إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِمَ أَنَّ الذَّنْبَ خَيْرٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ مِنَ الْعُجْبِ وَ لَوْ لَا ذَلِكَ مَا ابْتُلِيَ مُؤْمِنٌ بِذَنْبٍ أَبَداً.
“Allah knew that sin is better for believing people than feeling self-important. Were it not as such, a believer would never sin.”
مَنْ دَخَلَهُ الْعُجْبُ هَلَكَ.
“Whoever has a feeling of self-importance is destroyed.”
سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْعُجْبِ الَّذِي يُفْسِدُ الْعَمَلَ فَقَالَ الْعُجْبُ دَرَجَاتٌ مِنْهَا أَنْ يُزَيَّنَ لِلْعَبْدِ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ فَيَرَاهُ حَسَناً فَيُعْجِبَهُ وَ يَحْسَبَ أَنَّهُ يُحْسِنُ صُنْعاً وَ مِنْهَا أَنْ يُؤْمِنَ الْعَبْدُ بِرَبِّهِ فَيَمُنَّ عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ لِلَّهِ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ الْمَنُ[1].
“Once I asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.) about the feeling of self-importance that destroys good deeds. The Imam said, ‘The feeling of self-importance is of several degrees. Of such feeling is that one’s bad deeds seem attractive to him. He considers it good and it gives him a feeling of self-importance. He thinks that he is
إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيُذْنِبُ الذَّنْبَ فَيَنْدَمُ عَلَيْهِ وَ يَعْمَلُ الْعَمَلَ فَيَسُرُّهُ ذَلِكَ فَيَتَرَاخَى عَنْ حَالِهِ تِلْكَ فَلَأَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَى حَالِهِ تِلْكَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِمَّا دَخَلَ فِيهِ.
“A man sins and then feels regretful. He then does a good deed that gives him happiness (feeling of self-importance). He then weakens. His being in a condition (regretful) is better than what he finds himself in (after a good deed with feeling of self- importance).”
أَتَى عَالِمٌ عَابِداً فَقَالَ لَهُ كَيْفَ صَلَاتُكَ فَقَالَ مِثْلِي يُسْأَلُ عَنْ صَلَاتِهِ وَ أَنَا أَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ مُنْذُ كَذَا وَ كَذَا قَالَ فَكَيْفَ بُكَاؤُكَ قَالَ أَبْكِي حَتَّى تَجْرِيَ دُمُوعِي فَقَالَ لَهُ الْعَالِمُ فَإِنَّ ضَحِكَكَ وَ أَنْتَ خَائِفٌ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ بُكَائِكَ وَ أَنْتَ مُدِلٌّ إِنَّ الْمُدِلَّ لَا يَصْعَدُ مِنْ عَمَلِهِ شَيْءٌ[2].
“Once a scholar went to see a worshipper and asked, ‘How are your prayers?’ He (the worshipper) replied, ‘Is a person like me questioned about his prayers? I have been worshipping Allah from such and such times.’ The scholar then asked, ‘How is your weeping?’ He (the worshipper) said, ‘I weep until my tears flow.’ The
دَخَلَ رَجُلَانِ الْمَسْجِدَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَابِدٌ وَ الْآخَرُ فَاسِقٌ فَخَرَجَا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ وَ الْفَاسِقُ صِدِّيقٌ[1] وَ الْعَابِدُ فَاسِقٌ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ يَدْخُلُ الْعَابِدُ الْمَسْجِدَ مُدِلًّا بِعِبَادَتِهِ يُدِلُّ بِهَا فَتَكُونُ فِكْرَتُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ وَ تَكُونُ فِكْرَةُ الْفَاسِقِ فِي التَّنَدُّمِ عَلَى فِسْقِهِ وَ يَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِمَّا صَنَعَ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ.
“Two people went to a Mosque. One was a worshipper and the other a sinful one. They left the Mosque. The sinner was a true believer, but the worshipper had become a sinner. It so happened, because the worshipper went to the Mosque boastful of his worshipping, thus, his thoughts were all the time on boastfulness. The si
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الرَّجُلُ يَعْمَلُ الْعَمَلَ وَ هُوَ خَائِفٌ مُشْفِقٌ ثُمَّ يَعْمَلُ شَيْئاً مِنَ الْبِرِّ فَيَدْخُلُهُ شِبْهُ الْعُجْبِ بِهِ فَقَالَ هُوَ فِي حَالِهِ الْأُولَى وَ هُوَ خَائِفٌ أَحْسَنُ حَالًا مِنْهُ فِي حَالِ عُجْبِهِ.
“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘A man performs a deed and he is fearful and worried. Then he performs a good deed that gives him a feeling of self- importance.’ The Imam said, ‘His being in a fearful condition is better than his having a feeling of self-importance.’”
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص بَيْنَمَا مُوسَى ع جَالِساً إِذْ أَقْبَلَ إِبْلِيسُ وَ عَلَيْهِ بُرْنُسٌ ذُو أَلْوَانٍ فَلَمَّا دَنَا مِنْ مُوسَى ع خَلَعَ الْبُرْنُسَ وَ قَامَ إِلَى مُوسَى فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى مَنْ أَنْتَ فَقَالَ أَنَا إِبْلِيسُ قَالَ أَنْتَ فَلَا قَرَّبَ اللَّهُ دَارَكَ[2] قَالَ إِنِّي إِنَّمَا جِئْتُ لِأُسَلِّمَ عَلَيْكَ لِمَكَانِكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى ع فَمَا هَذَا ا
“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Once Moses was sitting when Satan came to him with a many-colored hooded cloak on him. When he approached Moses he took his cloak off, stood nearby, and offered him the greeting of peace. Moses asked, ‘Who are you?’ He replied, ‘I am Satan.’ Moses said, ‘Is it you? May Allah not bring