Self praise by Imam Al-Ghazali

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Self praise: Know, O dear readers, that Wuzab or self-praise has been condemned by God and His Prophet. God says: In the battle of Hunain, your superiority in number gave you self-satisfaction but nothing came to your use. God says: "They (Jews) thought that their fortresses would save them from God but God gave them (Muslims) help from such a place which they did not conceive." They returned to infidelity as they possessed fort and strength and power. God says: 'They think that -they are doing good works.' Man takes self-satisfaction even when he does a work out of mistake. The Prophet said: There are three harmful things - miserliness which is followed, passion which is obeyed and self- praise. The Prophet said to Abu Salama regarding his latter followers: When you will see miserliness followed, low desires obeyed and each man following his own opinion, you should then go on doing your duties. Hazrat Ibn Masud said: There are two injurious things - despair and self-praise. He united the two matters, as a man of despair gives up efforts but fortune cannot be acquired without efforts, labour and care and the man of self- praise thinks that his object has been successful owing to his efforts and so he gives up efforts. He who has got self-praise has no efforts. A man of self-praise thinks that he has attained fortune. So he does not make efforts to achieve it.

God says: Don't impute piety to yourselves - 83:32. Hazrat Ibn Zarih explained this verse by saying: When you do a good deed, don't say: I have done it. Hazrat Zaid-b-Aslam said: Don't call yourself religious. This is self praise or considering oneself better. Hazrat Talha guarded the Prophet in the battle of Uhud. He received wounds after wounds in defending the Prophet as his body guard and he dedicated his life for him. Hazrat Omar said that for this Talha has got some self-praise. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said to Hazrat Omar at the time of consultation: Where are you in comparison with Talha? Hazrat Omar said: There is self-praise within him. When a man like him was not saved from self-praise, where are we the ordinary men?

The sage Mutarref said: To get self-satisfaction by saying at dawn "I have done sufficient" after passing the whole night inprayer is worse to me than to pass the whole night in sleep with repentance in the morning. The Prophet said: If you had not committed sins, I would have feared for you a more i.einous crime - self-praise. So he termed it as a heinous evil. Hazrat Ayesha was once asked: When does a man do an evil deed? She said : When he thinks that he is a man of good deeds.

(Ihya Ulum-id-din, volume 3 page 273)

 

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Harm of self praise: The harm of self-praise is great as it breeds pride and it is a cause of pride. Self-praise with the attributes of God makes one forgetful of his sins for which he can't remember his sins. He who does not understand the harm of his actions, almost all his efforts go in vain. He who has got more God fear than self praise searches into all things. He who has got self-praise is cheated by his own opinion. His self- praise takes him to such an extent that he praises himself and thinks himself pure. He gets satisfaction at seeing his wisdom, good deeds and opinions. He considers his opinion as good. If he does not believe his opinion and gets light from the Quran, takes help from the experts of religion and follows those who have got deep insight, he can reach the real truth. So self-praise is injurious.

What is Wuzab or self-praise? Self-praise arises out of realisation of perfection of good deeds, learning and other qualities. There are three conditions. One condition is that if he fears its loss, it cannot be called self-praise. The second condition is that if he thinks it as a gift of God, it cannot be called self-praise. The third condition may be called self-praise provided there is no fear but self-satisfaction and remaining upon it. Self-praise arises out of the following thinking - 1 am a perfect man, I am a man receiving gifts, I am good, I am intelligent etc. He does not feel joy at the gift of God, but considers it as his own quality for which he takes pleasure. He ascribes these attributes as his self-acquired attributes and not the gifts of God. If after giving charity to a man he wants a return of good and thinks that he has done a good deed commits self-praise as God says: Don't seek much return after doing good (to anybody). The Prophet said: The prayer of a man who does it for return does not rise above his head. To weep seeking return of your good deeds is worse than your laugh after recognizing your sins. There is hope of return behind self-praise and nobody expects return except one who praises himself as it arises from a feeling of superiority of self.

(Ihya Ulum-id-din, volume 3 page 274)