baat Mujh Mein Hai, Tujh Ko Vo Naseeb Kahan
Bhala Pahar Kahan, Janwar Gareeb Kahan!

Kaha Ye Sun Ke Gulehri Ne, Munh Sambhal Zara
Ye Kachi Baatain Hain Dil Se Inhain Nikal Zara
Jo Mein Bari Nahin Teri Tarah To Kya Parwa
Nahin Hai Tu Bhi To Aakhir Meri Tarah Chotta
Her Aik Cheez Se Paida Khuda Ki Qudrat Hai
Koi Bara, Koi Chotta, Ye Uss Ki Hikmat Hai
Bara Jahan Mein Tujh Ko Bana Diya Uss Ne
Mujhe Darakht Pe Charhna Sikha Diya Uss Ne
Qadam Uthane Ki Takat Nahin Zara Tujh Mein
Niri Barai Hai, Khubi Hai Aur Kya Tujh Mein
Jo Tu Bara Hai To Mujh Sa Hunar Dikha Mujh Ko
Ye Chaliya Hi Zara Tor Ker Dikha Mujh Ko
Nahin Hai Cheez Nakami Koi Zamane Mein
Koi Bura Nahin Qudrat Ke Karkhane Mein