Behaving Proudly and Arrogantly Without Justification (2 of 2)
Published in April 17, 2018
Translated by: Ahmed Fathy
Firstly: between feeling superior/higher without justification and within pride and arrogance and based on lies and falsehoods:
1- We must not forget that the Lord God has created human beings as equal brethren from one parents, Adam and his wife, and that He has made human beings belong to different nations, races, and tribes so that they would know one another and not to fight one another. Hence, this racial, social, and economic diversity asserts that human beings are the creatures of the Lord God. On the Last Day, God will judge human beings and will show who have been the best among them in terms of piety. God says in the Quran: "O people! We created you from a male and a female, and made you races and tribes, that you may know one another. The best among you in the sight of God is the most righteous. God is All-Knowing, Well-Experienced." (49:13). Hence, within Islam, there is no room for any people/race/tribe/faction to claim to be superior or higher above the others under any pretext, within any banner, label, or motto, or within pride and arrogance.
2- This also means that since all human beings are equal brethren, it is against the Quranic teachings of Islam that any persons would assume superiority above the others within pride and arrogance; this sin is against the core of the monotheistic testimony of (There is no God but Allah); God is the Only Superior, Proud, and Most-High Being and these qualities must never be assumed by mortals about themselves; God describes Himself here: "The Knower of the Invisible and the Visible; the Grand, the Most-High." (13:9).
3- Tyrants assume themselves to be high and superior; they are self-deified tyrannical rulers. Likewise, polytheists create gods and deities to themselves, and such godheads are assumed by them to be high and superior, though highness and superiority pertain exclusively to the Almighty Lord God the Creator. This is why within the contexts of verses refuting such polytheism, we find this repeated assertion about highness and superiority of the Lord God: "...Glorified be He, High above the associations they make." (10:18 + 16:1 + 30:40 + 39:67); "...Exalted be He, beyond what they describe." (6:100); "...God is Exalted above the polytheisms they create." (7:190); "...He is Exalted above the associations they attribute." (16:3); "Be He Glorified. He is Exalted, High above what they say." (17:43); "Exalted is God, the True King...." (20:114 + 23:116); "...He is Exalted, High above what they associate." (23:92); "...Most Exalted is God, High above what they associate." (27:63).
4- When tyrant assume airs of superiority within pride and arrogance, as they think of themselves as higher above all mortals, they deify themselves. Some proud, arrogant tyrants are secular; they use worldly mottos/slogans and banners (e.g., patriotism and nationalism) to deceive their nations to remain higher above them and superior to them. Once they reach power, these secular self-deified tyrants assume they must not be questioned by anyone about how they rule and what they say/do; they impose their self-deification on their nations by terrorizing and intimidating the nations; their propaganda machines heap praise over them as if they were visionary leaders and rulers inspired by God! Such secular, self-deified tyrants assume that no one has the right to question, discuss, or protest against their words, decisions, deeds, and decrees.
5- Theocratic tyrants are worse than secular tyrants; these theocratic tyrants are the ones who use the name of God's religion to falsely justify and legalize their tyranny; they assume to control and own this world and the next one! Those who dare to oppose or to protest against secular tyrants are accused of betraying their homeland or the motto of nationalism. In contrast, those who dare to oppose or to protest against theocratic tyrants are accused of apostasy and condemned to death as heretics who are supposed to enter into Hell and not into Paradise in the Hereafter! The arrogant secular tyrants are the enemies of their nations because they confiscate the rights of their nations by assuming to be higher above them and superior to them within mottos of nationalism. In contrast, the arrogant theocratic tyrants are worse because they are enemies of their nations and of God; this is because they have usurped the authority of God in this world and in the next one by ascribing divine/religious authority to themselves within distorting God's religion and adding falsehoods and lies to it to allow more tyranny and oppression to take place. Typically, the strong foes and opposition figures of theocratic tyrants use the same false religious notions to prove theocratic tyrants wrong; thus, they commit the same sin of mixing religion and politics committed earlier by theocratic tyrants. Secular tyrants in many cases rely on riding and controlling clergymen who falsely justify and legalize tyranny, because the earthly religions are the opium of the masses. The countries of the Muhammadans contain both types of tyrants: the secular and the theocratic ones. The strongest opposition movements there are the ones using the name of religion as a façade to hide the ambition of ascending to power one day; this is typical of the terrorist Wahabi Sunnite MB group and all secret and overt (preaching and military) organizations that belong to it.
6- The aim of such proud, arrogant sinners is to assume superiority and to spread corruption on earth; they are committing grave injustice against God and against people, because highness and superiority pertain exclusively to God and because the tyrants and their cronies and followers, who are 'superior' individuals/masters within 'superior'/higher bodies, oppress their people who are 'subjects' and not citizens, as they are humiliated, manipulated, enslaved, and controlled as inferior beings (see our article in English: http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=15449).
Secondly: Moses' Pharaoh is the imam/leader of all tyrants within theocracies:
1- The beginning of tyranny is to assume superiority on earth and to spread corruption; both superiority and corruption are interrelated, as we infer from this verse: "Pharaoh exalted himself as superior on earth, and divided its people into factions. He persecuted a group of them, slaughtering their sons, while sparing their daughters. He was truly a corrupter." (28:4).
2- Thus, Moses' Pharaoh and his people (of the 'superior', dominant bodies) are described many times in the Quran as arrogant and proud and as assuming airs of superiority and highness; e.g., in these verses: "Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron, with Our signs and a clear authority. To Pharaoh and his nobles, but they turned arrogant. They were oppressive, superior people. They said, "Are we to believe with two mortals like us, and their people are our slaves?"" (23:45-47).
3- They are described here as claiming to be superior and high within arrogance and as exceedingly sinful transgressors: "And We delivered the Israelites from the humiliating persecution. From Pharaoh. He was a transgressing, superior tyrant." (44:30-31); "But none believed with Moses except some children of his people, for fear that Pharaoh and his chiefs would persecute them. Pharaoh was high and mighty on earth; he was a transgressing tyrant." (10:83).
4- Pharaoh's airs of superiority made him declare his self-deification to all people at the time and that he were the only god and even above Allah: "And he gathered and proclaimed. He said, "I am your Lord, the most high."" (79:23-24); "Pharaoh said, "O nobles, I know of no god for you other than me. So fire-up the bricks for me, O Haman, and build me a tower, that I may ascend to the God of Moses, though I think he is a liar."" (28:38); "And Pharaoh said, "O Haman, build me a tower, that I may reach the pathways. The pathways of the heavens, so that I may glance at the God of Moses; though I think he is lying." Thus Pharaoh's evil deeds were made to appear good to him, and he was averted from the path. Pharaoh's guile was only in defeat." (40:36-37). This is why Moses said the following to him and to his retinue members of the high-rank notables and the superior bodies: "And do not exalt yourselves above God..." (44:19).
5- Moses' Pharaoh is the imam/leader of all tyrants, in all eras after him, who manipulate religion in politics; this self-deified tyrant was arrogant, haughty, and proud as he assumed himself, based on falsehoods and lies and thus without justification, to be superior to all mortals on earth: "He and his troops acted arrogantly on earth with no justification. They thought they would not be returned to Us." (28:39).
Thirdly: the fate of the proud, arrogant, superior ones and their followers:
1- The real, pious believers know that superiority and highness pertain only to the Glorified, Exalted Lord God; hence, they never seek superiority on earth nor to spread corruption; this is why they will inherit Paradise in the Hereafter: "That Home of the Hereafter - We assign it for those who seek no superiority on earth, nor corruption. And the outcome is for the pious ones." (28:83).
2- The ones deprived of Paradise are all those who spread corruption on earth to reach power and authority by seeking superiority on earth in order to be elevated higher above mortals and assume titles of royal highness or majesty, which pertain only to the Almighty Lord God. Inside Hell, such tyrants will be in the lowest depths within utter humiliation, especially the theocratic tyrants who have manipulated the name of God and the name of religion to seek their ambition of ascending to power and authority. Their unpardonable crime has been using the name of the great religion of Islam to arrogantly assume themselves as superior to other human beings without justification.
3- It is impossible that such tyrants would enter into Paradise; their fate is Hell for eternity: "Those who reject Our Verses and are too arrogant to uphold them - the doors of Heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise, until the camel passes through the eye of the needle. Thus We repay the criminals." (7:40); "But as for those who reject Our Verses, and are too proud to accept them - these are the inmates of the Fire, where they will remain forever." (7:36).
4- We trace in the following verses what will happen to such proud, arrogant disbelievers who assume superiority on earth with no justification and within adopting and spreading falsehoods.
4/1: Upon dying, the angels of death inform them of their fate in Hell for eternity: "Those wronging their souls while the angels are taking them away - they will propose peace: "We did no wrong." Yes you did. God is aware of what you used to do." Enter the gates of Hell, to dwell therein forever. Miserable is the residence of the arrogant ones." (16:28-29).
4/2: When driven by force to enter into Hell on the Last Day, the angels will rebuke and remind them of their arrogance and their rejection of (and disbelief in) God's Verses: "Those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in throngs. Until, when they have reached it, and its gates are opened, its keepers will say to them, "Did not messengers from among you come to you, reciting to you the Verses of your Lord, and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say, "Yes, but the verdict of torment is justified against the disbelievers." It will be said, "Enter the gates of Hell, to abide therein eternally." How wretched is the destination of the arrogant ones." (39:71-72).
4/3: The same will occur to them when they see Hell and its torment: "On the Day when the disbelievers will be paraded before the Fire: "You have squandered your good in your worldly life, and you took pleasure in them. So today you are being repaid with the torment of shame, because of your unjust arrogance on earth, and because you used to sin."" (46:20); "But as for those who disbelieved: "Were My Verses not recited to you? But you turned arrogant and were guilty people."" (45:31); "Or say, upon seeing the torment, "If only I had another chance, I would be of the virtuous ones."" (39:58-59).
5- Inside Hell-torment for eternity, the superior, arrogant masters and their weak, oppressed slaves/followers (among the mob and the masses who obeyed them) will rebuke one another and argue with one another in vain after it is too late for them.
5/1: "They will emerge before God, altogether. The weak will say to those who were proud, "We were your followers, can you protect us at all against God's torment?" They will say, "Had God guided us, we would have guided you. It is the same for us; whether we mourn, or are patient; there is not a way out for us."" (14:21); "As they quarrel in the Fire, the weak will say to those who were arrogant, "We were followers of yours; will you then spare us a portion of the Fire?" Those who were arrogant will say, "We are all in it; God has judged between the servants."" (40:47-48).
5/2: "Those who disbelieve say, "We will never believe in this Quran, nor in what came before it." If you could only see the unjust ones, standing before their Lord, throwing back allegations at one another. Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, "Were it not for you, we would have been believers." Those who were arrogant will say to those who were oppressed, "Was it us who turned you away from guidance when it came to you? No indeed, you yourselves were sinful." And those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, "It was your scheming by night and day; as you instructed us to reject God, and to set up rivals to Him." They will hide their remorse when they see the retribution. We will put yokes around the necks of those who disbelieved. Will they be repaid for anything other than what they used to do?" (34:31-33).
5/3: The oppressed, weak ones will despair of getting out of Hell-torment, and they will wish that their cursed seducers (who made them commit grave sins and embrace polytheism) among the arrogant masters will have double torment: "The Day when their faces are flipped into the Fire, they will say, "If only we had obeyed God and obeyed the Messenger." And they will say, "Lord, we have obeyed our superiors and our dignitaries, but they led us away from the Way. Lord, give them double the torment, and curse them with a great curse."" (33:66-68).
Lastly:
1- Arab tyrannical rulers and their rivals mix religion and politics; these arrogant ones disregard the fact that this grave sin will bring them into their fate in Hell for eternity and they will lose all their earthly power, authority, and sovereignty; evil and miserable is the fate of those unjust, arrogant ones.
2- The followers, among the mob and the masses, who obeyed the commands of tyrants and followed their ways, are also oblivious of their fate in Hell; the very little worldly, transient possessions they receive from the arrogant, proud tyrants will be nothing (or a big zero) when compared to their torment for eternity inside Hell.