Arrogance, Ego & Other Drugs

scyrus

Citizen
source: http://scyrus.wordpress.com/2012/12/31/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 ***." (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 Gods 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

source: http://scyrus.wordpress.com/
 
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